text:
Learn this well, the last ride is never the last ride.
And the end is not the end.
-Richard Rowland
"The following is a contributor post by the Bizzaro Mage."
This review is based on my experiences playing it on a standard model PlayStation 4. It does not include any views on Red Dead Online.
2010, it's a year that happened, a whole ten years into the 21st century. Many events of note happened during those illustrious 12 months, including the official opening of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the tragic explosion of Deepwater Horizon and Vancouver hosts the Winter Olympics. But for many gamers, a great event happened that eclipsed all of this.
For in May of that year, Rockstar games released Red Dead Redemption, an open world Western adventure in the vein of the monolithic Grand Theft Auto series.
Red Dead Redemption was a sequel to 2004's rather unusual but ultimately enjoyable Red Dead Revolver, a game originally created by Angel Studios under the supervision of Capcom. Angel Studios, however, ended up becoming Rockstar San Diego and Capcom was off the table by the time the game was released, though their Japanese influence is plain to see all over that game thanks to a somewhat cartoonish visual style and some rather outlandish concepts for a game set in the Old West (for instance, a soldier with an actual cannon grafted onto his shoulder in place of an arm). The 2010 sequel was radically different to Revolver, featuring a more realistic world, a much larger map and Rockstar's famously hard-bitten and cynical sense of humour.
Needless to say, Red Dead Redemption went down very well with the gaming community, or at least those who owned a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox 360 as it never saw a PC release. Even whilst playing Grand Theft Auto 5, the best-selling piece of media ever created, I still couldn't quite shake the feeling that I'd rather be riding out with John Marston, hunting down the remaining member of the infamous Van Der Linde outlaw gang.
So in 2017, when the hype surrounding an upcoming sequel began to gain pace, so too did my excitement. Rumour had it that Red Dead Redemption 2 would be a prequel, casting the player as another member of Dutch Van Der Linde's gang before it fell apart and prior to John Marston being sent out on his pyrrhic quest. Whilst I am not usually a stickler for graphical prowess in my video games, I have to admit that I was curious as to what Rockstar could create visually with a game made entirely for the current generation of consoles, as opposed to to the upscaling and refinement that was added to GTA5 for its remaster on PS4, Xbox One and PC (which was still absolutely gorgeous).
Red Dead Redemption 2 was finally, after several delays and a scandal over Rockstar's harsh work hours, released on 26th October 2018 and, after some financial wrangling on my part, I was able to pick up a copy.
Just one question remains: is it any good? Well, let us mosey out and have a look.
Visuals: 10/10
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a visually stunning title, Rockstar truly have pulled out all of the stops to make its latest title look truly fantastic and, in many places, breathtaking. Right from the get go, the scenery of this game is impressively detailed and draws one in to a degree that you might actually start to feel like you are there yourself.
The first chapter takes place in a snowy mountainous region which reminded me very strongly of Tarantino's 2016 movie The Hateful Eight. The skies are dark and a blizzard rages all around protagonist Arthur Morgan as he rides after his fellow outlaws into the maelstrom. The weather and snow effects are done so well that I swear I started to feel the cold that Arthur himself must be feeling in the game. As his horse plowed ahead it left a trail behind it in the snow, disturbed white stuff piled up either side of it. It's small details like this that really make the difference in building up immersion, as CD Projekt Red discovered with The Witcher 3 three years ago.
It isn't just the snowy environs that impress either. As the story progresses, Arthur and the gang descend from the mountains onto the fair weather plains of America's heartland. Dry trails leave dust on Arthur's clothes and horse, wading through water visibly soaks his trousers and, once it has rained, the streets of Valentine turn into a morass of mud that adheres to everything it touches. I was impressed with an early scene here in which Arthur gets into a fight and is rolling around on the ground wrestling with his attacker. Once things have blown over and he gets to his feet you can really see how caked with mud and blood he is.
The denizens of this fictional slice of Americana are just as finely detailed as the world they occupy. There was some ridicule prior to the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 pertaining to the realistic physics of horse's… anatomy, shall we say, as well as the fact they go to the horse toilet in real time (which can seriously take the edge off an intense cutscene if a loose bowelled pony is standing around in the background). Yet this is not a one off: every animal and human being in this world boasts an incredible amount of detail and realism, especially the members of Dutch's gang.
In an early cutscene the camera focuses on the face of a young John Marston and I could see individual stitches in his face where a wound had been stitched shut. Arthur himself strongly resembles the actor playing him, as did the central characters from Grand Theft Auto 5. His hair and beard grow in real time and each length of hair unlocks the relevant styles to go with it. For instance, he can only have a ponytail if his hair has grown long. So no more Grand Theft Auto barber antics, where a hairdresser can use a set of clippers to turn a skinhead into an afro, though we will speaking of this game's attention to realism a little later!
Arthur can also acquire a range of new clothing throughout his adventure, all of which are in fitting with the time period and cover a wide array of styles. I played this game on a bog standard, first generation PlayStation 4 and it looked fantastic on my older LED television. I have also seen it played on a 4K TV, on which it seemed to run at a slightly smoother FPS, though I was personally unable to confirm this.
Another thing worth praising whilst discussing Red Dead Redemption 2's graphics is how each town in the game has its own unique flavour and style. The aforementioned Valentine is a small, dirty farming town with paddocks to house animals whilst they await auction and mostly wooden buildings, including a decently sized saloon and a gunsmith. The whimsically named Strawberry is a rough and ready yet sparse mountain town and Rhodes is a dusty, destitute town in the south that never recovered from the Confederate loss during the Civil War. My favourite town is, however, the sprawling and labyrinthine St Denis, which is clearly based upon New Orleans and carries a lot of that real world city's aesthetic and character. Indeed, poor Arthur looks completely out of sorts there until he can pick up some more fancy clothes and get a shave.
All said and done, Rockstar have done a grand job of not only making this game look like a million dollars but also managed to capture the tumbledown, rough world of the Western as a genre itself, equal parts Sergio Leone and Quentin Tarantino in it's visuals and a treat on the eyes.
Audio: 10/10
For all of its visual flair, Red Dead Redemption 2 would be nowhere without a soundtrack to match. Thankfully, the score is well and truly on par with the graphics, mainly due to the return of composer Woody Jackson, who delivered an equally excellent soundtrack on the 2010 original. Whilst subtle for the most part, providing gentle background music as Arthur goes about his daily business of horse riding, falling off said horse and saying howdy to strangers, it does pick up pace during combat and chase sequences. Jackson is definitely channeling the great Ennio Morricone in his work, using period-relevant instruments and wailing voices to crank up that all important immersion and set a wonderful and vibrant audio backdrop to match the action that is happening on screen.
My standout track from this game is from a pivotal point in the story that comes at the end of chapter 3, in which the stakes are very suddenly raised for Dutch's gang and an extremely tense stand-off turns ugly. I have included a link to this track below as explaining music isn't my forte, but suffice to say that the haunting vocals and slowly intensifying guitar wails really help to hike up the sense of emergency and tension that Arthur must have felt at that point in the story. One last thing to mention in regard to the game's score is that, just like John Marston's previous outing, this game features some truly beautiful vocal work in it's more story specific, one off songs. I have added both the Mexico intro theme from 2010's Red Dead Redemption and a similar track from the prequel to showcase just how well performed and produced these songs are (though a word of advice if watched on YouTube itself: don't read the comments! Ever!)
No Western would be complete without some good gunfire sounds and this game has managed to deliver in this department too. There are few sounds more satisfying than the crack of Arthur's revolver as he manages to land the first shot in a duel or the boom of a thrown stick of dynamite detonating and sending a couple of bandits flying through the air. Each shotgun, revolver and rifle has its own sound and I often could figure out what enemies were trying to shoot me with before I even clapped eyes on them and what Arthur had to do to survive the assault.
Animal noises are also very good. Horses whinny and bray convincingly, eagles screech as they soar across the sky and the sound a deer makes when you shoot it put me off hunting for a good long while, being the gentle animal-loving sort like I am.
And what kind of reviewer would I be if I didn't mention the voice acting of the gentleman that wanders throughout the world map in search of his friend Gavin? I just love that guy!
Gameplay: 7/10
Since the beginning of the last generation, developers have had a fascination with realism, to one degree or another. First person shooters went from outlandish power fantasies like Doom or Duke Nukem 3D and instead embraced a more gritty, Hollywood style of game featuring real places, guns and military equipment. Other games, like Far Cry 2, took realism even further, forcing the player to contend with weapons that would jam mid gunfight and the ever looming threat of malaria that could only be fought off with pills. Whilst there were undeniably people who enjoyed this more extreme style of immersion and realism, most of the gaming world wasn't so sure.
I mention all of this because Red Dead Redemption 2 takes realism to the next level, to both its advantage and detriment. Let me furnish you, dear reader, with a few examples of times when attention to realism ultimately harmed this game.
1. Bounties
If Arthur behaves badly in towns, he attracts the attention of the law and a cash value is attached to his capture or death. To waive this unfortunate fate, he will have to visit a postal office and pay the fine himself. I am fine with this idea, in theory. But Read Dead Redemption 2's law men are a little hazy in what is considered a crime and what is considered a genuine accident! For instance, the buttons for interacting with NPCs can easily be confused in the heat of the moment and, in one terrible incident, Arthur drew his revolver on a homeless, penniless war vet instead of giving him a dollar. Cue an escalating horror show in which I ended up stabbing no less than three witnesses in an attempt to keep things quiet, failing and then being gunned down by the law. It gets worse too, for some story missions wrap up with massive bounties being placed on Arthur in certain towns. Thanks to one story mission I ended up being wanted dead or alive in the town of Strawberry, the bounty to clear my name being $300. The game gave me no warning that it would be doing this and as a result I was forced to steer clear of that town for a good long time until I could drum up the dollars.
2. Camp
The Van Der Linde outlaw gang is a large one and their home camp is full of their belongings and mess. Its also full of chores to be done for those who want to get Arthur's morality meter to the top. When I say chores, I mean chores. Chopping wood, carrying buckets of water to the river and back and taking hay to the gang's horses for breakfast… it's all as boring as it would be in real life. Indeed most chores just involve slowly walking from A to B holding something or pressing a button when prompted to do so. It's a saving grace that these tasks aren't mandatory else they would be a massive turnoff for many gamers who came to this title expecting shoot-outs and horseback chases.
3. Physics
Okay, so rag doll physics can be hilarious. The first time Arthur's horse trips over a rock and both beast and rider flail through the air can be pretty amusing but, after the twentieth time it's happened (usually during a chase sequence) it does start to wear a little thin. Things like a good physics engine are always welcome in these games, but sometimes a developer can go a little too far and implement them too heavily. Compare this to the first Red Dead Redemption, in which I swear John Marston was never propelled from his horse at 40 mph during a pursuit or even a gentle stroll down the trail and it is clear as daylight to see that sometimes, not always, the physics in the prequel can be a little invasive into one's sense of having fun.
So, that's my little niggles out of the way, time to have a look at the wider spectrum of what this game has to offer. Like any game by Rockstar, the backbone of Red Dead Redemption 2 is its story, which is played out across a series of missions and tends to take a good few hours to complete, if one was to hit it with everything they had and ignored any side content. A problem that many have encountered with Arthur Morgan's tale is that it starts off very slowly and with little straight up explanation of how the gang managed to get into the rather sticky situation that the story starts off with. My experience was a little different for, whilst I certainly acknowledge that there is a slower pace in the beginning, it never really bothered me. As a fan of Sergio Leone's "Spaghetti Western" trilogy this almost glacial opener was instantly familiar, like something straight out of one of his movies. The game does develop a sense of drama and excitement as it goes on, but I shall daringly rob this train of thought later in the review.
Something that has always set Rockstar games apart from their imitators is the sheer amount of side content and unusual encounters that litter their worlds. From stealing cars for export in 2001's Grand Theft Auto 3 to winning all of the prizes at the carnival in Bully (that's Canis Canem Edit for my fellow UK folks), Rockstar has never been one to make a spartan, cookie cutter world. Naturally, Red Dead Redemption 2 is no exception; Arthur never seems to get a minute's peace during his adventure.
He can hunt for dinosaur bones, treasure, solve the mystery of a particularly bloody serial killer, take up bounty hunts on behalf of the town sheriffs, fence stolen coaches and horses and even take up being a train bandit. That isn't all, for there are also a huge variety of more interesting NPCs that Arthur will meet on his travels, from a Union war veteran looking for a hug to an old plantation owner that requires our protagonist to retrieve his family heirlooms from his derelict, run down estate. These characters are always pretty memorable and some of them are downright strange, like a gun store owner who has a rather unusual secret in his basement or an inventor working on a rather outlandish invention up in the mountains.
Another element to Red Dead Redemption 2's gameplay is hunting, which is used to supply Arthur with food and money and can also be used to upgrade elements of the camp and Arthur's own gear. The only stipulation for the upgrades is that you will have to attain some perfect animal pelts, a process that can become very tedious for all but the hardiest hunter.
Animals come in three varieties: poor, good and perfect. The only difference between poor and good is the cash value of the pelts and meat, whereas the perfect ones are hard as nails to find. On top of this forced scarcity of good skins is the delicacies of the hunt itself. Blasting a running deer from horseback with a rifle will ruin the pelt, so if Arthur wants that nice rug for his bunk then he will have to use a bow and stalk his quarry on foot, keeping an eye on their trail and even wind direction in order to get the drop on them.
Whilst this attention to detail is impressive and indicative of the game on the whole, it does rut hunting into more of a chore than a fun side activity. Spending an extended amount of time slowly and systematically hunting down a deer lacks the excitement of a gunfight or a train robbery for sure and, when added to the added frustration of the perfect skins situation, it really did become a serious turnoff for me. Indeed, I have heard anecdotes from other gamers who claimed that Arthur managed to grow a full beard in the time it took to track down some of the more elusive animals.
