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shinryu's blog
on 02.13.2010
An OCD gamer's average weekend
I was in line at the post office the other day. While I waited for the lady in front of me to run out of expletives to fling at the patient, mildly incompetent clerk, my eye fell on a large cardboard box sitting in a corner and a large question mark appeared over my head. In my long queue-induced torpor, I approached the box and considered kicking it over, yelling "THERE HE IS!". It must've been full of bricks or something, because I hurt my foot and it didn't budge. With the atmosphere of open warfare typical of most post offices, nobody really noticed this act of apparent lunacy. I quietly walked back to my spot in the queue, blaming my lack of common sense. Of course it wasn't Solid Snake. Solid Snake is too pimp to pay his bills at the post office.
After sitting through the lengthy loading time, I finally got my turn. It was fairly routine - I just had to deliver the item along with some gold. I could've used the gold, but I prefer to complete these kinds of quests as soon as possible. There's always time to go mining and stuff. The NPC behind the counter offered me a slip of paper as proof, but I just crossed the quest off my list. I don't need useless items cluttering my inventory, but it was a stupid key item so I had to take it anyway. I couldn't even sell it to the merchant cleaning windscreens at the traffic light.
It took me a while to walk back home; I make it a point to lean behind cover before turning every corner. Too cautious maybe, but you can never be too careful with a single life and no continues. I had a couple of free hours, so I decided to grind a little. I went to the park and ran a few laps. Some people stared when I yelled "YES! MY SKILL LEVEL HAS INCREASED!" as usual. Envious, no doubt.
I got back home and took a shower to replenish my stamina bar. My phone rang and there was a mandatory event where this chick asked me if I wanted to go see a movie with her and a couple other characters. I hadn't raided with this party in quite a while, and I really had nothing to do, so my dialogue options didn't even include a negative answer. I generally dislike that kind of lack of freedom, but in this case I didn't mind. Since I had already taken care of grinding for the day, I decided I may as well devote the evening to improving my S-Links.
On the way to the cinema a pigeon crapped on my new jacket - I almost managed to fend it off with a reversal DP, but ended up trading. Should've focused that shit, but I'm not too good with the matchup - I was afraid it might be two hits. Anyway it was enough to fill my revenge gauge, and I managed to punish the fucker with an ultra juggle. It's good to be high tier. Pigeons are all scrubs anyway, always jumping in on you and spamming those cheap flying projectile moves. That shit may fly with someone who doesn't have a reliable anti-air, but otherwise, what do they expect?
The movie was boring, unskippable, and didn't even have any QTEs. It was rendered completely with the gameplay engine, too - I'm usually all for that but it could've used some particle effects. At least the rest of the evening was good - as usual I ordered a pint of every beer in the pub, including the really expensive ones. It took a while to drink them all but that's something a true completist must learn to accept. It was worth it anyway, as they gave me an extra free one in a sick platinum mug at the end. 100% doesn't come for free, after all, and I'm not the type who can just feel happy with one or two times through the same drink.
I was kinda drunk when we left; the controls got all messy, and the graphics had this weird blur effect. I had to compensate carefully in order to avoid falling over. We were pretty far from my save room, so I had to set my home point at somebody else's place. I was hoping this would result in an AO-rated event with the chick, but people are generally very wary with that kind of stuff. If even it were possible, I screwed up a couple of choices in my conversation tree anyway.
The next day was a Sunday, so we went for some FIFA at a football pitch near my place. Nice server, real grass and all. I felt good; all the status ailments from the night before had gone. We played on amateur level and I scored a couple of goals, though I'm still convinced the game is broken. A couple of guys just had too many invincible frames in their dribbling animation, as well as godly shot ratings. Anyway I must've held the dash button down too much, because I was completely spent at the end. It started raining lightly and a couple of players had a weakness to water, so we decided to just quit early and simulate the rest of the match.
On Monday, as usual, I showed up for duty with my clan. The sessions can get pretty tedious, but my clanmates are all a lot of fun. Plus, the clan leaders are really generous when it comes to doling out rewards. It was a fairly boring day, but I feel I still did all right. I got some points, and even managed to put together a 5x document revision streak, which enabled me to use a free coffee bonus. That really helped my game through the rest of the day. This dude from the IT clan kept spamming the forums to organize a joint session, but I just put him on ignore.
I couldn't wait to get back home to do some side missions, but I still drove carefully - I didn't need any wanted stars to sidetrack me and waste more time. Besides, I'm going for a lawful good run, and that would've seriously hurt my alignment score. Some dude backed out of a parking spot without looking and missed my car's hitbox by one or two pixels. The real bummer was when I was walking from the car to my place - my phone rang, and I missed the QTE and dropped it. It pissed me off, especially since the ensuing phone call was just a random optional event that added nothing to the overall plot. The phone is still equippable, but I could've done without this - it's probably only got a few damage points left before I have to get a new one. I hope I can get one of the same class, because I've amassed a lot of skill points on this thing.
That evening another dude on my friends list hosted a game of poker. For some reason he almost got angry when I checked the chests in his bedroom for items. It was a fun session, although I thought the metal soundtrack didn't fit too well with the environment. Anyway, we spotted one of the players using hax, and the admin just banned him from the server immediately. I thought that was a bit harsh; I know the guy, and he probably just wanted to try that stuff out for fun. We weren't playing ranked anyway.
Eventually, I got back home. It had been some time since I'd last saved, so I headed straight for the bathroom and sat down.
My name is Michael J, and I am an obsessive.
on 10.26.2009
Nothing is Sacred: Death
Disclaimer: there�s a pretty big and popular Final Fantasy VII spoiler below, although EVERYBODY IN THE WHOLE WORLD knows this by now.
Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
--William Shakespeare,
Julius Caesar
, Act II, Sc.2
I know the moment's near
And there's nothing we can do
Look through a faithless eye
Are you afraid to die?
Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
The things you pwn end up pwning you.
--Anonymous Internet User
You�re rushing across a cold platform. The tension is through the roof. All sorts of strange creatures zoom past you as you dodge their deadly touch with uncanny agility and timing. You hold your breath as you leap over a large gap � perhaps a split-second too soon � and exhale once you land safely on the other side. Sweat from the strain and pressure patches your clothes, all the way to your plumber�s overalls. Your knuckles carry unsightly bruises from all the bricks you smashed with your bare hands. No time to waste. The final goal can�t be far away; the next castle MUST be the right one. You can see it now � the flagpole appears on the horizon. So close you can almost touch it from there. Just jump � careful now, that winged turtle thing�s leaping over you � now it�s in your face �
Zoom out to a very different world, one that may or may not include a plastic controller flying through the room. Death has been a pivotal component of most games for a while now, so much that the term itself has taken on its own game-related meaning � one that�s about as seminal as �lives�, �level� and not much else. But while those other two examples have become somewhat synonymous with an old-schoolish outlook, dying has always been, more than anything else, a sort of common denominator in games. Like in the real world, death often plays the part of the ultimate enemy, much more so than any final boss. To ease the player�s torment, extra lives were granted, continues became mostly unlimited, energy bars were made longer, and checkpoints were introduced. A few lucky bastards even gained peculiar Wolverine-ish healing powers. But death remained a staple. What else could offer such a poignant representation of extreme failure?
Well...maybe this.
I think it�s safe to say that Gaming Death reaps more but is significantly less grim than its real-world counterpart. Of course, I�m not referring to those instances where a digital life is ended forever �
those still make us cry
� but rather those when the player hits a premature bump in the road, temporarily halting his advance, causing him to lose at least part of the progress he�d made.
