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Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Spacing Out Content
While I think this is a good move, I don't see why Blizzard doesn't take this further. I must admit that I don't really understand Blizzard's aversion to spacing out content.
Why have this giant glut of content right at the very start of the expansion? It seems to me that when all the content is front-loaded, we just end up with larger and larger gaps at the end of the expansion. Take the tail end of Cataclysm. It's been eight months since there's been any new content.
Why not release Pandaria without any raids? Let everyone go through all the leveling content and the heroics. Two months later, release the first raid. Two months after that, release the second raid. Then two months after that, release the third raid. That gives lots of time for Blizzard to add new content into the game, while still giving everyone something new to look forward to every couple of months.
It seems to me that a steady stream of content would be more interesting that everyone gorging themselves at the beginning of an expansion, and then dying off at the end.
18 comments:
It's a common theme for Blizzard that the "when it's ready" philosophy works both ways, meaning that content which may be better off in the grand scheme to be delayed a month or two is released as soon as it's ready.
I'd be a lot happier with Blizzard if they had some kind of release schedule where they could afford to develop content ahead of the release. I get the impression that there is an extreme paranoia within the game development that all the players will get bored and stop playing unless they get the next patch out RIGHT NOW, with little thought given to anything past that next content patch.
The typical result of this is that the massive content patches [typically delayed to begin with] end up cut short by the much smaller content patch that follows it. It happened with Ulduar going into ToC. And in my opinion with Firelands going into Dragon Soul. Compare the number of groups farming H8/8 today to the number that even had killed H Rag when Dragon Soul was released.I can't imagine the hardcore royalty guilds standing for no raids for very long. They've been prepping for this for months now via Beta, and I'm sure they'll be at L90 before the sun sets on the first day or two of Mists' release.
They've been conditioned for too long to expect this, so if they don't get it, the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the hardcore raider crowd will be obnoxious. Besides, I expect that LFR will see heavy use in lieu of using Heroics.To be honest, I think the hardcore raiders would be okay with it, especially if Blizzard guaranteed the open dates.
The thing is that a lot of them are fans of the game as a whole, not just raiding. They'll level their characters, run heroics, get achievements happily. Then when raiding opens, it opens, and the raiding contest starts.I might be a little tin-foil-hatish here but I partially wonder if the raid delay (which I admit I have not followed very well) is a move to limit the "rush" of hardcore guilds trying to blitz to 90 and then clear the first content. A move that at least has the side-effect of forcibly "relaxing" that to give people time to reach max level and maybe even run some heroics.
ReplyDelete- Anonymous2:54 AM, August 08, 2012
I agree with Spinks and Redbeard.
The hardcore guys would be upset, but mostly because they have so little to do after playing the beta for so long that it probably got already stale.
That's why I find an open beta for such an extended time a bad idea, it makes a new game into old content before it even got out. - Anonymous7:18 AM, August 08, 2012
I play with a casual guild that raids three days a week for 2-3 hours a session, so I've always had time to do the other stuff at the "endgame."
I think that it would be more interesting to space out the introduction of new factions that you can gain rep with.
For me, burn out has always been more about "Oh God, If I have to do that same daily quest again, I'm going to scream."
I know Blizz is launching a massive amount of new factions, but I doubt that there will be an equal amount of new things to do in each patch.
So come the end of this cycle, we will once again all be burned out with a raid that lasts 9-12 months and nothing else new to do because we maxed out reps with all the factions during the previous year. For some reason I'm reminded of something I read about the early days of inner-city gangs adopting guns. They hated them because they made problems bigger and brought more police trouble, but they all had to have them because everyone else did.
I suspect many of the hardcore raiders have a similar attitude. They'd prefer to get an extra hour or two of sleep during that first week, but they need to level up quickly to have a chance. Pushing the start back by a week lets them disarm, knowing that everyone else is forced to take their time.
On the other hand, they've been chomping at the bit for months, wanting some new content, some new challenges, and pushing them back a few more days isn't what they want.Spinks totally hits it on the head. That first rush out the gate at the beginning of a new expansion? Soooo much fun.
That being said, I think there's a bit of nuance here that you're glossing over Rohan. There's a big difference between waiting a week and waiting two months to drop the first raid. I like the idea of having a week (or even two would be fine) with no raid so people can level, run 5 mans, putz around and enjoy the scenery. Much more than two weeks and I think you'd start losing people, though I suppose the question is does Blizzard care about losing that particular population segment?Something Klep and First Anonymous hinted at is particularly revealing: to the hard core royalty guilds, most of the baseline Mists stuff is already old content. They've been running in the Beta for so long that the non-raid Mists areas are no longer all shiny and new.
What is new --to those hardcores, at least-- is what they're told they'll have to wait for after release.
One other thing that Blizz hasn't really hinted at but does make sense is that the raids aren't going to be ready for release at their release date. Sure, you can think "It's just a week", but you'd be surprised how much bug fixing and fine tuning that you can get done in an extra week. We could be looking at Blizz' method of keeping to their announced release date.I think they still can release first raid of an expansion immediately and space out the others. (Aren't they actually going to do something like that? I didn't watch the new recently.) There actually is quite a scale between Rohan's suggestion and the current model when the x.0 patch has the most bosses of all patches of the respective expansion.
ReplyDelete- Anonymous8:21 AM, August 09, 2012
Thing is, all those hardcores are whining that they're now being pressured to level and gear multiple characters that first week so that their guilds can class stack all the encounters.
Silly people. Eat all their seed corn then complain that there's no food. - Anonymous10:46 AM, August 11, 2012
while i dont think it should be 2 months before the first raid is available, maybe 2 weeks.
After that I agree with the rest of it. - Anonymous5:48 PM, August 20, 2012
I really wish they'd wait 2-4 weeks for raids to open. Rushing to raid and no new content (and pet battles and timed dungeon runs) have killed this game for me. I had a good run and ended with my guild ranked #5 alliance on my server, so no hard feelings.
As far as the hardcore set goes, blizzard has made it very clear that they are an after-thought and are trying to salvage this game for those that enjoy LFR and shiny pets.