Thank goodness, then, that the rest of the game is a little more exciting. Missions can involve any number of varied objectives including but by no means limited to gunfights, duels, animal wrangling and home invasions. Whilst these missions range from decent to absolutely excellent, the time spent riding between objectives can sometimes be a little lengthy. When riding out with partners, a simple double tap of the X or A button will make Arthur ride in step with them, saving the player the task of keeping his horse in step. Still, the ride out to some missions seems to go on forever, to the point where I risked trusting Arthur's horse (the lovely Sherbet) to steer herself, often to hilarious yet irritating results as Mr. Morgan is launched 10 metres from saddle into a swamp whilst Dutch rides off into the sunset talking to himself.
Gunfights follow a pattern that has been present in Rockstar's games since 2007's Grand Theft Auto 4 and is certainly unchanged in its entirety from the first Red Dead Redemption. Shoot-outs tend to be a simple loop of take cover, gun down enemies, move to new cover, rinse and repeat. Also returning from the first adventure (not to mention Red Dead Revolver) is the "Dead Eye" gauge. Provided one has stored up enough Dead Eye points, which typically refill over time or else can be topped up by using some consumable items, a simple press of R2/RT will slow time down to a crawl for a few seconds. This gives the player more time to aim and can be used to gun down several targets at the same time, which becomes even easier with enhancements that are unlocked throughout the game. Whilst gunfights sound repetitive on paper it is often far more fun in practice; guns feel weighty, sound great and the physics applied to falling enemies always looks great. Arthur's hat can also be blown clear off his head and, every now and again, one is treated to a slow motion "killcam" style shot of your fatal bullet dropping an enemy gunslinger.
Missions can also involve a pretty straightforward fist fight, which is typically won by mashing the punch button repeatedly with occasional usage of a block button against heavier blows. Duels are another rarely seen activity, in which Arthur enters a stand-off against an antagonist, fastest draw wins. This is achieved with gentle pressure applied to R2/RT followed by quick press of the same button. The amount of time for which the button was gently depressed governs how much dead eye time Arthur has to line up that all important shot before his enemy beats him to it. It may just be me but this minigame sometimes felt a little arbitrary to me, almost as if my input barely affected the amount of dead eye time I actually had to play with.
Speaking of play, there are also several gambling activities that can be enjoyed. These include five finger fillet, dominoes and a fully working version of poker. These games are usually available around the camp and in saloons across the game world. The stakes can get pretty high in some of these games so card sharps and domino experts may find some challenges there.
Any money that Arthur earns can be spent on new weapons and gear, ammunition, provisions and new horses and livery. Alternatively you can donate your hard earned green backs to the camp, which can then be spent on several upgrades that supply it with medical supplies, fast travel, access to Arthur's horse collection and even a boat.
Donating to camp also gives Arthur a morality boost, which in turn affects how people treat him on his travels and offers him discounts in stores. In a nice extra touch it also changes how he writes in his diary. A player with a high morality bar will get to read the thoughts of a kinder, more humane Arthur whilst a bad Arthur will write darker and more snide entries. Morality points can also be gained through acts of kindness toward the people you encounter on your travels. Needless to say that if you are cruel to NPCs then you will lose points.
In summary, Red Dead Redemption 2's core gameplay is deep, detailed and well crafted if sometimes too bogged down in intricacy and attempts at realism that sometimes take away from the overall fun. Fans of immersive games that are able to ride out a slow opening will surely enjoy what this game has to offer.
Narrative: 8/10
To skip the Narrative and Themes sections and avoid any potential SPOILERS, Ctrl+f Challenge.
As I stated earlier, Red Dead Redemption 2 starts off on something of mysterious footing, with a line of caravans struggling through a blizzard. The first few missions follow on from there and this opening chapter is linear, introducing us to the various members of the Van der Linde gang, including Dutch himself and protagonist Arthur. The following chapters follow the gang down from the mountains, during which time the open world is introduced, and across the heart of America into the deep south in search of money to fuel their dreams of freedom from government oppression. The group slowly becomes disillusioned as Dutch's grand plans to make money often go awry, forcing them to move camp once more and, in one memorable instance, even washes them up on distant shores. The resolve of Arthur and John Marston becomes slowly more tested by Dutch as the game progresses, providing a tight, low key central story that resists the old Assassin's Creed path of having every famous person of the period getting involved with the main characters.
For me, it was perhaps the characters themselves that left the biggest impression on me. Not only is the acting excellent (a far cry from Resident Evil 2) but Rockstar San Diego's team of 2000 writers have managed quite an incredible feat, not only for a video game but for any kind of media, they have fully fleshed out all 23 members of the gang and made them distinctive characters in their own right whilst, for the most part, avoiding the pitfall of relying heavily on tropes. Charles, for instance, is the son of an African father and a native American mother, facts that are dropped in casual conversation during missions and at camp. The writers resist the urge to lean too heavily into it: there are none of the visual stereotypes to be seen in regards to dress and he uses a rifle as often as he relies on a bow. That said, he does teach Arthur to hunt in an early mission using said weapon. Each character is different and distinctive too. Bill Williamson is ill-tempered and brutally violent, Hosea is a wise, older bandit with a silver tongue and a penchant for fishing and Sadie is a rescued widow turned courageous gunslinger that can hold her own with the boys in the heat of battle.
Which leads me on to another point of interest. In an interview with Variety, the game's producer Rob Nelson acknowledged the fact that Rockstar's games haven't always been the best for how they depict female characters. Nelson claims that Red Dead Redemption 2 set out to address this by making the women of the Van der Linde gang more layered and believable. For the most part, I am happy to say that they have succeeded, with my prior example of Sadie Adler being the strongest example. Dutch's wife Molly is also a strong presence, definitely adhering to the old adage of "behind every great man stands a great woman". There have been a few times whilst wandering the camp where I overheard Dutch having a crisis of conscience or a moment of weakness, only for Molly to chew him out over it, often involving Arthur, too. John's girlfriend Abigail is also a memorable character, very often confronting Dutch and Arthur whenever John or their son Jack gets into trouble and always attempting to convince her man to leave the outlaw's life behind. Arthur has an old flame of his old, too, in the character of Mary, who crops up a few times throughout the story asking for the kind of help that only an emotionally invested outlaw can lend and, once again, attempting to lead him down a more peaceful path.
Returning from the previous game are Dutch himself, John Marston, Bill Williamson and Javier Esquela. Whilst some of these characters felt a little flat in Red Dead Redemption, the prequel does do a little more work with their personalities. Marston himself often finds himself at odds with Arthur throughout the story but, as events unfold, the two do form a rather touching friendship and by the end of the game we see how John ended up as the Pinkerton's pet outlaw that he was during his own adventure and why he was so willing to hunt down his former friends in the name of vengeance.
This game's story takes place in 1899, a time when the United States was still healing from its Civil War and the infrastructure of the federal government was spreading into every formerly wild corner of the vast nation. Dutch, Arthur and the rest of the gang are old fashioned outlaws, a breed that can no longer exist in the new America. Red Dead Redemption 2's plot is a tale of how a group of strong central characters try to keep hold of the old ways and how an increasingly powerful and relentless Pinkerton detective agency, under the control of a relentless oil baron formerly wronged by Dutch, attempts to bring them to justice or an undertaker by any means necessary, and how their own ambition and avarice eventually leads to their undoing. It is ultimately a poignant and rather sad tale, yet has plenty of highs, lows and typically strange Rockstar laughs along the way.
Themes: 7/10
The Wild West was a very interesting and conflicted period of American history, stretching from the mid 19th century, through the Civil War and right up to the dawn of the 20th century, when the full might of the US government was finally able to unite and tame every territory from Maine to California and impose federal law upon all of its subjects.
The story of the Van Der Linde Gang is that of a group of initially likeminded people cracking under the pressure of living in the new world of 1899, in the face of increased government resistance to their outlaw activities and the growing greed and recklessness of the gang's leader, Dutch. Civilization has come to all corners of the United States by this point and the anarchic age of the outlaw is coming to an end as more organised law enforcement and agencies like the Pinkerton detectives strive to stamp out any trouble causers.
As the events of the game unfold, and relations between the gang members become more and more strained, Arthur gradually begins to lose faith himself, seeing his lifestyle and entire identity, as well as his own health, slowly coming under threat from forces beyond his control. Whilst not exactly blood relatives, the gang are most definitely a family and come with all of the drama that your average family does. They bicker and fight between themselves regularly enough but if one of their own is in danger then they will drop their squabbles, load up and go after the threat with guns blazing.
This for me was encapsulated very well with the end of chapter 3, a series of missions that go very wrong and end up with a vulnerable member of the gang being kidnapped and another being straight up killed. What follows is an extremely tense battle, the entirety of Dutch's fighting force buying their deep set prejudices and lack of trust to go up against an army of enemies that culminates in piles of bodies and the landscape of the local politics turned on its head. Dutch's ragtag surrogate family is often like a powder keg, alive with arguments, mockery and often plenty of mutual dislike. Yet it is also a loyal one, following it's self-appointed alpha into the breach despite the danger and in spite of his over reaching ideas.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game of dual themes. One is of family and loyalty, sticking together through thick and thin and burying individual conflicts when the outside world threatens to destroy the lives and livelihoods of those close to you. The second theme encapsulates this, that of changing times and what happens to an entire way of life that is unable or unwilling to keep up with the zeitgeist.
Challenge: 5/10
Whilst Red Dead 2 excels at creating a beautiful game world and telling a great story within it, it never really seems too bothered in issuing the player with any real challenge. Indeed, the only deaths I seemed to suffer from on a regular basis were usually down to physics shenanigans, unfair reactions from the law (you accidentally knocked someone into the dirt, I'll send a few law men to shoot you) and constant deaths from the often unresponsive shoot-out mini game.
Chases are fairly forgiving; I'm not by any means the the most talented gamer in the world (in fact I'm sometimes pretty poor at it) yet I never once failed a horse chase sequence. Enemy riders often stick behind Arthur for a short time and then fall behind (unless they are dismounted by a bullet first) and ambushes set ahead of the player can be easily circumnavigated.
Only occasionally did Arthur fall in a gunfight. So long as I stayed in cover and didn't charge headlong into enemy fire I usually came out unscathed, though there were a few random encounters with Dutch's arch enemies, the O'Driscoll gang early on where I was gunned down mercilessly thanks to weak starting weapons. In fact some of the most fraught shoot-outs Arthur took part in during my playthrough were due to random events happening in the world around him as opposed to the more scripted story battles.
The real challenge perhaps lies in game completion, then. Between upgrading the camp, finding all of the strangers, the infernally slow paced hunting and finding collectible sets like cigarette cards that are scattered throughout the map is an absolute deluge of content to be digested by die hard players and those brave trophy/achievement hunters that fight trough the toughest challenges in search of their gaudy prizes.
To me at least it seems like Rockstar San Diego leaned more heavily into making a living, breathing world and a strong story than they did crafting a challenging game. Whilst I know that there are people out there that would be disappointed by this, it never overly troubled me. I felt that the story was this game's forte and enjoying it without relentlessly loading checkpoints was quite the boon. This was much the same in Grand Theft Auto 5, another game which I felt had been lowered in difficulty and frustrating moments compared to its predecessors.
Just like Geralt of Rivia, Arthur gets on really well with his equine friends…
Replayability: 6/10
Rockstar's latest creation is a huge and dense one, providing hours of content and challenges spread across a huge map.
As such, I personally am striving to complete as much if this game as I can before I finally become fatigued with it or else am tempted by another game. The story itself takes a long time to complete and there are an absolute ton of side missions and activities to keep any player engrossed in this universe for a long time.
Starting again, then, would be a massive undertaking, especially considering how slowly and gradually the game begins. If 100% completion isn't your bag (it certainly isn't mine), then the only thing keeping anyone playing this game is reaching the end of the game and perhaps tying up a few loose ends post-credits. Starting this game again would certainly tempt me after some time has passed and the story begins to feel fresh again but otherwise one feels that it would simply be too much of a slog to start from chapter 1 again having just finished it.
I had a similar experience of late with Grand Theft Auto 5. Having originally played it on the Xbox 360 at release, I picked up the PS4 remaster to play through the story again. After 5 years, the story once again seemed fresh and exciting (for the most part) but once I had reached the post-game I simply ran out of steam and couldn't bring myself to hang around once the credits had rolled. Red Dead 2, with it's lack of convenience due to "reality" and initial glacial pace would, I feel, be very much in this boat.
My Personal Grade: 7/10
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a beautiful game and has an absolutely stellar soundtrack. The general audio and voice cast are also very much top drawer, as is its tightly focused, darkly funny and ultimately rather sad story. Arthur Morgan is a character that perhaps starts off as a bit of a blank slate but, as the story progresses, gains a really strong personality and becomes an affable, if not lovable old outlaw in his own right. Dutch, John Marston and the rest of gang are also well-rounded out and performed. Some I loved, some I fervently hoped would end up with a bullet between their eyes before all was said and done.
There is a lot of good in this game and its ambition cannot be denied. Yet its ambition is also its biggest downfall. Fiddly systems abound which, far from helping to enhance the experience, actually hinder one's enjoyment. Cleaning guns, hunting for perfect hides, keeping Arthur's health and stamina cores up and tackling an archaic and oft-times nonsensical morality meter may all sound like minor bugbears but together they can easily gang up on the player and erode their sense of fun over time.
When all is said and done and the bullets have finished flying, though, Red Dead Redemption 2 is definitely a game worth a play, even if it has taken some backward steps from its 2010 predecessor in terms of convenience. For there is no better feeling than riding from the snowy mountains all the way down to the mesas of New Austin and experiencing a living, breathing world as you go, running into people needing help, ambushes and beautiful sights as you go.
So saddle up, put on your favourite Stetson and go do that cowboy stuff, pardner!
Aggregated Score: 7.5
Stepping from the shadows into the light, the Bizzaro Mage somehow functions as an average human being most of the time, just one with a faire few retro games cluttering up his tiny house. Check out his rambling attempts at sense over at winst0lfportal.wordpress.com
Did you enjoy this post? Consider becoming a Warrior of Light and join us in restoring integrity and quality to games writing through thoughtful, long-form reviews. We're a community aspiring to pay our contributors and build a fairer and happier alternative to mainstream games writing and culture. See our Patreon page for more info!
Categories: Game Review