What�s often overlooked is that in games, death itself is rarely �the worst that can happen to you�. That particular honour would go to another mainstay of single-player endeavours: repetition.
Pictured: not the worst that can happen to you.
I find it interesting, at least, to acknowledge how little things have changed over the years in this respect. The biggest difference between two randomly picked games would be the size of the part to be replayed through upon death. Some take you back to the latest save, some to the room entrance, some have checkpoints scattered around. Some, even in this day and age, remain old-school-oriented and leave you with a �Game over, try again� (
comes to mind). That�s acceptable; some games are about the challenge more than anything else. Others, however, present a peculiar idiosyncrasy � they claim to offer �immersive experiences�, achieve variable degrees of success, and inevitably proceed to yank the player out of said experiences multiple times during a single playthrough.
Besides the enforced repetition, that�s perhaps my biggest gripe with the trial-and-error system most games implement: game over screens.
will agree with me that immersion is a fundamental component in most single-player experiences. To have it broken up abruptly by something as cold and uninspiring as a simple game over screen is, to me, one of the most elementary pitfalls that game developers stumble upon. It basically equates to reminding you that you�re playing a game, which in many cases can be rather upsetting. Imagine engaging in some slow, sweet lovin� with Megan Fox or Eva Mendez. Now google a picture of Maggie Thatcher. That�s pretty much what game over in
Metal Gear Solid 4
feels like.
Here, I'll save you the trouble...Snake? Snake!! SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!!!
Prince of Persia
offered an interesting alternative to the formula: many summarized it as �you can�t die�, although it was a little more complex and less radical than that. Basically, whenever you fell into a pit (or were forced down one by an enemy), your magically-endowed companion would teleport you back to safety. This was done by means of a brief, distinctive shot featuring the character�s hands grasping each other�s. The game received a lot of criticism (mostly from fans) for this choice, coupled with the fact that it was generally very easy to complete. I think it was a step in the right direction. In the end it was mostly cosmetic, but it did effectively eliminate the game over screen; you were still brought back to a previous point (you had to repeat the jumping puzzle from the start, and enemies would regenerate part of their health), so repetition was still a part of the picture. The game had its share of flaws, but the �You can�t die!� line of criticism was the most unfair of the bunch � you can�t really die in
either now, can you?
Ironically enough,
Prince of Persia
�s last-gen predecessors had a much more groundbreaking mechanic. The
Sands of Time
trilogy provided the player with various powers to manipulate time, the most popular of the bunch being the �rewind� power. By using it, the player could literally rewind the action to a previous point, thus gaining an opportunity to correct the mistake that had caused his or her untimely death. It was exhilarating: get sliced in half by an enemy�s blade, die, rewind time, rise back up, let go, block the attack that was supposed to kill you, play on. Unfortunately, striking a balance between immersion and challenge is a very difficult endeavour, and even the
Sands of Time
games ended up with the occasional game over screen � there was a limit to the number of times said power could be used.
More of this please
I�ve been playing
Metroid Prime 2
for a quite a bit now. It�s a good game. The controls are a bit iffy and awkward for a first-person game (it�s the original Gamecube version), but that�s about as badly as I can criticize it. The atmosphere is top-notch and it really makes you feel like you�re stranded on a deserted alien planet, something which is often cited as one of the series� strengths. Despite all of this, I�ve been moving at a snail's pace through that game. It�s been in my �now playing� list for a few months; I sometimes play it for a bit on Saturday morning, fall in love with its aesthetics and flow, meet a boss, die, repeat, die again and give up. Dying brings you back to the last save room; in some cases this means you have to replay a long exploration segment before the boss. In the days after that, when I�m deciding what to play, I tend to brush
aside � I don�t want to get up a couple of hours later and realize that I�ve just wasted time. Time is pretty much the most precious thing I have, despite what my choice of spending a significant part of it on videogames may indicate. If you want to create a boss that will abuse me, that�s fine. I will die multiple times, hopefully learn something new every time, and eventually overcome the obstacle. Just don�t force me to replay the same arbitrary, linear chunk of exploration before the boss every single time. I really don�t see the point in that, besides forcefully pulling me out of the beautifully crafted environment you�ve so meticulously immersed me into.
I don�t like games that force you to save, threatening you with loss of progress. Saving, like game over screens, is another extra-game aspect; I believe it should be made as inconspicuous as possible. Being able to save
only at specific locations
is a perplexing act of cruelty upon the gamer. Samus shouldn�t have to backtrack through hordes of enemies just to �save the game� � especially not now that she has high-capacity storage mediums at her disposal. The game should take care of that for her, and leave her and the player to just enjoy the adventure. I may be off here, but I greatly prefer the
GTA/Metal Gear Solid
approach of making saving the game
a session irrelevant � saving is only something you do to record your progress once you decide you want out for the time being. And while I�m on the �saving the game� tangent here, let me stress that save rooms also have another annoying implication: it�s the game that decides when you should stop playing, and not vice versa. Is it really just me or is that a blatant absurdity?
Such a clever, groundbreaking idea...and already stale by 1997.
So where do we go from here? Let me take an excerpt from the definition of the word �game�, courtesy of Messrs. Merriam and Webster:
1.activity engaged in for diversion or amusement
2.a physical or mental competition conducted according to rules with the participants in direct opposition to each other
3.any activity undertaken or regarded as a contest involving rivalry, strategy, or struggle
The first definition is way too broad, so I'll just conveniently ignore it. The other two reference the basic idea of a competition of some sort between two opposing parties. I�m fine with competitive multiplayer games such as
Street Fighter
Pro Evolution Soccer
following such a definition; the whole point is that they�re games, with rules, between two or more players, with a clear winner to be defined. A single-player endeavour like the aforementioned
also falls into this category: the battle is between the player and the game, but it�s still as pure a test of skill as they come. I�m a bit more on the fence about the likes of
. Sure, these are about the player going against a pre-written set of obstacles. The question is:
they be? This is not some pet peeve of mine about semantics; by their own claim, these products rarely refer to themselves as �games�, preferring terms like �immersive adventure�, �realistic experience� and �endless feast�. Both of these examples, like countless others, use death as the same old tired gameplay device to provide a little challenge through trial and error. It�s OK; not everybody has to innovate. It�d be nice if
did though, every now and then. Haven�t we grown tired of this yet? Maybe it�s time to reconsider the whole basic concept of what we generically call �games�; maybe we don�t really want these experiences to
be games.
Yeah yeah, I know, MGS4 joke. Go on, say it. It'll make you feel better. Oh, do I have to? Ok then...LONG CUTSCENES!! LOLOLOLOLOL
In case you didn�t know, I played and loved every LucasArts point�n�click adventure from the �80s-�90s. With a few exceptions (early ones like
Maniac Mansion
Zak McKracken
, as well as the
Indiana Jones
games) these games featured a fairly staunch no-death policy. In the
Monkey Island
series, death is either a joke or an Easter egg, possibly both. They even had a cute little disclaimer describing this in their manuals, something along the lines of �we don�t believe in punishing you at every mistake, take your time and enjoy the ride�. They may have been helped in this by the genre�s uniqueness, and it may have been conceived as a not-so-veiled jab at their rivals, Sierra (dying was VERY easy in Sierra adventures). But the fact remained that exploring those imaginative environments without the chronic fear of making mistakes was incredibly enjoyable and refreshing. And all those games were still challenging, and still very, very good. They actually encouraged you to look around and try new ideas out, as crazy as they might�ve felt. I feel such an attitude has been progressively fading from the gaming world: the average single-player adventure today is more about teaching the player a set of rules and controls to get from A to B, rather than trying to spark the mind and the imagination with clever puzzles.