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Proteins with unstable 3-D structures help the microscopic animals withstand drying.
The so-called "love hormone" can make people more dishonest when it serves the interests of their group.
The so-called "love hormone" can make people more dishonest when it serves the interests of their group.
A neuroscientist studies the brains of tango dancers in an attempt to understand interpersonal connectedness.
Researchers have created a brain-wide map detailing links between sets of activated neurons and behaviors in fruit fly larvae.
New research suggests that the wooly beasts may have succumbed to a shrinking gene pool or intense environmental pressures as their species went extinct.
Protein appears to protect stressed neurons; vitamin A's lifelong effects on immunity; stem cells influenced by substrates; supercharged photosynthesis through nanotechnology
The breast cancer-associated gene may play a protective role in neural stem cells, a mouse study finds.
Study suggests that REST may be a key regulator of neuronal stress and could play a role in staving off neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Europe and the United States launch a collaboration linking their government-backed initiatives to study the human brain.
Three new studies delve into humans' creation and perception of music.
Converting sights to sounds reveals that the brains of congenitally blind people respond similarly to various objects as those of subjects who can see.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Video Games Remind Us That Cigarettes Will Kill YouLuke Plunkett7/12/12 3:30amFiled to: HealthArtUkraine49EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink Ukrainian designer German Ljutaev has come up with this design that uses traditional video game imagery like life hearts and drops them on a cigarette. The further down the cigarette you smoke, the more hearts you burn though until you hit the inevitable "CONTINUE?" screen. Advertisement It's cute, but yet, urgh, so morbid at the same time.No games for smokers [German Ljutaev, via Ian Brooks] Reply49 repliesLeave a reply


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Paskow Science Fiction Collection (Science Fiction and Fantasy)
The Science Fiction Collection was established in 1972 when Temple University Libraries acquired 5,000 science fiction paperbacks from the personal library of the late David C. Paskow, a Temple alumnus. A subsequent donation in 1986 by Roger Knuth served to expand the collection not only in size but also in focus to include the fantasy genre. This extensive science fiction volume collection documents the evolution of science fiction and fantasy writing from the late 19th through the 20th century.
The collection also includes pulp and slick magazines, posters, paintings, drawing, and related ephemera. Science fiction and fantasy fan culture and criticism often referred to as science fiction fandom are documented in serials known as fanzines. Notable fanzine collections include the Women Writers Fan Fiction Collection, circa 1979-1996, which includes fanzines, underground, and circuit literature written, designed, produced and distributed by female fans of science fiction media teleplays, actors, and characters.
The collection also includes the personal papers of science fiction and fantasy authors Ben Bova, Gardner Dozois, Lloyd Eshbach, Tom Purdom, John Varley, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Felix Gotschalk, Leo Zagat, and manuscripts and files of John Taine (Eric Temple Bell), E. E. Smith, and A. Langley Searles.
The Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection holds related 17th and 18th century imaginary voyages and the Gelfand H. G. Wells Collection.


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i love a good spring cleaning as much as the next girl, but sometimes it's nice to freshen up before the weather starts to warm. so i'm thrilled to have nicole from well worn at the d*s guest blog this week rounding up some beautiful organization ideas for each room of the house. today nicole is tackling bathrooms and hallways, with fun design-centric tips for keepings things neat and tidy. click here to check out her posts for today!
I can never have enough organizational baskets…
great post! -
That garage photo with the bright blue bookshelves is brilliant. I totally agree with the idea of winter cleaning! At the moment the dust on my doors and baseboards is glaring at me. But Christmas shopping and hot chocolate and a book lures me away!
does anyone know where that B tote is from???
I am looking for a US comp to buy one from for xmas.Love the blue shelves too!
Love winter cleaning too –
every season is a great season to clean and organize, it feels so good and rewarding!
with the holiday chaos, I won't likely be doing any massive organization efforts, but I LOVE the bathroom paint color… what is it??
I agree this is a great post. Love the idea to use a ladder as a towel rack.
Jenn Cameron: Go here
http://www.zazzle.com/blank_canvas_bags_for_you_to_decorate-149127753416764435and put the monogram on it!


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804.05 Lost Disc - Official Rules and Regulations of Disc Golf
- A disc shall be declared lost if the player cannot locate it within three minutes after arriving at the spot where it was last seen. Any player in the group or an official may begin the timing of the three minutes, and must inform the group that the timing has begun. All players in the group must assist in searching for the disc. The disc shall be declared lost upon expiration of the three minutes.
- A player whose disc is declared lost shall receive one penalty throw. The next throw shall be made from the previous lie.
- The Director may designate a drop zone for lost discs on a particular hole. If a drop zone is provided, the player may throw from there instead of from the previous lie. In all cases the original throw plus one penalty throw shall be counted in the player's score.
- If it is discovered, prior to the completion of the tournament, that a player's disc that was declared lost had been removed or taken, then the player shall have two throws removed from the score for that hole.
- A marker disc that is lost shall be replaced to mark the approximate lie with no penalty.
Outline of Contents
Disc Golf Rules and Standards
- Overview
- Official Rules of Disc Golf
- Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events
- Translated Rules of Disc Golf
- Doubles Rules and Formats
- Becoming a PDGA Certified Official
- Divisions, Ratings, and Points Factors
- Technical Standards
- Rules School
- Disc Golf Rules History


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New startup advertising rule muddies water for angel investors
One of the key changes enacted by last yearâ;€™s federal â;€Âoe;Jumpstart Our Business Start-ups Actâ;€Â; went into effect on Monday, allowing startups to advertise that theyâ;€™re seeking equity investments.
But the effect of lifting the 1933 ban on general solicitation of private securities offerings is still unclear, local experts said Monday.
Ken Hoogstra, a shareholder with von Briesen & Roper SC, Milwaukee, has yet to advise any clients that want to take advantage of the change.â;€Âoe;Itâ;€™s hard toâ;€¦;