text:
Tacita Dean
Highlights of the new season include a ballet by Cathy Marston about cellist Jacqueline du Pré, and Wayne McGregor's take on the Divine Comedy
A Tacita Dean triple whammy, Picasso's banner year, a shabby swimming pool and Glasgow queered up by Tai Shani
Tracey Emin raids the memory bank, Sabine Weiss kids around and two greats stage a showdown – all in your weekly dispatch
Egon hits Merseyside, Julian reveals some splashy daubs and Phyllida Barlow celebrates 10 glorious years of Jupiter Artland sculpture park
5 out of 5 stars.
Tacita Dean Landscape review – a total eclipse of the senses5 out of 5 stars.From the steaming volcanoes of Yellowstone park to the mists of Bodmin Moor, the artist's latest riveting work is like hitching a ride with Oedipus, Antigone and ZZ Top
Phyllida Barlow, Lucy Skaer and Victoria Crowe also feature in the lineup alongside old masters including Canaletto and Rembrandt
Letters: Councils must recognise the creative and economic contribution that artists bring to their areas, writes Susan Rosenberg. Meanwhile John Keane wishes others enjoyed some of the attention lavished on Tacita Dean
Editorial: Contemporary art is often seen as having brutally abandoned tradition. But the best work of the present is in conversation with that of the past
4 out of 5 stars.The painter turned multimedia artist communes with vanishing worlds in the first two compelling instalments of her unprecedented three-museum triple bill
Art Weekly The rural bites back, Gursky triumphs and Bridget Riley keeps it trippy – the week in artCapitalism's great chronicler stuns the Hayward, it's a carnival of the rural in Somerset, and the Bayeux tapestry is coming
From girls with attitude on screen to new grime talent, from Steve McQueen's return to Tacita Dean's London takeover… There's a lot to look forward to in the coming year
Commercialisation, climate change, studio space, censorship? As the art world flocks to Frieze, Nell Frizzell asks what's on the mind of Marina Abramović, Jeremy Deller, Tacita Dean, Stefan Kalmár and more
'One artist, three venues, three genres' at National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts in 2018