Let me just leave you with the last bit of the Merriam-Webster definition:
synonyms: see fun
There�s a simpler answer: the ultimate acid test. Perhaps it is a fitting term after all. Don�t include a mechanic in your game just because everybody else does. Even if it�s the oldest, most hallowed trick in the book.
on 10.05.2009
The evils of enforced localization
[Yeah, this thing is still going, contrary to appearances. I've just been spending a lot of time slacking around on the forums and stuff. Hopefully I'll be able to provide new and exciting content more often from here on. I might even write a short one here and there.]
Today I want to spend a few words to denounce a monumental injustice that has been plaguing gamers worldwide for decades, an unspeakable evil imposed on us by the unforgiving laws of capitalism. I speak, of course, of localization.
Now, before you jump to conclusions, let me elaborate. Localization is a good thing, a very helpful thing. Everybody knows their spoony bards or that guy who are sick or how the 360 ruined Final Fantasy XIII for everyone because it's OMG TOTALLY BETTAR with the Japanese voice track
(holy crap, did I just make three separate Final Fantasy references in one sentence?)
. But all in all, you wouldn't even have played those games if there wasn't an English translation.
First of all, let me give you a little background, because the upcoming rant is closely linked to my personal situation. I was born in Italy, where I currently live, from English-Italian parents. I was taught both languages at a very early age, which I consider to be a tremendous blessing and something I am deeply grateful for. A large percentage of modern Western fiction is produced in English, and my mixed heritage allowed me to enjoy a lot of that in its original form � my Italian friends swear they liked
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
, but I just know it wasn�t the same film for them.
Totally un-localizable.
Translating fiction is always slippery territory. Localization � adapting a product to specific cultural differences in distinct markets � is pushing it until it almost crosses the boundaries of ethics. Human language is a beautiful, complex machine. Is it �right� for someone to take liberties in adapting a work for a regional market, to make it more palatable for people who wouldn�t understand the original? Let me give you a quick example: consider the character of Thorin Oakenshield from J.R.R. Tolkien�s
The Hobbit
. Upon hearing his family name, English-speaking readers will immediately conjure up a very specific image, along with several more abstract ones. Translate all the book except for that name, and that feeling is lost completely. So the sensible way to go, in the opinion of many, is to change his surname so that the intended audience will catch the reference. But even that may not be perfect; take Japanese names, which are generally made up of kanji with very precise meanings. Imagine if they�d changed Mitsuru Kirijo�s name in
Persona 3
(as someone explains in the game, the �kiri� in Kirijo means paulownia) to make the reference more direct for an English audience. The Italian translations of the first couple
Harry Potter
books had �Ravenclaw� inexplicably transposed as the equivalent of �Black Sheep�; this all fell apart by the time the movies started coming out, and I think there even was a note in the third or fourth book explaining that they�d changed the name to something closer to the original owing to a particular scene involving a raven emblem. In the end, it�s a very fine line to tread.
Which brings us to games. Back in the late �80s Italian localizations were mostly limited to hideously translated NES manuals, but the core product itself went untouched. The first fully translated game that I remember playing was the brilliant
Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders
. The Italian version was dire, chock-full of stilted constructions and even spelling mistakes. Me and my friends actually believed that was a product of the eponymous Mindbenders' meddling - in the game, alien invaders attempt to enslave mankind with the use of machines that induce stupidity. Yes, we actually believed the characters spoke funny because the aliens had turned them slightly stupid.
Tell me he doesn't
like an idiot.
The Secret of Monkey Island
came along. A lot of the humour was lost in translation, and the rendition was far from perfect, but at least the prose made sense. Thinking of the jokes that did
make sense, however, actually helped my young mind realize why translations usually subtract from the original. One notable instance is the infamous �red herring� puzzle. Very early in the game, our hero Guybrush meets a troll blocking his path. To get past him, he must offer him something. One of the first items Guybrush had picked up on his quest was a fish. Upon closer inspection (i.e. by selecting �look at fish� through the game's interface) it is revealed to be a red herring. The troll asks for �something that will attract attention, but have no real importance�, which is exactly the figurative meaning of the term �red herring�. This was an absolutely brilliant puzzle, one of many subtle touches that made
Monkey Island
the gold standard for adventure games. And if you played one of the many local translations, it was completely lost and replaced by something that didn�t really make a lot of sense.
In any case,
Monkey Island
marked the first time I actually experienced proper characterization in a game. Thus began my lifelong love affair with video game storytelling. (incidentally, it's left me feeling like a betrayed lover most of the time, but it still goes on).
Metal Gear Solid
for the Playstation was a masterpiece of writing and voice acting, pushing these aspects to previously unseen standards of excellence. It was a true gem, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of the UK version, by total accident. I eventually got around to trying the Italian version, and I couldn't bring myself to keep listening past the first couple of exchanges between Snake and Campbell. It wasn't exactly bad; it sounded like a Cartoon Network parody of the real thing, so distant from the excellent performances of the original that it almost felt like a joke. Just as a side note, dubs always sound fake in Italian. That's mostly because of the huge differences in regional dialects; foreign works are generally adapted into proper Italian, which is a language nobody, not even the President, actually speaks in real life. Imagine if everybody in
spoke with the same kind of accent and expression as a GPS navigator. But it�s also true that the market for localized games is smaller than that of films and other forms of fiction; video game localizations get minuscule budgets, and players have never really experienced the kind of top-notch quality that games like
can deliver.
Seems like so long ago.
I recently received
Fallout 3
as a gift, and my excitement was considerably marred when I found out there isn't an option to select the language. The game is fully localized, text, menus, voice acting, subtitles, everything. I've encountered this kind of issue several times in the past, and I�ve come to the conclusion that there is simply no way to know what you�re getting other than opening the box and playing the game. Most games (not all) will have a little tab showing the manual, in-game text and dialogue languages; this is all very nice, except for the fact that it conveniently ignores when a game is multi-language. In other words, if the box says �Italian� it can mean anything from a full translation with no language choice to a five-language disc that�s identical to what you would get in Germany or in the UK. And that�s when you�re lucky; a lot of games only have a useless �manual and game in Italian� caption which doesn�t even specify if the game is subbed or dubbed, while others have nothing at all (this last category includes
Fallout 3
). I�ve even tried comparing retail product codes, only to end up more confused than ever. A few Nintendo games like
Metroid Prime 3
Mario Galaxy
are blessed with a "5-in-1 multilanguage" label, but this is hardly a dominant trend. Shop assistants will only know whether a game has Italian because, quite simply, that's all 99% of the consumers care about. Shopping online is just as frustrating, unless you buy exclusively from a country which speaks the language you want. That�s what I�ve been doing for the last few years, spending a few extra quid a pop to get games from the UK.
Not all adaptations are bad. Some are actually worth watching for the dub alone.
It's a strange phenomenon, that pretty much only happens in games. Original-language movies have become widespread, thanks to DVDs and satellite TV. Fans enjoy watching films in their original language, with or without subtitles. Even if they can't understand everything. They like to have a choice. Why, then, can't we have the same choice with games? It's got to do, of course, with the general perception of the medium. I'm not gonna get into another "games as art" debate, but as with any other kind of entertainment, I feel the recipients of the final product deserve a little more respect than just a hack translation job to make it playable. Software houses only care about maximizing profit (fair enough, I should add), which means you only get a localized version when it's expected to sell over a certain amount, and you get multilanguage when it fits on the disc (and while we�re at it: shouldn�t Blu-ray discs have solved that problem?).