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Dark Tower Adaptation Lives! Slightly Modified
We can make it better, faster, stronger! Or at least, cheaper.
After some qualms and studio wavering, both wishy and washy, plans for the Dark Tower adaptation are moving forward. As the title suggests, though, with slight modifications.
Originally, the initial film of Stephen King's epic Dark Tower series was slated for release by Universal on May 13, 2013. This would be followed by two full-length feature films, plus two TV mini-series between the films, to help fill in the blanks (and keep the fans' interest level on the rise). To meet that timeline for the initial release, filming was set to begin in September 2011. An ambitious project, to be sure; yet with the Oscar-winning trio of Ron Howard directing, Akiva Goldsman writing, and Javier Bardem in the lead role as Roland Deschain, plus a built-in audience of Stephen King fans, it seemed like a no-brainer.
Still, a few days ago Deadline reported that Universal may well have been pulling out of the project. They actually put all pre-production staff on hiatus as they went to work on budget problems, leading to speculation as to whether the team would be persuaded to cut their original, epic vision, or whether they would pull out of Universal altogether and shop the project in its entirety to another studio. Now THR reports that the project will remain at Universal, with some modifications. The most telling is that there is a reduced budget - how reduced, nobody can say for sure; but Howard, Goldsman, and longtime collaborator Brian Grazer are working together to try to bring the budget down.
This has sparked concerns for Bardem's continued involvement: with a project this ambitious and complex, an actor would need to block out a significant portion of time away from other potential projects. A changed project timeline (starting in February 2012 rather than September 2011) would certainly affect that. However, it's the apparent lack of studio faith in the film that may have the actor concerned. A three-film, two-miniseries project will take several years of exclusive work by the actor in question, and is a career move that will either cement or sink an actor's career. If the studio is showing a lack of support in the initial stages, wouldn't an actor just heating up the Hollywood radar think twice about committing too?
Understandable though it may be, let's hope that it doesn't come to that. Javier Bardem seems to be a fantastic fit for the part, and he can certainly act. The Dark Tower series is epic in nature and scope, and it is refreshing to see a filmmaker's vision match an epic story - perhaps it's enough to know that the project is still alive at the studio for now.
See also:
New Dark Tower novel out in 2012
Why 'The Stand' should never be a movie
Will 'True Grit' be the film to finally resurrect the Western?
Top 8 secrets of cheap sci-fi TV and movies
7 Things The Hobbit needs to do in order to be a success
10 things that Ghostbusters 3 would need to get right
Tintin, the movie: will it work?
Top 10 films that only THESE directors could have gotten made
If you're interested in writing for Shadowlocked (disc and screening reviews, etc, or just getting some extra coverage for your extraordinary writing talent, get in touch with us.


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Already too much of a target.
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For those in the thread who said "oh gee not someone like Sarah Palin" or some nonsense. I know a LOT of people who voted McCain only because she was on the ticket. The media tried and to some extend succeeded in bringing her down. My theory is because, like blacks, a woman going off the liberal plantation is a no no. It's all about groups.
TB don't be jealous because she looks better in heels than you.
The media did its part, but she certainly helped with resigning her office and going for TV 'reality show' bucks. Palins are all over the place dancing with stars, playing in Alaska, "stars earn stripes" -ing, and showing you how they raise babies (on the mercifully short-lived "Life's a Tripp") --- there's no way she is a serious player after all that crap.
Most, if not all the things you cite happened after the election. The media did more than a "part". They went after her full force. She decided not to run for pres this year and as a private citizen, she can do whatever she wants. She is a true conservative with an admirable political positions (on tv trying to help conservatives, keeping people UP about the election because it's so depressing if your guy didn't win the primary - mine didn't).
Are you suggesting that she should sit down and shut up? Barefoot & preggers in the kitchen perhaps? I don't really understand your line of thought I guess.
Romney needs to pick someone with legislative experience. That's why I keep hearkening back to Portman or Kasich. preferable kasich.
Who is this "they" that you speak of? The rest of us cannot hear the voices in your head, so it isn't really fair of you to quote them as having promised you something. Regardless, Palin wasn't an unsuccessful governor. She was harassed out of office by nuisance suits whose sole purpose was to render her toxic for this go-round, so that she wouldn't be on the ticket. The fact is that she revitalized the McCain campaign and was the target of some of the most vile attacks on any politician that I have ever seen. You clowns generally don't bother doing that to politicians who aren't a threat to you, so I'll take your behavior as a far more honest indicator of your opinion than your words.