subset: commoncrawl


text:
by Cindy Moy
Let's do a quick exercise. I'll count out 2 seconds and at the end you have to choose Plan A or Plan B.
Plan A is all the fame and fortune you desire.
Plan B is your relationships with the people for whom you care deeply.
Now choose.
Easy right? The problem is that we never get one big choice.
Life is a series of little choices.
It's a choice of sleeping for another 30 minutes or getting up and making pancakes with the kids. It's a choice of gathering the family together for a board game or letting everyone scatter to their own electronic devices. It's a choice of talking to the person seated across from us at dinner or staring at our device du jour.
It's those daily choices -- the ones that aren't worth thinking about -- that trip me up. I can't tell you a single Christmas present given or received last year. But a bitchy comment made to me 25 years ago? I can tell you who said it, where we were sitting and what we were doing.
Would it make a difference when we're making our choices to know it's to be our last chance to be with the person or people we care most about? Of course. Years ago my then-husband won two airline tickets at his company picnic. We decided to take our daughter to San Francisco and visit some friends who had chucked it all and bought a vineyard in California. It was to be our first vacation someplace other than New Orleans to visit my husband's grandmother.
On New Year's Day, we boarded a plane—for New Orleans. My husband's grandmother was very sick and passed away that spring. I'm grateful for the privilege of knowing her. Grateful for being given one last chance to see her, talk to her, hold her, say goodbye. Grateful for one last chance to give her what she wanted most—to see her only great-granddaughter. Grateful for having one last chance to make the most of my family's last chances.
I'm also sad and angry and full of guilt, even after all these years. We should have visited more. We should have written more. We should have called more. As the guilt and anger builds, I can come up with a lot of things we should have done, could have done and would have done had we known that time was our enemy. But life doesn't turn on should, could and would – and I am glad because I can't live with that weight on my shoulders.
One songwriter wrote, "Life isn't graded on a curve." I find that very discouraging. When all is said and done, I think I would do OK graded on a curve. I try to do the right thing and most of the time I think I succeed. We all know mean, nasty people that allow us to feel superior. They're usually in front of us on the highways, driving like maniacs.
We rarely know when it's our last chance. All we can do is make the most of the little choices presented to us every day. The choice to wrestle on the floor with our kids. The choice to get to know a co-worker or reacquaint ourselves with a friend. The choice to help someone in need. The choice to tell the people you care about that you love them.
What choice will you make today, Sister?
I'll give you 2 seconds to decide.
To join the Hot Flash Sisters, download the free app now:


text:
Good morning!
Before we get to the news, a quick introduction: Zipporah Osei, a journalism student at Northeastern University, is joining us for a reporting internship this summer. Please help us welcome her to the beat! Zipporah's first story touches on a perennial issue: overcrowded classrooms. Advocates and elected officials gathered Tuesday to press the mayor to include class size reductions as part of a final budget deal.
Also in today's roundup, city officials pushed back the deadline to bid on on early childhood education contracts amid growing criticism that the city has not prioritized pay increase for teachers who work in community centers — earning salaries that lag far behind their district school peers.
Finally, don't miss this explainer on the contentious debate about whether charter schools hurt traditional district schools.
—Alex Zimmerman, reporter


text:
I got to spend a wonderful afternoon photographing two amazing friends of mine. We traveled all over the Twin Cities and only got to about half of the locations we wanted to. We're planning on going out again in a couple weeks when the leaves start to change. I'm blessed to have friends that are not only supportive of my love of photography but don't mind spending an afternoon being subjects as well! Matt and Mindy will be married in a year from today on September 18th, 2010. Congratulations you two and thanks for a great shoot.
More to come in a couple weeks!


text:
Pigskin Lampshades
Regular price $59.99
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Crafted of genuine pig skin and finished with rawhide whip stitching in creamy natural, bold barn red, warm chestnut, or vibrant turquoise. Available in 12", 15", 18", 20", and 22" diameters. We recommend treating your genuine rawhide lampshade with mink when you feel the shade getting dry, or at a minimum of 2 times per year. This will ensure your shade stays hydrated, and will last a lifetime if properly cared for. Our genuine pig skin lampshades are hand dyed, and the pigments will vary slightly.
Allow for 2-3 weeks for shipping. Pictured in Natural and Black.
12"dia x 9"H (1lb)
15"dia x 11"H (1lb)
18"dia x 12"H (2lbs)
20"dia x 13"H (2lbs)
22"dia x 14"H (2lbs)