As a native English speaker living in Italy, I realize my position is obviously a niche, at best. And yet, I know a lot of people who would much rather have the original voice acting, even if they don�t understand it completely. Be it because they prefer the quality of the acting, or because they want to improve their English, or simply because they enjoy the original product more. Even on the more global level, I know people who like to play Japanese versions. The market simply does not consider these people; if you want the Japanese, you import. That�s OK; my point isn�t that original versions should be made more accessible. Quite simply, it should be made clear what kind of version you are getting when you hand over your hard-earned cash. 99% of the stuff that�s written about games on the Internet (you might have heard of it) is either in English or in Japanese. If I buy a copy from my local retailer, I�d like to know what exactly has been changed. Most people don�t care about the localization; well, I do. It�s simpler on a global scale, because it�s gonna be either English or Japanese, and it�s pretty easy to tell the difference and filter stuff both ways. But in Europe, where we�re all cramped up and people are speaking all sorts of crazy languages just around the corner, things get a little messier. Countries that are closer to continental/northern culture - and, I might add, more internationally-minded - like Norway or the Netherlands get subs most of the time, even on public TV. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I've heard that in Poland dubs are done by a single voice actor, who just reads the lines over the original track, like an interpreter. But is that really a bad idea? After all, they�re just saying �hey, you�re watching a dub, don�t pretend you aren�t�. All-out dubs, after all, are loaded with subtle compromises and affectations. Things can get especially awkward when dealing with material that explicitly references the original language - hence, for example, "Do you speak English?" usually becomes "Do you speak my language?"
I don�t want to bash �minor� localizations. Well, most of the time they suck, but that�s not their fault and it's not the point. It would be nice if everybody could speak all the languages in the world so as to understand every little linguistic nuance in every work of fiction, but that�s not gonna happen. Localizations are useful, even vital; a lot of countries (and I do mean A LOT) don�t even get them. But we�re living in a global age, and we can�t just keep pretending that the world ends around the corner. The point is that producers and retailers should offer a choice, or at least make it clear to the consumer. If it�s not sustainable to sell original versions in local markets, fine; just write it clearly on the box, and I�ll look elsewhere. Is it really that much to ask?
on 03.02.2009
Like a Hadoken to the face: The Big Leap
It happened.
I'd been preparing for this for a while, saving up and planning exactly how it would go. I still have a crapload of older titles that I really
to play, but I figured at this rate I'd still be playing 16-bit Zelda in my 40's. Which is a good thing and is still gonna happen regardless, so I decided to just get on with it.
So I went for a drive, brought a pal along to stop me from chickening out at the last second, and by the time I got back home I was carrying a big-ass slab of Bravia, a shiny new PS3 and a copy of the Collector's Edition of Street Fighter IV (
somewhat related note:
not worth it).
I hooked everything up and gave it a spin. My initial reaction was something like this:
Guess that backlog will have to wait. If games are digital highs, I am OD'ing right now. I still suck at fighting Ken, err, playing online, mostly because I need to get used to lag and the fresh blisters on my thumbs - but if you want to engage in a good ol' fashioned high-def fisticuffs, I'm your man (PSN: Shinryu108). Oh, and I'm on HD Remix too.
on 02.04.2009
MMO, I renounce you
I've always been an RPG person. I haven't even played that many, compared to the hardcore enthusiast, but I've always been easy prey for what I like to call the "RPG factor" or "incremental gameplay". Get a sword, kill monsters, get money, gain a few levels, get a better sword, reach a tougher dungeon, kill tougher monsters�you know the drill. Describing it to a non-enthusiast, let alone to a non-gamer, makes it sound exceptionally tedious and nerdy. But those of us who know...just do. People like shiny things; some people don't mind if said shiny thing is bitmap or polygonal.
Like I said, I have to admit to not having played tons of RPGs despite appreciating the genre. Nevertheless, I've had my Diablo, Warcraft and Baldur's Gate sleepless streaks. I've played text-based D&D, as well as old-school PC gems like Excelsior and Castle of the Winds (GITF - you'll thank me later). I wasted way more time on the Ehrgeiz RPG than on the actual fighting game (and I am also a beat 'em-up freak). Besides that, I have an unhealthy tendency towards brand loyalty - I finished Devil May Cry 2, for crying out loud.
The RPG factor kept me coming back for more. It's no wonder that more and more games (Resident Evil and Arkham Asylum just to mention a couple) are attempting to incorporate RPG elements. The RPG factor appeals to the innermost depths of the human mind, reducing every aspect of the world to deterministic figures; the player is at once denizen and god of the fictional world.
Is this why RPGs are so successful? Some argue that most of these games - especially those from Japan - simply use the RPG factor to sweeten an otherwise dull experience. Others claim that JRPGs are really subpar products that rely on collateral appeal - plot, characters, fanservice, whatever - to sell. In any case, the RPG factor has made the fortune of many a game publisher.
The next logical step is the MMO. Multiply the quests, monsters and equipment by over 9000, add in the online aspect: what could go wrong?
I drooled over the possibilities for a while. Then I tried out World of Warcraft and was genuinely unimpressed. I jumped over to Final Fantasy XI (brand loyalty, there it is) and felt it was exactly the same game with a different fa�ade. Although I knew consciously that if didn't have those two magic words in the title (damn you, Squeenix) I wouldn't even have considered it, I made a serious effort to like the game. And I came up short.
Several cakes could be baked in the time it takes you to reach those people in the background
The game world doesn't feel expanded, but diluted. It seems every effort up to slightly slowing down the character's running animation has been made to ensure you spend as much time as possible on the game. And for a game you pay based on a measure of your playing time, that makes a world of sense. Most of the time, in fact, I was running from A to B. Most of the remaining time I was lazily pounding a twelve-inch hare, waiting for it to collapse under my apparently piddly blows and yield that measly XP reward. And to be precise, most of the time I was engaging an enemy both of us were just standing there waiting for our respective turns to end.
When I realized that most of the quests were apparently about killing n specimens of monster A, or gathering y pieces of item B, the obvious question dawned on me:
Why am I doing this?
It's a somewhat rhetorical question when videogames are the issue, I know. But bear with me. There was no plot, no characters to speak of, no storyline to keep me coming back. The grind was stretched out to unreal proportions; even just doing the research necessary to move things along more quickly takes so much time that I simply can't see people with serious commitments - even little more than a full-time job - actually enjoying this genre. I was stuck in an endless loop, spending hours killing the same monsters just to get a better weapon and move on to the next area - where I could find the same monsters as before with a different name and start over.
As a gamer, I've endured some pretty dull shit. I made an Ultimate Damascus Dread Shield in Vagrant Story, and anyone who knows the game knows what I'm talking about. Some of the chores the developers throw in their games are downright ridiculous. But when I started thinking "Man, I'd rather be playing this or that" I realized this was going too far.
brb guys, my beard is becoming aware of its own existence
People I played with, including high-level peeps who were just out there to help the noobs out, kept saying the same thing: it's dull at the beginning, but it gets better. But should I really put up with this? Should I waste my time by the shitload grinding it out just hoping for the game to "get better"? Shouldn't the journey be as entertaining as the ultimate goal? And after all, what am I playing for? Bragging rights for my Lv.75 Monk? So that one day I'll be able to tell my kids that I completed every single Final Fantasy game?