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« Prev | Chapter II. The Ḥayyot and the Ofannim | Next » |
THE prophet says that he saw four Ḥayyot; each of them had four faces, four wings, and two hands, but on the whole their form was human. Comp. "They had the likeness of a man" (Ezek. i. 5). The hands are also described as human hands, because these have undoubtedly, as is well known, such a form as enables them to perform all manner of cunning work. Their feet are straight that is to say, they are without joints. This is the meaning of the phrase "a straight foot," taken literally. Similarly our Sages say, the words, "And their feet were straight feet" (ibid. i. 7), show that the beings above do not sit. Note this likewise. The soles of the feet of the Ḥayyot, the organs of walking, are described as different from the feet of man, but the hands are like human hands. The feet are round, for the prophet says, "like the sole of a round foot." The four Ḥayyot are closely joined together, there is no space or vacuum left between them. Comp. "They were joined one to another" (ibid. i. 9). "But although they were thus joined together, their faces and their wings were separated above" (ibid. ver. 11). Consider the expression "above" employed here, although the bodies were closely joined, their faces and their wings were separated, but only above. The prophet then states that they are transparent; they are "like burnished brass" (ibid. ver. 7). He also adds that they are luminous. Comp. "Their appearance was "like burning coals of fire" (ibid. ver. 13). This is all that has been said as regards the form, shape, face, figure, wings, hands, and feet of the Ḥayyot. The prophet then begins to describe the motions of these Ḥayyot, namely, that they have a uniform motion, without any curvature, deviation, or deflexion: "They turned not when they went" (ver. 17). Each of the Ḥayyot moves in the direction of its face. Comp. "They went every one in the direction of his face" (ver. 9). Now, it is here clearly stated that each Ḥayyah went in the direction of its face, but since each Ḥayyah has several faces, I ask, in the direction of which face? In short, the four Ḥayyot do not move in the same direction; for, if this were the case, a special motion would not have been ascribed to each of them: it would not have been said, "They went each one towards the side of his face." The motion of these Ḥayyot is further described as a running, so also their returning is described as a running. Comp. "And the Ḥayyot ran, and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning" (ver. 14), raẓoh being the infinitive of ruẓ, "to run," and shob the infinitive instead of s'hub, "to return." The ordinary words, haloch and bo, "to go" and "to come," are not used, but such words as indicate running to and fro; and these are further explained by the phrase, "As the appearance of a flash of lightning" (bazak, used by the prophet, is identical with barak), for the lightning appears to move very quickly; it seems to hasten and to run from a certain place, and then to turn back and to come again to the place from which it had started. This is repeated several times with the same velocity. Jonathan, the son of Uzziel, renders the phrase raẓo vashob thus: They move round the world and return at once, and are as swift as the appearance of lightning. This quick movement and return the Ḥayyah does not perform of its own accord, but through something outside of it, viz., the Divine Will; for "to whichever side it is the Divine Will that the Ḥayyah should move, thither the Ḥayyah moves, "in that quick manner which is expressed by "running and returning." This is implied in the words, "Whithersoever the spirit was to go they went (ver. 20); "They turned not when they went" (ver. 17). By "the spirit" (ruaḥ), the prophet does not mean "the wind," but "the intention," as we have explained when discussing the homonym ruaḥ (spirit). The meaning of the phrase is, that whithersoever it is the Divine Will that the Ḥayyah shall go, thither it runs. Jonathan, the son of Uzziel, gives a similar explanation: Towards the place whither it is the will to go, they go; they do not turn when they go. The employment of the future tense of the verbs yihyeh and yeleku in this passage seems to imply that sometimes it will be the will of God that the Ḥayyah should move in one direction, in which it will in fact move, and at other times it will be His will that the Ḥayyah should move in the opposite direction, in which it will then move. An explanation is, however, added, which is contrary to this conclusion, and shows that the future form (yihyeh) of the verb has here the meaning of the preterite, as is frequently the case in Hebrew. The direction in which God desires the Ḥayyah to move has already been determined and fixed, and the Ḥayyah moves in that direction which His will has determined long ago, without having ever changed. The prophet, therefore, in explaining, and at the same time concluding [this description of the Ḥayyot], says, "Whithersoever the spirit was to go they go, thither was the spirit to go" (ver. 20). Note this wonderful interpretation. This passage forms likewise part of the account of the motion of the four Ḥayyot which follows the description of their form.
Next comes the description of another part; for the prophet relates that he saw a body beneath the Ḥayyot, but closely joining them. This body, which is connected with the earth, consists likewise of four bodies, and has also four faces. But no distinct form is ascribed to it; neither that of man nor that of any other living being. The [four bodies] are described as great, tremendous, and terrible; no form is given to them, except that they are covered with eyes. These are the bodies called Ofannim (lit. wheels). The prophet therefore says: "Now, as I beheld the Ḥayyot, behold one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, with his four faces" (ver. 15). He thus distinctly states that the Ofannim form a body, of which the one part touches the Ḥayyot, and the other part the earth; and that the Ofan has four faces. But he continues — "The appearance of the Ofannim (wheels) and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness" (ver. 16). By speaking of four Ofannim, after having mentioned only one Ofan, the prophet indicates that the "four faces" and the "four Ofannim" are identical. These four Ofannim have the same form; comp., "And they four had one likeness." The Ofannim are then described as partly inter-joined; for "their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel (ver. 16). In the description of the Ḥayyot such a phrase, with the term "in the middle of" (tok) is not employed. The Ḥayyot are partly joined, according to the words, "they were joined one to another" (ver. 11); whilst in reference to the Ofannim it is stated that they are partly intermixed, "as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel." The body of the Ofannim is described as being covered with eyes; it is possible that a body covered with real eyes is here meant, or a body with different colours ['ayin denoting "eye," also "colour"], as in the phrase "the colour thereof ['eno] as the colour (ke'en) of bdellium" (Num. xi. 7); or a body filled with likenesses of things. In this latter sense the term 'ayin is used by our Sages in phrases like the following: — Like that [ke'en] which he has stolen, like that [ke'en] which he has robbed; or different properties and qualities are meant, according to the meaning of the word 'ayin in the passage, "It may be that the Lord will look (be'enai) on my condition" (2 Sam. xvi. 12). So much for the form of the Ofannim. Their motion is described as being without curvature and deviation; as being straight, without any change. This is expressed in the words, "When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went" (E.; ver. 17). The four Ofannim do not move of their own accord, as the Ḥayyot, and have no motion whatever of their own; they are set in motion by other beings, as is emphatically stated twice. The Ḥayyot are the moving agents of the Ofannim. The relation between the I and the Ḥayyah may be compared to the relation between a lifeless body tied to the hand or the leg of a living animal; whithersoever the latter moves, thither moves also the piece of wood, or the stone, which is tied to the named limb of the animal. This is expressed in the following words: — "And when the Ḥayyot went, the Ofannim went by them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the Ofannim were lifted up" (ver. 19); "and the Ofannim were lifted up over against them" (ver. 20). And the cause of this is explained thus: — "The spirit of the Ḥayyah was in the Ofannim" (ibid.). For the sake of emphasis and further explanation the prophet adds, "When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the Ofannim were lifted up over against them; for the spirit of the Ḥayyah was in the Ofannim" (ver. 21). The order of these movements is therefore as follows: — Whithersoever it is the will of God that the Ḥayyot should move, thither they move of their own accord. When the Ḥayyot move the Ofannim necessarily follow them, because they are tied to them, and not because they move of their own accord in the direction in which the Ḥayyot move. This order is expressed in the words, "Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was the spirit to go; and the Ofannim were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the Ḥayyah was in the Ofannim" (ver. 20). I have told you that Jonathan, the son of Uzziel, translates the verse thus, "to the place whither it was the will that the Ḥayyot should go," etc.
After having completed the account of the Ḥayyot, with their form and motion, and of the Ofannim, which are beneath the Ḥayyot, connected with them and forced to move when the Ḥayyot move, the prophet begins to describe a third object which he perceived prophetically, and gives the account of a new thing, viz., of that which is above the Ḥayyot. He says that the firmament is above the four Ḥayyot, above the firmament is the likeness of a throne, and over the throne the likeness of the appearance of mar. This is the whole account of what the prophet perceived at first at the river Chebar.
« Prev | Chapter II. The Ḥayyot and the Ofannim | Next » |