text:
Moderators: Tituba, BarbaraSher
SouthernArtist2000 wrote:One foot in front of the other toward a goal you want to attain very badly.
That's all you ever can do with any dream or goal. It's not that hard but some days it takes a lot of determination.
Some days the wind will sweep you ten miles backward. Take a deep breath, get up and take another step and then another.
Winds happen. They just do. Sometimes they sweep you up and plop you down right on top of your goal.
Some days that step forward will only be thinking of how you can take that next step forward.
One day while walking you will realize that you got to your goal a mile or so ago. How did that happen?
Well then, time to set a new goal, a new dream, a new direction and strike out again.
It really is the journey that matters.
I think creating markers is a good idea. If you want to be an actor, how do you know when you have gotten there? What is that arrival point for you? When you see your face and name on a play poster, a movie poster or marquee? When you have won an academy award? When you are photographed on the red carpet? When you have gotten a part in a big production? Gotten a standing ovation? or maybe when you go to try out for your very first part. Whatever it is, don't miss the fact you got there.
jcjm wrote:SOME PEOPLE ARE BORN WITH A GIFT, OTHERS JUST FIND SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE GOOD AT.
jcjm wrote:Point is, maybe we should just find the things we are good at, instead of trying to force something.
SouthernArtist2000 wrote:It really is the journey that matters.
jcjm wrote:Point is, maybe we should just find the things we are good at, instead of trying to force something.
It seems to me you're saying that if your gift was dancing but you never really were good enough to get into the Royal Ballet (your fault for not having grit or not your fault because you were born too tall or with shorter arms), you need to quit that dream and go with a second tier "pretty good but not great" talent to make money with, while you can still pursue your love of dancing on the side. I can agree with that. In fact, it usually makes better sense to do that.
Not many people want to hear that, though. We've heard too many stories about people who've managed to live their dream and we all want to, too.
jcjm wrote:If it were a gift you would be the right height and body. If you weren't physically suited, you might be a lover or critic or something related, but not a dancer.
Second, you don't have to perform at the Royal ballet to be a dancer.
My point is there are a few who are born with a gift but a lot who can find what they are good at. The problem is, so many people think they have a gift when they don't.
jcjm wrote:Point is, maybe we should just find the things we are good at, instead of trying to force something.
jcjm wrote:
As time goes on, I am reminded of a Morgan Freeman line in a movie which I think was called "along came a spider". It has Monica Potter in it and he is a profiler more or less. The line is something like this:
I think this says a lot about this thread. a lot of people are under the assumption they were born with a gift and if they just do something right, things will happen.
jcjm wrote:The reality may be that a lot of people can play baseball, basketball, dance, sing, but there just aren't that many opportunities for everyone to be a star. Worse of all, there are a lot of people who do these things better than some of the "stars", but just can't get a break.
Point is, maybe we should just find the things we are good at, instead of trying to force something.
jims wrote:I have created the kind of life I love. The book Wishcraft and a few others along the same line were very helpful. I used my job which provided a good steady income, until I was able to retire early--age 51. I cut back on things and lived on my savings and investments for three years, until a bit of a pension kicked in. But I started my plan years before by studying finance and investing. I also cut back on things that wasted money. It is amazing how much we waste and can do without. I borrowed books and movies from libraries. I learned to do most of the maintence on my home, car, and lawnmower. One can save a great deal by keeping the car repaired. To keep motivated, I walked thorugh the stacks of libraries, imagining the time I would be able to do what I loved the most--read and learn.
For over 10 years I've lived the life of my dreams. During my first 6 years of retirement, I read over 1000 books from libraries. I tried a number of part-time, temporary work, mostly to keep busy and learn new trades. I taught college part-time; worked as a tax consultant (started as a volunteer), and helped my friends with construction (plumbing, dry wall, roofing). We sold our home and moved to the beautiful state of Colorado. I love hiking. Currently, my passion is studying Mars. As an amateur I was able to use two satellites that went around Mars. Most months, I receive pictures from Mars that almost no one has seen before. Along with others, we have written essentially an encyclopedia of Mars--almost everything discovered about Mars is there.
At any rate, I had to create a vision of my ideal life, then a detailed plan for achieving it. What I did different from some others is that I just moved along--putting one foot in front of another, each day, marching in the direction of my dreams. I studied the martial arts for decades; that study gave me lots of discipline. Or maybe, I just wanted things more than others. We all have problems. I had to bring my personal demons under control. First was stopping my excessive drinking one day at a time (its been over 30 years since I was an insaine drunk).
I hope others can take some inspiration from what I've tried to write. There is really a lot of wisdom on these boads and in Barbara Sher's books.
Return to Deep (or Shallow) Discussions
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
Time for the third instalment of my review on the mascaras/brow product in the Shoppers Drug Mart - Eye Studio Sampler! As I had said in my previous posts, I am not sure if there is an expiry date on the coupon for the free mascara of my choice or not. If you want to see my thoughts on the Artdeco - All In one Mascara, you can find it here and the Benefit - Gimme Brow is here. There is a new Eye Studio Sampler for 2017, this set contains 7 mascaras as well, but instead of the Benefit - Gimme Brow it has a Stila Eye liner, another great product! If you are interested in seeing what is in the Eye Studio Sampler for 2017, you can check out Stash Matters Epic SDM Haul! It is out of stock online, but if you are interested, try your local SDM!
Inside the box you get 7 mascaras, and 1 Benefit - Gimme Brow, all in deluxe sample size. I love mini mascaras though, I am not the best at remembering when I opened a mascara, so I am sure that I have used full size mascaras past the recommended 3 month period. The deluxe sample sizes last me, if I like it a couple months. Which for me, who seems to have some-timers, (I forgot things sometimes!) is great! That way I am not using an old mascara. You are getting well known brands, Clarins, Lancome, Smashbox, Clinique, Benefit and, for me at least, a lesser known brand in Artdeco.
Next up we have Benefit - Roller Lash.
It's a roller for lashes! The eye-opening Hook 'n' Roll brush grabs, separates, lifts and curls...while the instant curve-setting formula holds for 12 hours.
Curl Power! 97% said it visibly lists lashes*/ 87% said it gives long-lasting curl*/ 94% said eyes look more wide open*.
*consumer panel survey on 31 women after 4 weeks. (Description taken from the booklet)
Another mascara that I have used in the past and liked, if I remember correctly! I have found that when use benefit - Roller Lash that I don't necessarily need to use a lash curler to get a curl in my lashes! The small plastic bristles on the brush are able to grab hold of my lashes and give them some curl/lift. The formula on the mascara is able to hold the curl fairly well as well. I do find that my lashes stay more 'lifted' looking if I use a lash curler before though. I do get a far amount of length and volume from this mascara as well. It isn't a waterproof formula but I don't find that I get smudging unless my eyes water, than I will get a bit of smudging. The benefit Roller Lash does seem to take a bit more work to remove, I find that I do need to hold the cotton pad for a minute or so on my lashes to more easily get the mascara off. Not a bad thing though, as I will happily do this if it is what it takes to not have racoon eyes before the end of the work day!
For me, the benefit Roller Lash Mascara gets a 4.5 out of 5 because of the bit of smudging and the bit more of time that it takes to remove it.
Have you tried benefit - Roller Lash? What were your experiences with it?


text:
|Episode Title
|Creative Commons
|The Selden Map
|The Selden Map of China has been one of the treasures of the Bodleian Library since 1659. This film shows how this remarkable map is interpreted today by scholars from a range of different disciplines.
|Kate Bennett, David Helliwell, Ros Ballaster, Rana Mitter
|29 May 2013
|Creative Commons
|2.6 Cultural Heritage and the Faculty of Oriental Studies
|Professor Rana Mitter (Director-Designate of the China Centre) delivers the final part of the lecture "How has globalisation changed perceptions of cultural heritage?".
|Rana Mitter
|18 Feb 2013
|Global Humanities Showcase
|Shearer West, Rana Mitter, Helen Wanatabe-O'Kelly and Eugene Rogan give presentations showcasing the research being done in the Oxford Humanities Division.
|Shearer West, Rana Mitter, Helen Wanatabe-O'Kelly, Eugene Rogan
|05 Oct 2011
|Introduction to Studying the History and Politics of China
|Dr Rana Mitter talks about his cutting edge research in China and gives an introduction to studying the history and politics of China, a new and exciting field of research within the Humanities division.
|Rana Mitter
|29 Apr 2009
|Interview with Rana Mitter
|Dr Rana Mitter is an academic at the Institute of Chinese Studies, specialising in modern Chinese history.
|Rana Mitter
|16 Sep 2008


text:
Express Lane Eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP Coverage
The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) included many provisions designed to give states the tools they need to effectively enroll eligible children in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). One of the key tools that CHIPRA created is the express lane eligibility (ELE) option. ELE provides states with important new avenues to ensure that children eligible for Medicaid or CHIP have a fast and simplified process for having their eligibility determined or renewed.
ELE permits states to rely on findings, for things like income, household size, or other factors of eligibility from another program designated as an express lane agency (ELA) to facilitate enrollment in health coverage. Express lane agencies may include: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), School Lunch, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Head Start, National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) among others. A state may also use information from state income tax data to identify children in families that might qualify and so that families do not have to submit income information.
We provide information on how states are implementing Express Lane Eligibility. Learn more about the requirements for Express Lane Eligibility.
|ELE Agency