The truth is, I'm not bashing the game or the genre. Well, OK, I have issues with the idea of a game being explicitly based on wasting my time, which is the most valuable commodity I have. In fact, I wish I had the time to play it through. You know, if I could have unlimited IRL lives, I would definitely devote one or two to a couple MMORPG's. The appeal of the RPG factor in them is tenuous, at least to me, and it's unnerving when you remember how much you could get done in one sitting of, say, Diablo.
When we started out, gaming wasn't about achievements. It was about fun. Hell, you didn't even expect to finish a NES game when you bought it. You gladly replayed the same 2-3 opening levels each time you stuck the cartridge in, occasionally shitting bricks whenever you managed to get a little further. Because the simplicity of the gameplay was enough to keep you entertained. Diablo or the Ehrgeiz minigame didn't even need a plot to be fun - load the game and hack away, pure unadulterated RPG goodness.
South Park nailed it
I don't wanna piss off fans of the genre, in fact I'd appreciate it if you shared your views on this. But when you really look at it from an outsider's perspective - imagine the NORP reading that story about those guys spending 18 hours battling some boss - it really looks stupid. For crying out loud, FFXI doesn't even
like FF - it's closer to WoW remix. And yet, people love this stuff, just ask Blizzard. The bottom line is that the software houses are out to get our cash, as they should, and I can't blame them for it. But until they keep dishing out the same old recycled crap instead of actually attempting to focus on actually original game design, I know I ain't gonna chip in.
So you see, Junior, that's why XI is the only Final Fantasy I never completed.
on 10.31.2008
The FEAR: Dark Rooms and Good Ole Captain LeChuck
Finally got this thing up and running, a pleasure to be actively blogging in the community. I thought I'd weigh in on the monthly topic since there's still some time...Just be warned, there are some
below about the
Monkey Island
series. Here goes.
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
is one of the best games ever. While it has by now become part of a long-mourned legacy and one of the few rare streaks of pure excellence in gaming (LucasArts' late-eighties-to-mid-nineties collection of point & click adventures), anyone who played it back in the day knows its place among the all-time great expressions of the medium. Its writing is universally lauded for its wittiness, humour and overall brilliance, and I don't think I've ever heard or read anybody talk about it as anything remotely close to a frightening game.
Which doesn't change the fact that back in the golden days of 1992,
Monkey Island 2 became the first game to scare the shit out of me.
I was a kid, and as such, rather impressionable. I didn't understand why people watched horror flicks. I hadn't yet developed a taste for layered storytelling or complex characters. I watched, played and read stuff to have fun and see the hero prevail.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
was, to me, the pinnacle of hardcore.
In case you're unfamiliar with the storyline of the Monkey Island series, here's a quick recap: it's about Guybrush Threepwood, a young pirate wannabe, who eventually ends up vanquishing the fearsome Ghost Pirate LeChuck. In part 2, LeChuck is brought back from the dead and seeks his revenge (hence the title) on Guybrush, who, meanwhile, is on a hunt for the legendary treasure known as Big Whoop.
At a certain point, Guybrush slips and bangs his head, passing out. In his dream, his parents show up, asking him why he ran away from home. They offer help on his quest in the form of a song. They then turn into skeletons and burst into a hilarious song-and-dance rendition of
Dem Dry Bones
. Guybrush's facial expression alone is worth the game's price tag:
Soon however, the dream turns to nightmare as LeChuck himself intrudes, scaring Guybrush's skeletal elders away. The change in music, courtesy of Michael Z. Land, is spine-chilling. LeChuck changes his shape to that of a young Guybrush and fires a spray of root beer at our hero - the method Guybrush himself used to dissolve LeChuck's ghostly essence in the first chapter. The Guybrush awakens, screaming.
LeChuck's Revenge
is that rare thing: a hilarious trip with unapologetically dark elements. It's comedy, to be sure, but without that safety net of painting its characters as clich�-ridden caricatures. Clich�s are present as metatextual joke material, which makes the characters feel more human, almost as if they are alternating between playing a part and honestly reflecting on their role in a way that brings them much closer to the player. LeChuck himself is a beautifully accomplished villain, striking a balance between the parodistic and the downright evil. Later
Monkey Island
chapters painted him as more of a typecast cartoon character; it may be that as a 9-year old I was more susceptible to LeChuck's dark undertones, but if you compare the box art for the games, you'll see that something definitely changed between parts 2 and 3:
Left: OH MY GOD PLEASE DON'T KILL ME
Right: Hmm, I wonder if Timmy would like this for Christmas?
While it would be unfair to say that they distorted LeChuck's character, he definitely felt he had lost that edge from the very outset of
Monkey Island 3
. The reason may be that
LeChuck's Revenge
's dated graphics had a less cartoony feel than its follower, or that the introduction of voice acting left little to the imagination. But the REAL reason, of course, is that
Monkey Island 2
was the last game in the series to involve its original creator, that genius by the name of Ron Gilbert.
Back to the game. Guybrush's dream was the first instance of a game scaring me. I recall it being rather mild, but the notion of a murderous presence haunting my dreams was one that always made me uneasy. Years before even watching the
movies, Freddy Krueger was one of my pet representations of fear itself (of course, watching the movies themselves greatly diminished the sense of dread that my rampaging imagination had managed to generate - as with most things). But the real confrontation with LeChuck, and the sheer
it entailed for me, was yet to come.
In the final part of the game, Guybrush finds Big Whoop and falls down a dark hole. Exploring the black screen with the cursor, the player finds an item labeled "switch". In pure point & click puzzle solving logic, the natural reaction is to "use" it so that the game can move forward. So I positioned my cursor on the black pixels covering the switch, hit "U" for use, and clicked to confirm the action and
- and in a brilliant Star Wars reference he reveals he is Guybrush's brother, and whips out a voodoo doll of him, and proceeds to
torture him
- albeit with rather cartoony results - before attempting to banish him to a "parallel dimension of eternal suffering".
The attempt fails, as LeChuck only manages to teleport Guybrush to the next room, but there were two things here that struck me. First, LeChuck appearing out of nowhere to scare the shit out of me, an element that became a staple of horror games, most notably the
Resident Evil
series. More than that, the idea that he was actually lurking in that dark room, waiting, as I naively hovered over black pixels looking for clues. That was the first time a game had successfully sucker-punched me and made me jump on my seat. The second concept was the idea of a character that evil, that consumed by revenge against one individual. LeChuck shared none of those lazy dreams of riches or power or world conquest: the one desire that kept his rotting corpse moving was
to inflict as much pain as possible upon Guybrush Threepwood
In a landscape where most game villains were little more than mindless bitmap sprites attempting to halt your progress by draining your life bar, LeChuck was, in spite of his funtamentally cartoonish nature, tremendously deep, articulate, dark and, yes, human. In the following game segment - the memorable conclusion to
LeChuck's Revenge
- the feeling of dread was amplified. The player had to roam a web of mysterious tunnels containing several muddled, disturbing references to Guybrush's adventures up to this point, as well as some rather unsettling imagery - most notably, Guybrush's parents' skeletons sitting on a couch in a medical room. The traditional laid-back flow of point & click adventure gaming was disrupted by the element of LeChuck randomly popping in, ominous music and all, and making another attempt at blasting Guybrush though space-time. The attempt would invariably fail as the player would simply be teleported to a random room, but the feeling of helplessness, the look of pain in Guybrush's animations, and the sheer
on LeChuck's mangled lo-res mug were unsettling to say the least. And most of all, that feeling of some malevolent presence lurking those very rooms I had to explore to complete the game. Like Nemesis in
Resident Evil 3
, he would jump in when I least expected and disrupt my gameplay. Unlike Nemesis, I couldn't run from this guy, I couldn't turn around and face this guy, and I couldn't stop this guy. All I could do was try to outwit him, try to move, collect stuff and think of a way out as quickly as I could before his inevitable appearance. Point & click games were about taking your time, exploring, thinking. This was as frantic as they could get. In survival horror games, you're not usually forced to
of a way out while running from a murderous zombie; it's mostly about how much ammo you have and how good you are with the controls. Puzzles and combat are generally separate aspects of the gameplay.