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June Review
June is only a couple of weeks old and we've already had a huge amount of post come through. Some of the best bits are here for your viewing pleasure.
Iron Me On
By Mike Perry. Published by Chronicle Books
DIY fashion fun, just add an iron and this nice bit of self promotion from the ever productive Mike Perry.
Crowning Glory: A Book about Hair
Designed and printed by Alice Pattullo
Who knows if bald heads are romantic or not? What I do know is that Crowning Glory has all the nostalgic weight of vintage shop ephemera, a considered layout and illustrations that show off Alice's drawing and printing skills like a nicely quaffed quiff.
Notations 21
By Theresa Sauer. Published by Mark Patty Publishing
For those of us that love music but have no idea how to make it, music notations offer a beautiful, if tiny visual insight to the workings of our favorite composers. This weighty homage to John Cage's Notations 1968 is full of almost Koncrete Poetic illustrations interspersed with essays from the composers themselves. An Education.
81 People
Designed and Printed by level three Graphic Design students at Bristol, University of the West of England
A nice look into the process and thinking of a graduating year. It's great to see a catalogue that is so carefully executed to show all the potential of a promising group of students, without giving the game away before their big finale.
No Brow No.1
All-Rounders Sam Arthur and Alex Spiro. Printed in London by Calvert's Press
A lovely looking, themed and designed Object of Illustration. The Artists' themselves look like a Who's Who to Watch and No Brow Press feels like the quality Champion of new talent. It's editioned too so it feels extra special.
Material Beliefs
Content from the Interaction Research Studio. Printed by Lecturis. Designed by Hyperkit
Everything in this book is beautifully considered, the design feels perfect and respectful to the content as does the stock it is printed on. The whole thing has a real integrity that echoes the hard work and culmination of it's subject matter. It's a real treat to read about something that is so completely relevant and to have our understanding in science bettered by the people that do it best. Hats off to Hyperkit and thank you to the Interaction Research Studio.
Journal de Nîmes
Designed by Tenue de Nîmes. Printed by Printerface
Classic looking bit of print from denim inspired boutique, Tenue de Nîmes. Takes denim as seriously as the Boss.
Talking about Arabic
Written by Mourad Boutros. Published by Mark Batty Publishers
Some interesting tech-talk on how digitalising the historically calligraphic traditions of Arabic affects it and those who can read it. If like me you can't read Arabic, it also has some interesting bits and pieces on the history of graphic design in the middle east.
- Living for the weekend, it's Best of the Web!
- The photographer archiving South Africa's black lesbian community
- Kirsten Lepore's creepy clay character is oddly soothing in this brilliant animation
- Friday Mixtape: Grammy award-winning Tinariwen curates a genre-crossing mix
- Designer Kara Zichittella talks about her typographically-led projects
- "Where's my community?": Skin Deep and POC on the need for diversity in the film industry
- A new national identity: Smörgåsbord Studio rebrands Wales
- Graphic design gems: Chicago gang business cards from the 1970s and 80s
- Photographer Dougie Wallace captures the super rich spenders of "Harrodsburg"
- "Romance in a sort-of fantasy world": photographer Molly Matalon's new work (some NSFW)
- Studio Michael Satter's sophisticatedly simple graphic design portfolio
- Harry Pearce and Pentagram create a new identity for Pink Floyd's record label


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The Earthquaker Devices Tone Reaper is a silicon/germanium hybrid based on the three-knob Tone Bender. If you are looking for Jimmy Page tones, you can find them in the Tone Bender. You can also nail many of the Black Keys thickfreakness tones.
I've played a ton of Tonebenders over the last few years. Some have been outstanding, others have been horrible. The Tone Reaper is the best of the three knobbers. Like every Earthquaker Devices pedal I have encountered, it's amazingly low-noise considering the amount of gain on tap. I don't know how they make such dynamic (and ragged and raging if you want) fuzz pedals and yet keep them hum/hiss/squeal-free. Whatever they do, it's working.
I tried the Tone Reaper with a few different guitars. I liked it with humbuckers and especially with a tele bridge pickup. But I LOVED it with P90s. Running my Reverend Ron Asheton into the Reaper and then into my Reverend Goblin (modified to a 1x12 with a Cannabis Rex) was thick and nasty, with borderline endless sustain. The Tone Reaper seems to just love P90s. It latches on to those snarling mids and wraps them in gritty fuzz that's bright but not piercing. Low notes compress and bloom and high notes ring out. The subtleties of neck, middle, and bridge pickups shine through the fuzz and provide a broad range of tones. Most Tone Benders won't clean up like a Fuzz Face, and the Tone Reaper is no exception. But backing off the volume slightly provides a few more shades of dirt.
Like the Dirt Transmitter, the Tone Reaper is another fuzz that can do cool things with an overdrive (TS and Klone in my case) preceding it. Setting the fuzz at about 1 o'clock makes for a pretty thick fuzz that's still touch sensitive. Hitting the Tone Reaper with a Cusack Screamer set for minimal drive, tone at noon, and output just above unity adds some extra mids to the Tone Reaper without drastically changing the overall tone. It's great for making leads jump out of the mix.
All said, the Tone Reaper is great. If you're looking for one pedal that can span the range of Tonebenders, or just looking for a new flavor of fuzz, you need to check out the Tone Reaper.


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October 10, 2011, 08:38 PM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 28, 2011
Location: Danville, Pa
Posts: 520
staked primer pockets
I went to reload some .223 rounds today and most of the primer pockets are screwed up from the factory staking the primer in. What is the point if this? Why is this only done on 223 brass? Its gonna be a pita to have to reamer every piece of brass just to reload. Plus it destroyed my rcbs dies, bent the **** out if my decapper. Federal brass seems to be the worst, but the remington brass isnt staked along with a few other companies. Why do some stake and others dont.
October 10, 2011, 08:45 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 1, 2002
Posts: 2,832
Military rifle cases have crimped primers in 5.56, 7.65 and, in the old days, .30-06. It's done for use in full auto weapons that may open when chamber pressure is still high enough to blow the primers out and jam the action.
Get a crimp remover reamer or swager. |
October 10, 2011, 09:03 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 15, 2007
Posts: 646
When I do mil-spec case with crimped primer I use the Lee Universal decapper die. The decapper rod and pin are built a bit stronger and is easily replaced if broken and much cheaper. So far I haven't broken one yet in several years of use.
For removing the primer pocket crimp I use the Hornady primer pocket reamer head sold separately chucked up in my cordless drill. You can do a couple hundred an hour pretty easy. http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/804...reamer-package |
October 10, 2011, 10:00 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 8, 2010
Location: MN
Posts: 397
What are some other good tools from removing the crimp?
October 10, 2011, 10:39 PM | #5 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 30, 2007
Posts: 138
Dillon Super swage 600 (the absolute cadillac of swagers)http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/con...uper_Swage_600 |
October 10, 2011, 11:50 PM | #6 |
Junior member
Join Date: November 12, 2000
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 9,494
I have the RCBS primer pocket swager kitand it works very well but you must remember to seperate your brass by headstamp, and for LC brass this means by year also. Failing to sort the brass will result in Bending the swaging rod. I'm on my 3rd rod so have learned very well by now to pay attention to headstamp.
October 11, 2011, 12:49 AM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: March 4, 2006
Posts: 178
An RCBS case prep center removes crimps well. It's still tough on the fingers after the first 100, but nowhere near hand reaming 100 primer pockets tough.
My buddy has one and I use it more than he does. |
October 11, 2011, 12:39 PM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 28, 2011
Location: Danville, Pa
Posts: 520
what would be the better tool for this, the primer pocket reamer or the primer pocket swager kit? Is it hard to use the hand held reamer and still get a perfect pocket size without ruining it to where the primers don't fit anymore
October 11, 2011, 05:43 PM | #9 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 15, 2007
Posts: 646
The bevel portion of the cutter remover just enough brass to remove the crimp ring. I've using it with LC 7.62 x 51 brass and Win. 9mm NATO. |
October 11, 2011, 05:56 PM | #10 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 30, 2007
Posts: 138
October 11, 2011, 06:11 PM | #11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 3, 2009
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,540
For primer pocket crimp removal the Lyman case prep combo will do the job just fine. I think I paid around $20 for it. It has the chamfer, deburring tool, large, and small primer pocket cleaning tool. and large, and small primer pocket reaming tool. I use it and it works just fine for .223 Rem. . I have noticed a lot of Federal, and PMC brass that have crimped primer pockets. As well as Lake City.
No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you. |
October 11, 2011, 07:32 PM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 15, 2007
Posts: 646
If you really want to go cheap just use your Chamfering tool,it will do the same thing just slower.
October 11, 2011, 07:41 PM | #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 16, 2009
Posts: 517
I have used the Hornady a tremdous cramping of the hands for anything over 200, the Lyman about the same as the Hornady then/w power driver better but the hand holding the case gets just as cramped sooooooooo, I just purchased the RCBS swager and it takes alittle more time getting aligned to the swaging rod but it just maybe what the doc ordered.
October 11, 2011, 09:52 PM | #14 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 22, 2010
Location: North East WI
Posts: 418
I have a Dillon Super swage 600 and love it. I get very sick of all the trimming.
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text: SHOW US: The Most Ridiculous Racing Sponsorships Of All TimeMichael Ballaban3/25/14 4:30pmFiled to: Show UsWowMuch Racing1654EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink Say what you will about Dogecoin sponsoring Josh Wise's No. 98 Ford in NASCAR, but sometimes you gotta take money wherever you can get it. No matter who is offering it. And there have been plenty out there that are a lot worse than an inarticulate canine. Take Boudreaux's Butt Paste, which is actually just a cream for babies to prevent diaper rash and sponsored racer and former middle school principal Kim Crosby in 2004. The product itself isn't terribly ignoble, but... it's called Boudreaux's Butt Paste. I'm not sure I'd want my car to be smeared with butt paste, no matter who it came from. Advertisement Advertisement And Dogecoin itself isn't that bad of a sponsor, when you think about it. Not only did Wise pay for his car through crowdfunding, a strategy more racers should be keen to use in the future, but he's getting more attention just for doing so. More attention leads to more sponsorships, which leads to more racing, ergo, ipso facto, nunc est bibendum, Dogecoin = more racing. The math couldn't be simpler.Plus, Dogecoin's done a bunch of charity work. Overall, it's not the worst community in the world to associate with.But surely there are worse racing sponsorships out there than poor Kim and her butt paste. Show us the most ridiculous ones in the comments below! Sponsored Photo credit: Getty ImagesReply165 repliesLeave a reply