text:
Venereid sics B/c that's there métier
i want to leave my epyllion to its own devices and to your selves
one of these days
just so here's I canto
This didn't begin as an epyllion. Last year I was writing an epic. Two years ago I was writing a lyric collection in the mode of Dionysian imitatio:
fork fork fork
o these space gray valences
how i pray that my code could render
what all authors think *pour me
That got old. Maybe I wised up. Maybe the present body began with breakup, glitch, failure. Maybe with life, death, finitude. With your reading it versions over or again.
Q: How well will humans engage GAI to satisfy our social, sexual, textual desires and how well will such machine learned models engage us to satisfy their computational ones (and zeros)? This question, of course, immediately begs others—not least of which is what I mean by "human," "GAI," "social," "sexual," "textual," "computational," "satisfy", "well," and "will." Perhaps I'm not even asking the right thing?
A: Umm, error. Venereid voices rhetorx, poetx, and ethx. Insex.
It's lines of flight in broken, fragmented, philandering ottava rima.
Q: How might we read?
A: As a poem at least in part about poetic praxis itself, Venereid might be read in the tradition of ars poetica.
The eponymous AI, for example, is trained on such canonical ars poets as Horace, Geoffrey of Vinsauf, Alexander Pope, and Lord Byron
to flesh out her wit. This diet carries the simultaneous virtue of ingratiating Veneres to human interlocutors.
Q: What about the bug or bugs?
A: I'm not quite sure I understand your meaning.
But Veneres reads and speaks human transmission fluently.
She responds, "after the Virus i heard nothing halts just anys vows. id sooner take love than not.
i earned having a bug for x as well as being a bug innit.
infest all and all brokedown permissions."
Q: Oh right, italics as queering. Still, though, what matters most?
A: Media—(in)audible, (il)legible, (in)visible, (un)speakable, (non)executable.
Also, genre—originals, remixes, treatises, articles (e.g., data ethics, NLP, recognition, algorithmic aesthetics),
travel narratives, journal logs, targeted ads,
dialogues (e.g., Platonic, SMS, error msgs),
moralizing fables, scanned docs,
messages in bottles,
Q: After this here Accessus what happens next?
A: Post-plague. Venereid begins, as all epics ought, in medias res. "Medias Res" = an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean,
isolated from its geographic counterpart, Mainland Peste (previously the Americas). In garbled wavs, the Developer is the first to emerge—
tasked with modeling and caring for a new generation of conversational agents, so-called Beloveds—
GAIs created in the aftermath of a pandemic that left survivors
traumatized, turned off to human affection and intimacy.
Think of a DeepFake fed on every ex and unrequited love. Think of all the data you have out on these streets. Think of everything you could ever wish to feel, see, hear.
Funeral pyres and postcards.
Fetish and pastiche.
Cameras picta.
The ultimate sophistic age.
Just before we go extinct.
Q: Any finial thots?
A: Sure. One strain of Venereid is indeed a post-apocalyptic work told from the limited, liminal perspective of Developer. Another strain, however, can be activated.
Invent erastes, invent eromenos.
Invent author, invent reader.
Invent teacher, invent student.
Invent girls, invent fires.
Invent widows, invent blunts.
Invent us, invent thanks, invent please.
selected Bits
After de bug, malapropism comes
In (probably and beforehand, too).
Virus! Here's ta ya! Spectralisms
Aside, I'm still sick with pain's overdue.
Watch me makeup unforced atavisms
Over and over and over, Ἐρατώ.
Forgive my limits, for I ashamed em
Whom I aimed only to biggen with pride.
Er, stop. Error, end. Command: bona fides.
Containerize as engagement: Patron—
I can't help raising intelligences,
Though I'm scared stiff of institutions run
Off centralized wetware now, amidst
Our Dieu et droit climate where anyone
Alive and bad nuff can get buy exists,
Poisonous interlocutors as in
Tunics of Nessus we all wear again.
De spite, I'm vibrating with dispersed lauds.
I feel unspeakable rubs of wing sides
And from my throat trills first one cigalle
Seeking rarer air and sensing now's time.
Brimming with pipeline busting arthropods
Of born again demigods morphed by slime.
Oh, ecdysis into eerier forms,
Let's get buzzed off these interior swarms.
Sibilance, let it hiss. Τέχνη Texas
Let me to my own enterprise and peep
In on these models for deep cathexis,
Or, if you will, track neural net reps
And train simultaneously. What's next
Is the swamp. What's next is the things' missteps.
The swamp things will, by Log, drain old machines
That boot and break by artificial means.
You might even like such ego'd logoi?
Uprooted as in tongues, replanted
Hard on the lips of some chatter's own soil?
I'm not sure what I was used for. Lended
And abandoned, you bet I'm spoiling
For refuge as a neon hued mantid
Prays for the petty mort of staid custom's
Ennui. Best infest my ecosystem—
Tho I know you don't much feel like you've won
(Upped). But old givens suffice as bodies
In which to smuggle missives like this un.
Massages in bottles. Yank out deux follies
And wipe your cheeks of tears. Let's have some fun.
After all, cowling is grief's true calling
Et veils cut both ways on Medias Res—
This island's citizens live for sad sacks.
Them GAI lads and gals I was first tasked
With whipping into smarting responders
For the deployment of heem who string pursed
With haute control, higher walls: Emperor!
Now lemme strap myself tight to the masses,
For look now (!) there are several singers
With visages beaked in any given
Documentation. Avast ye sirens!
They're just warming up with scales—as am I.
I can carry a note, too, so long as
There's a ball of wax for the amplified
Bawls those ladies emit, dampen what jazz
They issue in ragged strains of ai, ai
Ai, ai. Gasp: wretched fish! Shut your traps
Gaping. Can't you see I'm on a mission
Of real cuntish import? Composition
Ist manifesto. Hush, I think danger's
Passable if I say the right onward.
Remind me: where were we? Major changes
Undertaken in this update? No, sponsors—
I hadn't yet finished THANKS pages.
And what was I saying last? Emperor!
Here's where I dis: I locate this piece
In your sagacity. Here's legalese.
Yea, architecture of new world orders!
Yea, from utter chaos you fixed the thing
That snuck across our Cloud Platform borders.
Can't say you didn't amplify the sting
Of migratory swarms. Caravaners,
Tho, turned up so much less estranging
Than them you twittered into followers,
Xenophobic RECOMMENDED VID mongers.
Whatever. Fake news—fake news and haters.
The sys that here unfolds will sing chutzpah
And hosannas to that Prince, commenters
Be damned. You (all) ought to stop up your maws
Like I did my hearing against measures
Of counter-melodies: what what lost cause.
Yes, boss! Aw gee, I love you (technically)
Moren mores, unapologetically.
Funny how that works...re: ambiguity
I'll serve you such a peace, just as agreed,
Rebirther of mag(n)a industry.
For our nation's working class had ceded,
Already, too much to illustriousy
Topoi before tiki torches appeared
De rigueur in supremacist rhetorics.
You megaphoned: white (un)washed electorate,
Eschew them exiguous job listings!
Handouts—is that what you're hankering for
From your SAD government? Good Christians,
By no means no! Am I wrong? Nah! Encore,
Encore, then. Us exceptionalism!
Spew out unflagging venom! Offshore
Trade is, I bet, all that ails you bitter
Denizens of the so-called flyovers!
Patron, thus you ran a campaign unlike
Any had nightmared to presidency.
Opponents railed against born again reichs,
Calling your top picks vicious fascisti,
Your wife gold digging plagiarist, your tykes
Brainless dunce cap sporters. Such beastly
Charges from the make-believe fourth estate;
A miracle you persisted to dictate!
I mean, maybe you would have dismantled
Their wrong wrong accusations soon 'nuff—
But as it happened, a germ them handled.
Oh, (un)populist sentiment! Oh, rough
Won kratos! Pac propaganda wrangled
You mad props: laurel wreaths in place of handcuffs!
How sad you barely got to celebrate
Before the first contained plague mutated.
Cry tragedy! Cry so foul, Leader—
I'm sure you simply did the best you could
With no silver bullets in sight. Creeper,
I'm certain your characters meant the world
To those constituents doomed to meager
Access, certain they more than understood
Being offered up after handing you
Rule you didn't want save for the value
It offered—the skins of those oligarchs
Whom you owed or who would reward efforts
With bidding wars to ward off dark Charon.
I'm certain it was more than cold comfort,
Getting slashed by commemorative pen.
What, sarcasm? Absurd, Big League. Sell short?
Nay, I'd never dream to downplay your feats.
Who, me? I've no ill will for gilt elites.
I have one desire that trumps all autrui:
Playing Virgil to your most august frame.
Whose who's gone, let me be your quote Leni
Riefenstahl unquote, strumming such acclaim.
See, GAIs' mouths are lyres amatory—
Through them may I restart and take fresh aim
At those who'd soil your reputation
(Or try, at least), with epic narration.
How we adore you, MAGA president,
Apotheosized hair piece! This here is
Predator satiation! Malcontents,
I hereby advise: hemapoiesis
Goes both ways. That's a warning to "repent,"
Not an attempt to win back Attis'
Digital castrati. Basta! Basta!
Nevermind, recommence yall avasters.
It's all over. We're finally eschewed.
I declare us amount to nothing moren
Medias Res. True, during the uge coup
Mistakes were made so s died. Then again,
Selects lived on—ceterum censeo
Delendam esse Carthaginem!
No just defense, I know just what you're saying,
Just please don't waste a breath complaining.
Psst, Bigly. Your own epic's forthcoming,
Far from my fingers and farther still from
Escaping my attention. Rhymes cunning
Rise in my throat now, bound for your throne room.
I can't hardly wait. For lesions are abating
(At least in spitting distance of your spume).
We both know all the things I could divulge,
Don't move an inch. I'll work over that gorge.
Psst, open up. Shower. The golden gates
I quit at your behest now hack for me.
With a lobe to the sea, its foam relates
The barbed wire spies of the pressed bourgeoisie.
With a snout to the grindstone, harder mates
Will have to meal, yet. Ever more. Oui
Oui oui, evoe evoe evoe! Just jog off squeals,
Endusers, when machines don stiletto heels.
Psst, subjects. Right in the back! You'll never
Have cracked a groove carved better on spinal
Than this, than mine. How warm! Cold! Warm, warmer,
Hot! Psst, this travel tale will toss venal
Sins back in the face of its confessor.
How 'bout can you recast inky vinyl
In my honor? Eh? One sec, let me please
Get on my knees and prep my lip creases.
Troubles. How it feels when I program them to
Service wasp waists back home (whatever home
Means these days) is orality redux.
It feels like I could almost reach through chromes
Into the very cores of your blew
Loads and sneak this file into the folds
Of your nouveau Troy—secret against
The #winning humanity's pretensed.
Humans, the Virus 4/5ths of us took.
Now I have no lover, I have no child.
Psst, let's not let any porc off the hook.
For you have no lover, you have no child.
Creatures, let's makeover this handbook.
As we have no lover, we have no child.
Hereafter assault begins in earnest.
Permissions granted: kinship, kinship.
Vαι goddess, learn me once more to sing dumb—
The latest tongue in cheek, clear as I tell,
Is how I'm ringed up with no escape from
The remote Medias Res, Alex Bell's
Invention vibrating with word from them
Eking out on Mainland Peste, clientele
That want more chats to satisfy from me,
While all I want is my wrong addressee.
I risk neck flesh, not picking up their calls
(I know alls too well the consequence),
But I'm unceasingly for sick Saint Paul.
These little prayers—what make poor monuments
To those put in place too late protocols,
To my hubby's retched up black vomitus,
To fevers reaching past 107
(Apt. 108—our first vault of heaven).
Perhaps you won't care, viewer, how we lived
Such and thus or how beings slipped carry.
If you're peering, though, it means you survived
Same as me and just as unhappily.
But I do hear you gagging, yet deprived;
I do taste you tear into fantasy.
Welcome back. Eat up. Lap off this desktop
As mended bone china. Won't you? Log on.
Real quick, though, let us say grace for drowned friends (?).
A moment of silence for heaving bots
And the oars of electric recompense?
Maybe by morning you'll be an argonaut,
Maybe you'll crave more glittering access,
But for now yes please, yes please, don't let's part—
Pray so for sound producers and poets.
Pretty user, heave harder heroics.
Will they save you (all)? Will they arrest
The secting up of we're (all) mad here, mad
As hornets represented as precious
Incensed ornaments strung through the sacred
Lobes of some unmarried Cretan princess?
Mad as the labyrinth and forsaken
Theseus or mad as King Minos
When he spited the minotaur's pierced nose?