Obligatory Pyramid Head nod to break the wall o' text.
The fact that you couldn't die made it, in a way, even worse. It might be just me, but dying, and having to restart from a previous save, breaks immersion and suspension of disbelief. It brings you back to the notion that you're playing a game, a neatly organized array of lines of code. Dying in
Resident Evil
is more an annoyed "dammit" than a spooked "whoa". As contradictory as that may sound, the safety net of knowing you can't die also means you can't get a break unless you quit playing.
LeChuck's rampage, given the technical limitations of the game, is an extremely tame experience by today's standards. However, the idea of an evil motherfucker lurking in the dark is still one of the few devices that manages to genuinely frighten me.
Silent Hill
Resident Evil
games employ this aspect with varying degrees of success - all hail Pyramid Head - although I find a major turn-off in a horror game is the use of cutscenes. Nothing kills a good spooky moment like losing control over your character. The best moments in any
Resident Evil
game are when you believe you're alone in a room, then a camera change, a loud noise or a spooky music piece kicks in to prove you wrong. And you might even be carrying an arsenal of firearms that would humble John Rambo, but it still gives you a jolt. Even more so if it's some unusual monster, someone you haven't yet placed within a clear-cut category complete with knowledge of how to take care of them - who else found the naked zombies creepy as hell upon first encounter? It's got nothing to do with the fact that this monster may kill your character; it's that childish fear of the unknown, that all too human need to explain everything around you, to have a set of rules that reality must abide by. LeChuck wasn't following those rules: he was trying to kill me in a game where I couldn't die, and he was trying to hurt me in a game that was supposed to be comedy. He was popping in at random, interrupting an experience which so far had been under my complete control. Like Charles Widmore in
, he'd single-handedly changed the rules. He had the upper hand in a world where I thought I was the only acting force.
It's an age old concept: children fear the dark. Not the dark itself, but the idea that the dark may be hiding something unknown. Fear of believing that somewhere within that darkness, there is something that you can't see, and that can see you.
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About shinryu
One of us
since 3:38 PM on 10.29.2008
There was a HOLE here.
It's gone now.
I've been around Dtoid since the early days. You can catch me lurking around in the forums and occasionally blogging when I feel I have something to say. Have been gaming since the early NES days, mostly on PS3/PC/Wii nowadays. I also hang around on
so feel free to add me!
Favourite games, in no particular order: Metal Gear Solid � FFV-VI-VII-X-XII � Street Fighter anything � Resident Evil 2-4 � Legacy of Kain series � Anything by LucasArts from last century � Vagrant Story � Persona 3 � Portal � Zelda series � Devil May Cry 3 � God of War series � Silent Hill 1-2 � ISS/PES series � Shadow of the Colossus � Super Metroid � Bionic Commando � GTA series � Uncharted series
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text:
Deployment 4 is the code name for the next version of Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) 2007 and unifies the tools and processes required for desktop and server deployment into a common deployment console and collection of guidance. For the thousands of IT professionals already trained on BDD 2007, Deployment 4 requires minimal extra training to perform large-scale Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2003 deployments, while offering a further enhanced desktop deployment experience. Deployment 4 adds integration with recently released Microsoft deployment technologies to create a single path for image creation and deployment, including:
Enhanced Beta Program on Microsoft Connect
This Beta release also offers an enhanced Microsoft Connect portal including technical frequently asked questions, deployment tips and tricks, a recommended 10-step program for new users to quickly get acquainted with deployment accelerators, customer-ready Solution Accelerator informational materials, and deployment-related conference presentations.
Accelerator Description
Deployment 4 Beta 3 combines the guidance and toolset from previous releases of Business Desktop Deployment and Beta releases of Windows Server Deployment. This release continues to support Zero Touch Installation (ZTI) of desktop operating systems using Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 with the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack and adds new deployment and task sequencing capabilities for desktops and servers using System Center Configuration Manager 2007. Deployment 4 also continues to provide Lite Touch Installation (LTI) support without infrastructure requirements and adds capabilities for Windows Server 2003 and pre-release versions of Windows Server 2008.
New features in Deployment 4 Beta 3
Where to Find Deployment 4 Beta 3
Deployment 4 Beta 3 is part of the Windows Server 2008 Beta and TAP Programs. It is also available as an open beta download.
To join Deployment 4 beta 3 program, follow these steps:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We are seeing my parents tonight and this is our very first. Im 6 weeks today but last thurs my dr called saying my blood test (9000) put me at 6 weeks. Ive only had two blood tests ( first 48 hrs before was 5000) and my first dr appt is not for two more weeks. Im 37 next week and just so nervous to tell anyone!! Any insight is appreciated! I just wish there was some way of knowing everything is ok. My husband is just so excited to tell everyone
So nervous about telling parents
Posted 07/03/2012
Comments (2)
Posted 07/03/2012
Your levels went up and most likely will continue to do so. So that's a good sign. Plus you are a lil further alOng than you thought. Both are positive signs. Be proud mama! Butyou don't have to tell anyone yet if you aren't ready. whatever makes ya happy!
Posted 07/04/2012
I too am really nervous to tell my mom... both because this was such a surprise at our age and state of our relationship, and because I'm so worried something will happen.. according to lmp , I'm 8 weeks, bit have not had Dr appt yet (will the 5th, but don't know that they will do an us or anything to really reassure me)


text:
Use the wizard to find a provider that fits your needs.
Select a specialty from the list below.
NOTE: Selecting multiple specialties will search for providers who practice each of those specialties.
Portage Health is here to help you find a provider that works with you to increase and maintain your quality of life. Your healthcare provider should be an advocate for your health and wellbeing, should listen to and understand your health concerns and should be able to effectively communicate with you so you can make the best decisions for your health. We are confident that each of our primary care and specialty physicians will do just that.
As a geriatrician, Dr. Hopper is specialized in the care of older adults, particularly those with multiple chronic illnesses.
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text:
Why did Chakotay Choose to be with seven instead of janeway?
View Single Post
September 19 2011, 10:25 PM
Location: New Zealand aka Delta Quadrant
Re: Why did Chakotay Choose to be with seven instead of janeway?
Guy Gardener wrote:
There was no reason to play with that monkey.
It was Janeway's subconscious defending her own virtue.
The selfcoochblock is usually seen as a dickmove, but I'm thinking that it was necessary becuase even if they weren't going to be rescued, if she gave it up to the Indian, he would get bored and move to the other side of the planet.
Only by keeping what's between her legs a celebrated mystery would Citizen Janeway be able to maintain a healthy relationship with Chakotay, and by healthy I mean, I mean that he keeps doing what she says without having to beat obedience into him.
They were the only people on the planet, they needed each other for survival and who would want to be alone in a time like that?