text: Exploratory Talks with Palestine Stall while Tension with Iran IncreasesIn Jan. 2012, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met in Jordan. Seen as an effort to try to revive peace talks, it was the first time the two sides had met in over a year. On Jan. 25, 2012, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the discussions had ended without any significant progress. Also in Jan., Iran blamed Israel and the United States for the death of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a nuclear scientist. A bomber on a motorcycle killed Roshan in Tehran during the morning commute, according to Iranian media. It was the fourth attack on an Iranian nuclear specialist in two years. Immediately following the attack, Iran accused the U.S. and Israel. The United States responded by denying any responsibility and condemning the attack. Tension between Israel and Iran intensified in Febrary, when Israeli officials accused Iran of being involved in multiple attacks against Israelis in Georgia and India. In a speech on May 6, 2012, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for early elections. The speech was in response to unrest among his coalition as well as his opponents. The official reason for early elections was the upcoming expiration of the Tal Law, which exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews from Israeli Army service. However, some election analysts believed that Netanyahu wanted to act swiftly while his Likud Party was polling strongly. Two days after the call for early elections, Netanyahu formed a unity government with Shaul Mofaz, the newly elected chief of Kadima, the opposition party. The new coalition gave Netanyahu a very large legislative majority and ended the need for early elections. Mofaz was made deputy prime minister under the terms of the agreement. Some saw the new coalition as a way for Netanyahu to gain even more political power. Former Kadima chief, Tzipi Livni, joined a protest against the alliance. A week earlier, after losing her position as both leader of the opposition and chief of the Kadima Party, Livni resigned from Parliament, saying she was not "willing to sell the country to the ultra-Orthodox in order to form a government." The new unity coalition turned out to be short-lived. In July 2012, Kadima left the coalition. Kadima chief Mofaz said his party pulled out due to irreconcilable differences with Netanyahu over the pending universal draft law.


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Picasa 2.7 Enlarge
Year formed: 2005
Members: Justin Longacre, Kevin Clark, Paul Zink, Mark Ramerez, Sam Pilbeam, Dan Rock, and Steve Mohr.
Style of music: Psych-folk/thrift-store baroque.
Influences: The post-industrial Midwest, Charles Simic, Phil Levine, Flannery O'Connor, Sherwood Anderson, Syd Barrett, Flying Saucer Attack, Vashti Bunyan, Pentangle, The Microphones, Ladybug Transistor, Neutral Milk Hotel, Anne Briggs, Woods, counterpoint.
Sounds a little like: Lyrical filigree with dreamy racket.
Favorite venue: Ottawa Tavern, Mickey Finn's
CDs: Midwestern Shambling, 5 Songs About the Great Lakes, Moths and Rust
Web site: myspace.com/thehomevillecircle


text:
When he was but a paralarva, he was quick to identify other sea creatures ("IT'S A CARP!"). Ackbar always listened to his mom and wore a hat when it was chilly ("IT'S A CAP!"). When he worked as a house painter in college, Ackbar always knew the tools needed to succeed ("IT'S A TARP!"). So, in honor of his intelligence and leadership, we created this Star Wars Admiral Ackbar Singing Bass for all of us to have a little more Ackbar in our lives.
The Star Wars Admiral Ackbar Singing Bass features the good admiral's head sculpted onto a singing fish's body ("IT'S AN ALMAGAM!"). Either by button press or by sensing motion, Ackbar springs to life - first dancing to the Cantina Song and then uttering his immortal catch phrase, "IT'S A TRAP!" It's just that simple, and you know you're already planning where you'd put yours right now. Admiral Ackbar wants you to own aStar Wars Admiral Ackbar Singing Bass, so hurry up and order; it's easy ("IT'S A SNAP!").
- Ackbar plays the Cantina Song and says, "It's a trap!"
- Springs to life at the press of a button or when motion is detected.
- Integrated folding desk stand.
- Two mounting holes on back (wall hardware included).
- Power: 6 C batteries (not included) or AC adapter (included).
- Dimensions: approx. 15" x 9" x 5"
Pre-order yours now from ThinkGeek.com