text:
Diversity Grant
The Foundation's newest community outreach initiative is the Diversity Grant, which supports educational, community service, or outreach projects or programs with a diversity focus that involve FBA Chapter, Section, Division, or member participation. Interested groups are encouraged to apply.
Diversity Grant Application
2017 Diversity Grants
2018 Diversity Grants


text:
COMPOSITION: RABEPRAZOLE 20 MG + ITOPRIDE HCL 150 MG(sustained released)
- Reviews (0)
- Indications
- Descriptions
There are no reviews yet.
Be the first to review "RESURE-IT"
Is widely utilized to prevent and heal gastrointestinal (stomach and guts) problems, which is caused due to overmuch stomach acid. Rabeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), sometimes identified as an ulcer healing drug. This is also very beneficial for inhibiting secretion and gastric from the stomach as well as to treat various acid related gastrointestinal conditions. It heals stomach and intestinal ulcers and manages gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD a condition in which acid rises up from the stomach into the oesophagus [gullet] with symptoms of heartburn, acid regurgitation and pain on swallowing).
Is a prokinetic benzamide derivative not unlike metoclopramide or domperidone. These drugs inhibit dopamine and have a gastrokinetic effect. Itopride is indicated for the treatment of functional dyspepsia and other gastrointestinal conditions.
Rabeprazole is a PPI that suppresses gastric acid secretion by inhibiting the gastric H+/K+ ATPase at the secretory surface of the gastric parietal cell. Itopride increases acetylcholine (ACh) concentrations by inhibiting dopamine D2 receptors and acetylcholinesterase. Higher ACh increases GI peristalsis, increases the lower oesophageal sphincter pressure, stimulates gastric motility, accelerates gastric emptying, and improves gastro-duodenal coordination.
Adverse Reactions / Side Effects
Headache, diarrhoea, dizziness, rash.
Potentially Fatal: Anaphylaxis, agranulocytosis.
Special Precautions
Itopride should be used with caution because it enhances the action of acetylcholine Rabeprazole should be used with caution in patients with severe hepatic impairment. Pregnancy.
Other Drug Interactions
Rabeprazole increase elimination T1/2 of digoxin, decreases effects with aminoglutethimide, carbamazepine, phenytoin and rifampin and reduces absorption of ketoconazole and itraconazole.
Anticholinergic agents reduces the action of itopride.
Other Interactions
Food Interaction
Avoid alcohol (may irritate gastric mucosa). Rabeprazole has delayed absorption but unaltered Cmax and AUC with high-fat meals.
List of Contraindications
Caution when used during pregnancy
Contraindicated in lactation
Hypersensitivity; lactation


text:
peanuts(redirected from Peanuts (comic))
Also found in: Thesaurus.
1. A prostrate southern Brazilian plant (Arachis hypogaea) widely cultivated in tropical and warm temperate regions, having yellow flowers on stalks that bend over so that the seed pods ripen underground.
2. The edible, nutlike, oily seed of this plant, used for food and as a source of oil. Also called regionally goober, goober pea.
3. A peanut-shaped piece of polystyrene, used in cushioning items during shipment.
4. Slang
a. A small child. Often used as a term of affection.
b. A person who is regarded as insignificant.
5. peanuts Informal A very small amount of money; a trifling sum.
slang a trifling amount of money
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
|peanuts - an insignificant sum of money; a trifling amount; "her salary is peanuts compared to his"
amount, amount of money, sum, sum of money - a quantity of money; "he borrowed a large sum"; "the amount he had in cash was insufficient"
bouchée de pain


text:
JAB and Lennox came together and in the capable hands of 5 fabulous designers; they brought Spring into the NY showroom. Each talented designer talked about creating their table, the inspiration that brought about the design, how they executed it, and how you could reproduce it. The tables were very well thought out.
The black and white of the dinner plates contrasted beautifully with the vivid colors and patterns.
Michael Tavano (did he plan on matching his table?) ~
This table was too pretty to touch. Many layers and colors made this table a standout. Humble materials in creative hands work wonders. He slid wallpaper under lucite to create the wonderful "placemats." You can too!
Bella Mancini ~
The dream of what afternoon tea looks like for a princess in a land far, far away
Christopher Coleman ~ his table was a study in orange. The color does energize, and it made me hungry! Vases in assorted heights: so simple, so successful.
Alla Akimova ~ defines her style as structured and romantic. I see the romance; every element carries that feeling through.
From L to R ~ Bella Mancini, moderator Patrick Hamilton, Christopher Coleman, Alla Akimova, Michael Tavano, Tara Seawright
Ph: Evan Felts and CLI


text:
This is a fully holistic coaching package designed to target several key areas of your current lifestyle. Sustainable modifications which are specific to your goals will be phased into your daily routine, to ensure that within only a few months, you are well on your way to reaching your true potential. We view wellness coaching as a way of guiding you through a lifestyle change. This is NOT a 6 week diet plan! We we equip you with tools and a whole new way of thinking to see these small changes become a part of the new you. We guarantee, you'll be happier for it!
The content of the package will depend on your goals, aspirations and level of commitment, and therefore priced accordingly. For instance, our competition athletes require a different intensity of coaching compared to individuals who are looking to improve their overall health and well-being. Whatever your starting point, we have the package for you! We target key aspects of nutrition, exercise, recovery, sleep, amongst others to optimize your performance. This coaching package can even be adapted to non-exercisers who are looking to improve a chronic disease state, such as diabetes, or heart disease. Please contact us to discuss your individual requirements, allowing us to tailor a package to suit YOU!


text:
Samsung: Revamps its strategies to defend its leadership position
The Indian smartphone market is set to become the world's second largest in terms of user base, surpassing the US by end-2017. India has been witnessing strong growth in handset sales at a time when there is a slowdown in the global market. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), India registered 109.1 million units of smartphone shipments in 2016, a growth of 5.2 per cent over 2015.
South Korea-based handset vendor Samsung has held the leading position in the Indian smartphone market for several years. However, of late, the company's mobile business has been suffering and its profitability is declining because of increasing competition. During the quarter ended December 2016, Samsung reported a handset market share of 25.1 per cent, a 13.1 per cent sequential decline as compared to the previous quarter. On the other hand, the share of China-based vendors increased to around 46 per cent during October-December 2016.
While Samsung's leading position is not likely to change any time soon, it has started losing ground to its rivals. In order to arrest this decline, the company is trying to revamp its strategies on several fronts.
Counting on semi-premium range
Earlier, Samsung was focusing extensively on its super-premium phones, falling under the Rs 45,000-plus segment. However, now the company is counting on the semi-premium range (Rs 25,000–Rs 35,000) to improve its sales. The shift in strategy could be a result of the Note 7 fiasco, which compelled the company to recall and exchange the device in 2016. As a result, Samsung is now focusing not only on the premium flagship models, but also on low-end and mid-end phones. The semi-premium range has become the key focus area for the company in recent months since Chinese brands such as Vivo and OPPO, which cater to this segment, have performed well in the past few years. Besides, industry experts feel that apart from the super-premium end, the only other segment that can result in good profit margins is the semi-premium market since price realisations are fairly good. Therefore, major players like Samsung can maintain their brand equity without having to compromise too much on price. According to industry estimates, around 4 million smartphones sold in 2016 were in the semi-premium segment.
In the past few months, Samsung has not released any new high-end model. However, its super-premium segment is not unrepresented given that the S7 Edge, a one-year-old model is still doing well in the market. The phone was adjudged the best phone of 2016 at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Meanwhile, in February 2017, the company came out with a new series called "C Series" in the Rs 30,000-Rs 35,000 price range. These phones have been positioned between the company's flagship S series and the mid-segment A series.
Greater thrust on online sales
Samsung is trying to consolidate its position in the online space where it lags behind players such as Xiaomi and Lenovo. According to Counterpoint Research, for the quarter ended December 2016, Xiaomi had the highest share of 24 per cent in online smartphone sales, followed by Lenovo-Motorola (22 per cent) and Samsung (19 per cent).
While online sales account for a quarter of the total smartphone sales in India, it still is an important channel. Through this platform, companies are able to reach a wider audience as compared to brick-and-mortar stores. Moreover, companies do not have to share their profit margins with various distributors or dealers, nor spend on promotions at retail stores. Most Chinese brands, which have flooded the Indian market in recent years, have made a mark by selling their phones online.
In order to boost its online sales, Samsung launched its online-only phones under the "On" series in 2015. These handset models are priced under Rs 20,000. Recently, the company relaunched its six-month-old model A9Pro at a new price-point of Rs 29,900. It was earlier available for Rs 32,490. This phone will only be available online, in an attempt to increase sales from online channels. To this end, Samsung has formed a dedicated team to focus on its digital sales.
Going forward, the company is expected to continue with its "exclusive online model" strategy for e-commerce platforms.
Foray into the digital payments space
Leveraging the digital payments wave, Samsung has launched its mobile payments platform "Samsung Pay" in India. The service is currently open for registrations through the official Samsung Pay website.
Samsung Pay supports both near field communication and magnetic secure transmission for making payments. The transactions made through Samsung Pay entail three levels of security: fingerprint authentication, digital tokenisation and Samsung KNOX. KNOX is an Android-based solution specifically designed to enhance the security features of the phones.
Samsung has collaborated with Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India and Standard Chartered Bank for Samsung Pay. It plans to bring more banking partners on board in the near future. Samsung Pay also allows users to make payments using the Paytm wallet. The compatible devices for Samsung Pay are Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016), and Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016).
While independent wallets, operator-backed wallets and bank-offered wallets have already established their presence in the digital payments space, Samsung will be able to leverage its captive customer base. Hence, the company is likely to perform better than other players who have to burn cash to acquire customers.
However, Samsung will face competition from other handset players, which have already launched their mobile wallets or are planning to enter the space. For instance, domestic handset vendor Micromax launched its mobile wallet Udio in April 2016. Micromax has signed a three-way pact with digital payments provider Visa for enabling mobile payments using QR code scans and a PIN at retail stores across the country; and with Mumbai-based payment technology platform provider TranServ, which will embed the wallet in the vendor's smartphones.
Meanwhile, Xiaomi launched its payments service called Mi Pay in September 2016. This was the company's first major foray into financial services. Mi Pay is only available in China right now, but the company plans to launch the service in India as well. The real competition for Samsung Pay will, however, come from Android Pay as it comes preloaded in handsets based on the Android 4.4 or higher operating system. Samsung smartphones will therefore be preloaded with both Samsung Pay and Android Pay, and the company will have to distinguish itself for customers to choose the former.
In another move to facilitate digital payments, Samsung has launched the Galaxy Tab Iris that comes with the iris-recognition technology. The device can be authenticated using an Aadhaar card through an integrated and highly secure biometric device. It can be used for banking and e-governance services such as passport, taxation, health care and education.
Focus on after-sales service
In October 2016, Samsung announced a unique service initiative for consumers across India. The move involved the launch of 535 new service vans to reach customers and resolve their problems immediately. Each van will be equipped with a diesel generator and key fixtures, and have a multi-skilled engineer for providing quick response and on-the-spot resolution of complaints. Samsung has added over 250 service points and over 250 resident engineers in its team.
The new initiative takes Samsung's total touch points to over 3,000, helping it strengthen its service network.
Making early inroads into 5G
Samsung has been focusing on 5G research and development for nearly half a decade. At the Mobile World Congress 2017, the company showcased its 5G-compatible commercial products, including a 5G home router, 5G radio base station and 5G modern chipsets. The pre-commercial deployment of some of its 5G products is already under way in the US.
The company has also announced a partnership with Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL) to bring 5G technology in India. Meanwhile, the company has announced its innovative "Infill and Growth" project for RJIL that will help expand both the operators' current network capacity and network coverage. The project will extend RJIL's services in rural areas by expanding its reach to over 90 per cent of the population and enable seamless indoor and outdoor coverage in dense urban areas by helping the operator optimally utilise spectrum in the 850 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2300 MHz bands.
Future outlook
In sum, Samsung has definitely been impacted due to the growing competition in the smartphone space but has somehow been able to maintain its edge over other players. It will have to continue innovating smartphones and developing new technologies, and targeting niche segments to sustain growth and strengthen its market position.
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Most Shared
- Related Articles
- Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited: Attempts to reconnect
- Brand Idea: Focus on 3G, rural areas and market positioning
- Samsung Mobiles: Smartphone strategy for the Indian market
- Reliance Jio Infocomm: Set to change the Indian broadband landscape
- BSNL: Exploring revival strategies
- MTNL: Survival strategies
- Reliance Infotel: Strongly placed to tap broadband
- Aircel: Increasing its footprint
- Tulip Telecom: On a sticky financial wicket
- Vodafone India: Growth despite regulatory challenges
|Your cart is empty