They certainly had feelings for each other then, and not by a relationship of 'Captain and Commander' since that was well past them now like Janeway had said when clearing up after the storm, and also shown when he was on first name basis with her.
When things became awkward between them, she wanted to 'define parameters' but didn't expect for him to confess the true extent of his feelings towards her by the 'Angry Warrior story' and was surprised to hear he had such strong feelings and what did she do? she cried and held his hand rather intimately, that pretty much tell's you that they were about to cross the line between friends and enter into something more. But as the story of that went it was done without proof, so really it is up to what you perceive of that situation.
Personally I believe something more happened after that, but you can believe what you want. That episode was a way to 'throw a bone' to the J/C fans without upsetting those who disapproved.
Either way they were in it together, whether they were friends or lovers. They couldn't make it a life time on New Earth without one another, it's as simple as that.
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text:
Active Questions
|Dating / 11:30 PM - Wednesday November 03, 2010
If a guy calls a woman a couple times a week and sees her one to two times a week, does that mean he
may be serious about her? My guy says he's serious about me but he doesn't really act like it because I think he is not calling me that much. I call him more. Does it really matter?
- Asked by Female, 26-28
could be serious, could be not. no one really knows that answer but him. you have to move away from trying to read him by the little actions he does. most guys express seriousness in only a few things. one is actually taking the time to plan some date to make you happy. two is going out to buy the ring. three is making sure he knows your safe and taken care of.
- Response by A Creative, Male, 29-35, Vancouver, Technical
I think it's just one of those inherent traits that we have as women. I don't know whether its a bad thing or not. I wouldn't waste your time dwelling on the fact that you called him 6 times this week, but he only called you 3 times. It's not important, the fact that he is calling you a few times and making the time to hang out with you is important.
- Response by A Thinker, Female, 29-35, Administrative
Generally, guys don't bother calling or taking the time to hang out with you unless they enjoy your companionship...
- Response by husband, A Career Man, Male, 36-45, Transportation


text: Eddie Davis VIP Lunch with Whitney Wolanin [VIDEO / PHOTOS] By Marc D June 21, 2013 6:33 PM Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Eddie Davis from the Lite Rock Morning Show hosted a VIP lunch with listeners with special guest performance from singer / songwriter Whitney Wolanin. See the video and photos below! Image of Filed Under: Eddie Davis | VIP Lunch | Whitney Wolanin Category: AC | Concerts | Entertainment | Lite Rock Morning Show | Photos | Videos Share on Facebook Share on Twitter More Leave a comment Send to a friend! Print this page Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr! Best of Lite Rock 96.9 Recommended For You Best of the Web


text:
Dear Zoopa Community,
It is with sadness that we announce the final closing of Zoopa. In the 18 months since we took over Zoopa we have made significant progress and learned more than we knew we needed to. But, the landlord has other plans. Restaurants are a risk for landlords and one they are not willing to shoulder given the looming threat of forced wage increases which render restaurants unprofitable. The new tenants will bring security and long term income to the landlord and the overall productivity that they want to see for the location. The space will be gutted in the coming weeks to allow those new tenants to move in. We were not given sufficient notice to find a new location and so are unfortunately forced to close.
Success for us has been the opportunity to meet and serve you. Our heart's desire has been to provide a unique place for people to eat real food at reasonable prices. We hope you enjoyed it and we are honored that we got to carry the Zoopa torch that so many of us who grew up in the South End knew and loved.
Thank you for making it possible and for being part of the Zoopa community. We are also enormously grateful to all those working behind the scenes, preparing and cheerfully serving at Zoopa Organic. The team has worked tirelessly to serve the community and they should be commended for it.
In the future we will be opening another location under a different brand name, but with the same healthy vision that Zoopa had. Please submit your information below to make sure we let you know when we have more firm plans for this exciting project.
Best regards,
Zoopa Owners


text:
Thursday, February 23, 2006
© Copyright 2015 Gwinnett Daily Post
EAST POINT - Stephanie Cordova and Krystel Harlbert each scored two goals to lead the Meadowcreek girls soccer team to a 6-1 victory over host Tri-Cities on Wednesday.The win was the first for the Mustangs' girls in three years. Mayra Rivera and Alba Rodriguez each scored one goal each for Meadowcreek, which is now 1-1-1 on the season. BOYS SOCCER Norcross 5, Johnson-Gainesville 1 GAINESVILLE - Five different players scored goals as the Norcross Blue Devils defeated Johnson-Gainesville 5-1 on Wednesday night. Fredy Juarez, Steven Kinney, Daniel Krek, Enoc Dubon and Stephen Robison all found the back of the net for the Blue Devils, who are now 2-1 on the season. - From staff reports
More like this story
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- Prep roundup: Providence girls win third straight area soccer championship ( April 18, 2007 )


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text:
Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics
- Peter Hawkes, CEMES/Laboratoire d'Optique Electronique du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse, France
Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics merges two long-running serials-Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics and Advances in Optical and Electron Microscopy. This series features extended articles on the physics of electron devices (especially semiconductor devices), particle optics at high and low energies, microlithography, image science and digital image processing, electromagnetic wave propagation, electron microscopy, and the computing methods used in all these domains.View full description
Physicists, electrical engineers and applied mathematicians in all branches of image processing and microscopy as well as electron physics in general.
Book information
- Published: September 2006
- Imprint: ACADEMIC PRESS
Table of Contents1. Recent Progress of High Frequency Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources (HITZ)
2. Fixed Points of Lattice Transforms and Lattice Associative Memories (RITTER and GADER)
3. An Extension of Mathematical Morphology to Complex Signals (RIVEST)
4. Ranking Metrics and Evaluation Measures (TIAN and SEBE)


text:
Scottsdale, Arizona (PRWEB) August 01, 2013
On August 3rd and 4th, 2013 Scottsdale, Arizona will be the focus of attention for the international community. People will be travelling from all over the U.S. and the world to visit the Chaparral Suites in Scottsdale, Arizona or tuning in online to participate in a rare opportunity to gather under the auspicious conditions of having two great spiritual and transformational leaders together at one time.
Alice Branton, a dedicated, hardworking mother and CEO of Trivedi LLC made a formal announcement to the world, inviting people to attend a special retreat in Arizona, USA. The news of this retreat quickly spread around the world as people instantly reacted, signing up for the rare chance to be in the presence of two, world-renowned and much loved Spiritual Masters, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi (founder of the Trivedi Foundation™ and Trivedi Master Wellness™) and his wife, Dahryn Trivedi. People are still signing up to infuse themselves in the wonderful energy of these two miraculous leaders.
Mahendra Trivedi, lovingly known as Mr. Guruji, was born and raised in India. From his birth, he exhibited extraordinarily high levels of perception and intelligence, but in 1995 he was gifted with the unique ability to transmit a powerful, unknown energy that has the ability to miraculously transform living organisms and non-living materials through his thoughts. The effects of these energy transmissions, known as the Trivedi Effect®, has blown apart everything known to science. To rule out the possibility of the placebo effect, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi has participated in over 4,000 experiments to test, measure and validate this energy through the use of the most sophisticated technology available on this planet at world-renowned universities. The results have been outstanding (see
|Source: PRWeb
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text:
Last Thursday I missed Verizon's announcement to reduce the price of most of their shared data plans by $10 per month. When I logged in to my account to pay my bill and view my plan options I learned things have change in the data options and pricing. [Read more…]
Nokia Lumina 929 For Verizon – Latest Details
Closing in a to-be-determined release date for the Nokia Lumina 929 smartphone, purported new details have surfaced from Windows Phone Central. [Read more…]
Samsung Galaxy Note II, Pre-orders Galore
The Samsung Galaxy Note II comes packing a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display at 1,280 x 720, 3,100mAh battery and a quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos processor.