text:
'coach flagship store' by OMA, omotesando, tokyo, japan
image © iwan baan
all images courtesy of OMA
using the international retailer's pillars of 'logic and magic' as a starting point for the design, OMA's new flagship store for coach in omotesando
reinterprets the original wooden shelf-like display cases as modular transparent glass boxes stacked from floor to ceiling. the clear shelving is
arranged in a herringbone pattern and makes up the exterior envelope of the store, allowing a range of products to be shown virtually anywhere,
also using the company's brand as the characteristic facade element. each of the 210 units that makes up the outer envelope measures 180 cm by 52 cm,
the size needed to hold any of the products. the interior staircase is a structure independent from the walls and connects the women's first floor
to the men's second floor, encased in 105 illuminated acrylic modules that offer more display space. each element within the project serves two
purposes, one of which always aimed at the visual representation of the product. in this way, floor space is used more efficiently and the customer
is always surrounded by the coach merchandise in a unique transparent environment.
see designboom's earlier coverage on the display system here.
in context
image © iwan baan
display shelf facade
image © iwan baan
view from the upstairs
image © iwan baan
project info:
status: commission january 2012; completion april 2013
client: coach, inc.
location: tokyo, japan
site: ground and second fl oor of new construction on omotesando, tokyo, japan
program: 444.75 m2 / 4787.25 sf
facade: 210 glass units
circulation tower: 105 acrylic units
partner-in-charge: shohei shigematsu
project architect: rami abou khalil
team: yolanda do campo, benedict clouette with jackie woon bae, cass nakashima, phillip poon, david theisz
local architect and engineer: obayashi corporation
facade consultancy: michael ludvik
interior architecture: nomura, co., ltd.
I think FLLW deserves some credit for design inspiration here.