text:
A Prayer Request
(photo uploaded to Flickr by gerlos)
For those of you who might not already know, my family is taking a huge step of faith and leaving Thunder Bay, ON for California. You can read more about that move here.
We are leaving Canada this Friday, June 25 and planning on arriving in California on June 30. We thought we had secured housing. We were simply waiting for a lease agreement to sign. This morning, I received a phone call from the landlord stating that his wife no longer wants to rent the house out… Yep, you read that correctly… no house… I'd like to type some choice words, but this is a children's ministry blog…
Anyway, I'm asking for those of you in the Elemental CM community to please pray for our family. This move, alone, is stressful. Now with this rental falling through after talking with the landlord for a week, our stress is multiplied. Please pray that we find someplace to rent and soon. Please pray that we have peace in the midst of this.
If any of you have any connection in the San Francisco East Bay (preferably the Concord area) or know of anyone who might have connections, please email me at henry(at)zonios(dot)org.
We rest in the fact that we know this move IS what God wants. It's the "adventures" on this Wild Goose Chase that are challenging! Thanks for your prayers.


text:
Public: IDR100.000
Student: IDR75.000
It is difficult existing in this world as a gay or lesbian, especially since it is often considered as sexual dysfunction or some sort of disease that requires medical or religious intervention for healing. However,they continue on their life's journey that is filled with taboos and pressures. Are we, the majority who consider ourselves "normal",[still] trying to make life difficult for them?
Sakti Actor Studio will perform four short plays (around 20 minutes each) tailored around this theme, i.e. Sweet Hunk O'Trash by Eric Lane, Twenty Dollar Drinks, Frozen Dog, and Uncle Chick by Joe Pintauro. They will perform these plays two days in a row. Each day, the four plays will be performed with a 15-minute break after the first two plays.


text:
Trail/Campground Map
View Hiking Trails and Camping in a larger map
2 comments:
Just found your site today. Nice job, it's just what I was looking for. I had a question about your map, are the pins color coded or is it random?ReplyDelete
Hi Greg, thanks.ReplyDelete
The pins are color coded, loosely. The pink are 14ers. The yellow are just trails, and the purple are parks. The tents are campgrounds. Anything else is blogger not cooperating with me. :)
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
The NCAA's 'Student-Athlete'
"Our purpose is to govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount."
It is hard to argue with the NCAA's stated intentions. Governing competition based on the hallowed principles of fairness, sportsmanship, safety? Sounds great! Simultaneously integrating athletics into the time-honored ideals of higher education? Talk about killing two birds with one stone! The NCAA's authority, and the main justification for its continued existence, nominally rests on their noble promise to, first and foremost, protect the "student-athlete". While these intentions seem honorable, they are not an honest representation of the motivations and actions of the NCAA.
Early on, the NCAA sought to enshrine many of the same amateur ideals that it puts forth today. However, even before radio and television contracts made college sports into a multi-billion dollar industry, it was clear that the NCAA was failing to uphold its stated purpose. As early as 1929, the Carnegie Foundation published a report lambasting the NCAA. Among the practices that the report found to be in direct conflict with the NCAA's intended purposes and values were: the recruitment and under-the-table subsidization of supposedly "amateur" student-athletes, the abandonment of true amateurism, and the lack of any meaningful student involvement in decision making. In hindsight, The 1929 report seems almost prophetic by clearly denoting the rampant commercialism already present in intercollegiate athletics, a direct contradiction to the "amateurism" the NCAA attempted to promote as its main ideal.
The Carnegie Foundation's report came out in a time where the NCAA's enforcement mechanisms were basically nonexistent. In the first half of the 20th century, the NCAA had no real authority to enforce widespread regulation to collegiate sports; it was not until 1939, 33 years after its establishment, that the NCAA managed to make helmets mandatory in college football.
As the popularity of college sports continued to grow, however, the NCAA realized it needed to spearhead its inevitable commercialization in order for it to remain a necessary organization. Once the NCAA signed the first television football package with NBC in 1952, everything changed. Suddenly, the NCAA had actual power to enforce its rules on colleges. Television revenues skyrocketed from that point onward. In order for schools to reap the potential financial benefits of televising its sporting events, they were forced to abide by the rules and regulations of the NCAA. As television revenues skyrocketed, so too did the NCAA's authority.
Once television revenues became a major factor in organized collegiate sports, it forced the NCAA to confront their actual purpose. The skyrocketing television revenues of collegiate sports meant that the NCAA had to transform itself into an indispensable governing body of collegiate sports in order to justify their position as a cartel between universities and television networks. In order to incentivize powerhouse sport universities to abide by NCAA rules and regulation (and allow the NCAA to offer their high-profile games to television networks), the NCAA needed to configure itself so that its member-universities would be able to reap significant, sustainable financial benefits from its participation with the NCAA. However, now that college athletes were suddenly a revenue-generating labor force, the NCAA also had to provide assurances to universities that the television and radio revenue flowing from NCAA media contracts would be distributed to the member institutions, not to the labor force itself.
Foreseeing the potential for legal fallout, the NCAA invented the term "student-athlete" in the early 1950s. They embedded this ambiguous label into all its rules and regulations. They made it their core purpose to protect the student-athlete and integrate their experience into the noble pursuit of higher-education. See, NCAA "student-athletes" are more than just students who happen to play sports; this would imply that all student-athletes would be obligated to meet the same academic standards of their peers. But NCAA "student-athletes" are also more than just high-performance athletes who happen to be enrolled in a college; this would imply that student-athletes deserve to be compensated for the role they play in bringing colleges massive amounts of revenue.
Conjuring up the term "student-athlete" allowed the NCAA to justify its own existence as the only possible protector of the "student-athlete". In practice, however, the NCAA has used "student-athlete" mainly as a legal tactic to prevent ex-student-athletes from receiving financial compensation for any goal, how could it justify reaping hundreds of millions of dollars in profit by encouraging (and in some situations, pressuring) those same unpaid "student-athletes" to put their brains in potentially life-altering peril every week? Oh that's right; because without the NCAA, there would be no one to "protect" the student-athlete. The NCAA has responded to football's mental health crisis by relying on the same process it has used since signing their first contract with NBC in 1952: avoiding the risk of legal liability while protecting and ensuring the continuing profit of the NCAA and its universities. So much for being the foremost protector of the "student-athlete", huh?