…it offers best-in-market performance, an S Pen experience that blows its predecessor out of the water, a solid OS in Jelly Bean and plenty of other features that will make this a tempting offer to even the most petite-handed individual. To do so in a package that's actually thinner and narrower than the first Note is a tremendous accomplishment, and one that'll be hard to match. Get ready to have your cake and eat it too.
Today is the last day to pre-order the Note II with US Cellular. According to the website the $299.99 is exclusive for pre-orders. We are unsure of the price online and in stores beginning tomorrow, Friday 10/26/12. The Note II will only be available in titanium gray and with 16GB internal storage, and will cost $299.99 with a two-year commitment or $800 without.
Pre-orders are also live on AT&T and Verizon as of today and Sprint should be allowing pre-orders today as well.
iPhone 5 Preorders Live
Preordering for the iPhone 5 is live now on Apple.com — The most anticipated phone of the past 2 years is available in black or white and ranges in storage capacities of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB at prices of $199, $299 and $399, respectively. Of course these prices are with a contract on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. Check with your carrier for for upgrade eligibility before you buy.
Verizon LTE Expanding Rapidly In 2011
Verizon is making big strides to get 4G to the promised 175 markets by the end of 2011. With the addition of 19 markets on June 16th and the newly announced 23 additions on July 21st, Verizon is pushing hard toward the goal. Some states seeing multiple additions are Alabama, Arkasas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina and Tennessee. Jump past the break to see all the 4G LTE additions for the year. [Read more…]
Net Neutrality 101
Don't know what Net Neutrality is and why it matters? Watch the below video.
A deeper explanation from Studio Daily Blog. Get even more info and get involved at Freepress.net.


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Carol Sued By N&O Over Data
The News & Observer newspaper has the bit firmly in its teeth over the student-illiteracy issue at UNC. It's latest editorial was fairminded about Chancellor Folt's position, while resolutely maintaining that Carol has to do more than spin:
It is not fair that Carol Folt, new to the job of chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been saddled with a crisis of major proportions this early in her tenure. But she has.
She did offer, in remarks to UNC-Chapel Hill trustees Thursday, some refreshing comment acknowledging that the university must take ownership of the scandal involving bogus classes in the area of African studies. Large numbers of athletes took those classes, perhaps guided there by academic counselors.
"At Carolina," she said, "proceeding toward meaningful athletic and academic reform is requiring us to fully acknowledge and accept lessons of our past. And I think these are messages that I believe have not been made clear enough to the Carolina community and to the public."
Prior to this statement, the university seemed to be engaged in obfuscation…
Folt can pull the university through this, but she has to be willing to face the public consequences for UNC-Chapel Hill of potentially more disclosures of problems, and she must be agreeable to discussing all aspects of these issues, in academics and in athletics, in a public way.
For the problems won't go away in a public relations blitz, and they won't be diminished by attacks on people who helped to bring them to light.
But the paper won't allow Carol to get off that easy. Accepting "ownership" is one thing, but transparently revealing the facts is another. The N&O has sued Folt personally to oblige her to reveal the details of student participation in the bogus courses:
The News and Observer Publishing Co. sued UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol Folt on Thursday, seeking access to a spreadsheet or database with information that could offer a link to the origins of lingering athletic and academic scandals.
The lawsuit was filed in Wake County Superior Court the same day that Folt publicly accepted the university's responsibility for bogus classes benefiting student athletes that were offered through the African and Afro-American Studies Department. She also acknowledged a failure of academic oversight.
Internal and external investigations have shown that about 200 lecture-style classes were offered in that department, dating to the mid-1990s, in which there is little or no evidence of any instruction. Investigations also have found that roughly 500 grade changes were suspected or confirmed to be authorized through the department.
Since June, The N&O has requested data that UNC sent to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges about the bogus courses.
Addendum: Chancellor Folt is on the ropes now. While UNC's no-show classes existed in the hundreds, Carol wants us to know that there is "no evidence" that these classes were set up for athletes, even though the "classes" were filled with athletes:
Hmmm. Two hundred classes that never met, but in which grades and credit were given, primarily to athletes, over two decades, but nobody actually organized the effort. Spontaneous generation anyone?
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Offering mouth-watering recipes of homemade chili ranging from mild and delightful to wild and adventurous, the City of Gatlinburg hosts its 26th annual Winter Magic Kickoff and Chili Cookoff on Wednesday, Nov. 11 from 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown.
The 26th Annual Winter Magic Kickoff & Chili Cookoff is on the downtown Parkway from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11. The event features the ceremonial lighting of more than 3 million lights that make Gatlinburg a winter wonderland. There are animated displays throughout the city and the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, some as much as 40 feet tall.
Those attending are encouraged to vote for their favorite chili. These votes will be tallied to award the coveted People's Choice Award to the most popular chili. A panel of judges will cast their votes for other awards, including: Best Presentation, Best Chili Apron, and Best Chili.
Excitement will really heat up with the popular hot-chili eating contest during the event. Contestants will consume chili with increasing levels of heat as the competition progresses.
November 11, 2015
Downtown Gatlinburg


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Lanre Dabiri, (born May 23) better known by his stage name eLDee, is a Nigerian American rapper, record producer and architect. "Lanre" is a nickname for the Yoruba name "Olanrewaju" (meaning "My wealth is the future").[1] eLDee studied Architecture at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He is an original member of the band Trybesmen, which was started in 1998 with rappers KB and Freestyle. He has been based in Atlanta, USA since 2002.
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Making it Your Business
To Come Home Safely
Fish Safe is a commercial fishing industry driven safety program. This program and the tools it provides to the BC commercial fishing industry are designed by fishermen for fishermen with the goal of promoting ownership of safety on board fishing vessels. This website is another tool to assist fishermen in their quest to "Come Home Safely".
For over eleven years, Fish Safe has worked with a singular goal in mind - helping fishermen come home safely. By advocating an educational model that sees Fishermen Helping Fishermen, more and more BC commercial fishermen are being given the knowledge and tools to take ownership of their own safety and to do just that.
Ryan Ford
Fish Safe Program Manager
We are trying to move away from the old fatalistic idea that if it happens, it happens and move towards ownership of safety. The Fish SAFE program is designed to help fishermen put measures in place to prevent incidents and if there is an emergency to have a plan in place to deal with it.


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June 4, 2007
Jesse W. Johnson
The Roswell Hornets are stacked with senior-to-be talent this fall. The Georgia 5A co-state champions feature close to 10 Division 1-A level talents including top running back/athlete prospect Alex Daniel. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound tailback ran for over 1,800 yards and nearly 20 touchdowns during the Hornets title run in 2006 and has already picked up a number of offers. "I have offers from Air Force, Tulane, Central Florida, Arkansas, East Carolina, San Diego State, Ball State, and Troy," Daniel told VandySports.com recently. In addition to the offers a number of schools have shown increased interest including Vanderbilt, Boston College, Maryland, Southern Mississippi, Clemson, Ole Miss, and many more. This weekend, Daniel travelled to Colorado over the weekend for camp in hopes of a offer from the Big 12 school and says he'll camp at Vanderbilt and others. ...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now!
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