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3:30 am
Host Marcia Franklin talks with refugees who have come to Idaho. Guests include Fidel Nshombo, from Congo; Rusul Mousa-Bryant, from Iraq; Jumuna Gautam, from Bhutan; and Hosy Nasimi, from Afghanistan. The group will discuss why they had to flee their respective home countries, what it's been like to live in Idaho, the joys and challenges of refugee life in the United States and their hopes for the future.G
4:00 am
Sesame Street
"What's In Big Bird's Nest"
Big Bird is very excited to go to sleep in the new pajamas that his Granny Bird gave him. Gordon goes to tuck him in and say goodnight, but as he is walking away, Big Bird complains that there is something bothering him in his nest. When Gordon checks his nest, he finds a truck hidden inside. D
5:00 am
Sid The Science Kid
"The Big Cheese!"
While surfing the Internet on the computer with his Mom, Sid finds a funny picture showing that the moon is made of green, glowing, cheese! Sid thinks this is amazing, and when he goes to school, he relays his newfound moon information to his friends, who are equally enthralled. When they tell Susie what they learned, Susie explains something very important-not everything you find on the computer is true! And someone that really understands that notion is visiting today, it's Gabriela's Mom! Dr. Rosalinda Cordova is a marine biologist so she does lots of research on the computer, but it's not the only thing she uses. She tells the kids that when she does research, she reads books at the library, makes observations, asks experts, and looks at websites with good information. D
5:30 am
Martha Speaks
"Truman's Secret/Skits Monkeys Around"
Truman's Secret - Where has Truman been and why is he acting so weird? He's hiding in the garage, lurking in the shadows. Skits Monkeys Around - Skits loves to watch Malcolm, the blue monkey on TV.G
6:00 am
"Broken Tail: A Tiger's Last Journey"
Broken Tail, a tiger that Irish wildlife cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson has filmed since birth, disappears from India's Ranthambore National Park and is killed by a train 100 miles away. Stafford-Johnson and local guide Salim Ali trace the tiger's journey. They travel by horseback, glimpsing both historical and contemporary India while learning what big cats are up against when they leave the confines of a sanctuary.G
7:00 am
Rick Steves' Europe
"Dubrovnik and Balkan Side-Trips"
From Dubrovnik, a remarkably preserved medieval fortress city, Rick ventures into less-visited corners of the former Yugoslavia. In Bosnia, he visits Mostar. In Montenegro, he sails the fjord-like Bay of Kotor.G
7:30 am
Burt Wolf: Travels & Traditions
"Cruising The Rivers of Europe: Amsterdam to Cologne"
During the past decade, cruising the great rivers of Europe has become one of the most popular vacations for American tourists. In this program, Burt introduces you to Amsterdam, tours a museum dedicated to the history of women's handbags, and sails along the Rhine to Cologne. D
8:00 am
The Desert Speaks
"Passions of the Pitaya"
Travel with host David Yetman and Mexican ecologist Alberto Burquez to an area southwest of Guadalajara, Mexico where locals celebrate an annual festival dedicated to tasty Pitaya cactus fruit. Once used as a source of water for natives, the Pitaya has now become a reason to celebrate. In this episode, Yetman journeys to the city of Techaluta to watch workers harvest Pitayas by lamplight, where he places a bet on a midday horserace, and participates in a Pitaya-eating contest. D
8:30 am
Hey Kids, Let's Cook
"French Crepes"
We're always teaching you recipes from other cultures, and today we're going to show you how to make a breakfast that the French just love - French crepes. They're very thin pancakes and we are going to roll them up and serve them with different fillings. Crepes are great for breakfast. D
9:00 am
Growing a Greener World
"Creating An Eco-Friendly Landscape from the Ground Up"
Orlando, FL. - Most homeowners understand the value of gardening in an eco-friendly manner, but many of us need guidance on how to do it properly. Something as simple as choosing the right plant for the right space can greatly reduce the impact we have on the earth. D
9:30 am
This American Land
"Running Camp, Uranium Mining, Drowning Smith Island"
With an appreciation for nature as part of their training, high school girls and boys get more speed at running camp at Steens Mountain in Oregon.G
10:00 am
Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen
"Hearty Italian Meals"
Bridget Lancaster shows host Christopher Kimball how to make Italian Pot roast. next, equipment expert Adam Reid is reviewing pizza cutters, and finally, Erin McMurrer uncovers the secrets to foolproof Baked Manicotti at home. D
10:30 am
Tracks Ahead
"Chitown Union Station"
Visit one of the largest two rail O gauge layouts in the country; step back to 1882, when the Denver, South Park and Rio Grande railroad was still under construction; visit the railroad that originally took the industrial age millionaires to their summer mansions; and Tracks Ahead explores how some rail travelers go in style.G
11:00 am
Song of the Mountains
Mountain Heart. D
12:00 pm
Sesame Street
"The Shape O' Bots"
Telly, Elmo, and Rosita are playing Shape-O-Bots, robots that actually transform into shapes to help people. Andy, a guy in need of shapes, rushes in and explains that he needs an octagon to help stop people from crashing into him. Telly tries to transform into an octagon with eight sides and eight angles, but changes into a triangle with three sides and three angles instead. D
1:00 pm
Dinosaur Train
"Kenny Kentrosaurus/Don and the Troodons"
Kenny Kentrosaurus - As the Pteranodon's World Tour nears its end, the Pteranodon family travels to Africa to meet a Stegosaur named Kenny Kentrosaurus. He teaches the kids about his spikes and his tail, showing them how to thump, prompting a fun drumming party! Don and the Troodons - The Pteranodon family oversleeps and rushes to go on another World Tour! Don is allowed to stay back on the Train and he ends up having a fun and educational day with the Conductor and his mom, Mrs. Conductor!. D
1:30 pm
Super Why!
"The Great Robot Race"
Ready.steady.splat! Whyatt and his puppy want to win the porridge race, but the bowl of breakfast cereal keeps falling off the puppy's back. D
2:00 pm
Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!
"Flower Power/Snowman's Land"
Flower Power - Sally's mom has a cold, so Sally wants to pick her some colorful flowers to make her feel better. The Cat in the Hat takes Nick and Sally to the forest of Flora-Fah-Zoom where they meet three different creatures that all depend on flowers to live. Sally decides to make her mother a picture of their adventure in Flora-Fah-Zoom instead of picking a flower that animals need in order to survive. D
2:30 pm
Wild Kratts
"Whale of a Squid"
Chris and Martin are taking Aviva's sub prototype out for a test drive when it gets sucked into a battle between a Sperm whale and Giant squid, spiraling down into the depths. The brothers want to follow, but their damaged sub can't take that kind of pressure. Aviva develops whale and squid Creature Power Suits, so the brothers can go where no sub has gone before. D
3:00 pm
Dialogue for Kids
Joan Cartan-Hansen and her guest scientists answer questions about geology. Cartan-Hansen will be joined by Reed Lewis, a geologist from the Idaho Geological Survey at the University of Idaho and Megan Dixon, an instructor from the College of Idaho.G
3:30 pm
Piano Guy
Host Scott Houston and guests show viewers how to play "Old Devil Moon" and the signature lick from "The William Tell Overture." Featured guests include Lori Mechem, Bradley Sowash and five-time Grammy nominee David Tolley. D
4:00 pm
The Desert Speaks
"River Runs Dry"
The Gila River, after beginning its journey high in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico, historically flowed entirely across the state of Arizona. But, like ninety percent of the Southwest United States' remaining riparian areas, it is now used up and dries out merely halfway to its former confluence with the Colorado River. Revered as sacred by ancient peoples and modern-day indigenous people alike, the history of the Gila River is the story of nearly all, modern desert rivers. D
4:30 pm
Outdoor Idaho
"Hometown Ski Hills"
Community ski hills are scattered throughout Idaho, each with its own "field of dreams" story to tell. We profile three of them - Bogus Basin near Boise; Little Ski Hill by McCall; and Pomerelle near Albion - to learn what makes each of these ski areas unique.G
5:00 pm
PBS NewsHour
6:00 pm
"Broken Tail: A Tiger's Last Journey"
Broken Tail, a tiger that Irish wildlife cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson has filmed since birth, disappears from India's Ranthambore National Park and is killed by a train 100 miles away. Stafford-Johnson and local guide Salim Ali trace the tiger's journey. They travel by horseback, glimpsing both historical and contemporary India while learning what big cats are up against when they leave the confines of a sanctuary.G
7:00 pm
"Forgotten Rhino"
Forgotten Rhino presents the contrasting stories of two species of Asian rhinos - the battle to save the critically endangered Javan Rhino and the remarkable success story of human efforts to resurrect what was a dying species, the closely-related Indian rhinoceros. The film also acknowledges the desperate plight of Asia's third species and the world's smallest rhinoceros - the Sumatran rhinoceros. D
8:00 pm
Arabian Horse: The Ancient Breed
Illuminates the versatility and even-tempered nature of the oldest purebred horse in existence.G
9:00 pm
Pompeii: The Last Day
Dramatic reconstructions, expert investigations and lavish special effects combine to tell the story of key characters - soldiers, slaves, families, lovers - on the last day of Pompeii on August 25, 79 AD. The film re-enacts the day that begins with Vesuvius raining ash and pumice pebbles on the city that is enveloped in a thick cloud of smoke. Residents must decide to try to escape or seek shelter and stay. The film re-enacts stories of those who died and were entombed when the volcano's cone collapsed, turning the city into an enormous gas chamber.G
10:00 pm
Wonders of the West
"Great Basin"
Unspoiled and uncrowded, Great Basin is Nevada's only national park. Hike with us to the ridge of Wheeler Peak to see the only glacier in the southern United States. Visit a bristlecone pine forest, home to some of the world's oldest trees, explore caves, fish for Bonneville cutthroat trout and learn about fossil digging for trilobites!. D
10:30 pm
Wonders of the West
"California Migration"
Explore the natural phenomenon of migration along the central coast of California as we view migratory birds, visit groves of monarch butterflies and observe elephant seals preparing for the mating season. Learn about the comeback of the California condor and visit an ancient redwood forest. The seafood here is world famous. D
11:00 pm
"Broken Tail: A Tiger's Last Journey"
Broken Tail, a tiger that Irish wildlife cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson has filmed since birth, disappears from India's Ranthambore National Park and is killed by a train 100 miles away. Stafford-Johnson and local guide Salim Ali trace the tiger's journey. They travel by horseback, glimpsing both historical and contemporary India while learning what big cats are up against when they leave the confines of a sanctuary.G


text:
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Phasers |
Introduction |
The purpose of this article is to explore various aspects of phaser weapons seen in the Star Trek universe. Essentially, I'm going to do a general walk-through of the amazing device that is the Federation phaser. Many of the ideas within this article are my own, but the denizens of RAST both acted as an excellent sounding board and contributed a great deal of refinement to my own thoughts, so thanks as usual for that. Most especially thanks go to Timo Saloniemi, who helped me develop ideas concerning how phasers do what they do, to Guardian 2000 who pointed out an interesting scene in "The Enemy Within", and once again to Mike Dicenso, a long time friend of the site who this time pointed out the TNG TM mistake concerning the number of array emitter elements on a Galaxy class ship and helped me with source info for working out a better number.
Types |
In TOS there were three types of phaser weapon seen. The first was a rifle which Kirk carried in the second pilot episode, 'Where No Man Has Gone Before'. Spock has this weapon beamed down to the planet that Gary Mitchell is being held prisoner on. The rifle is probably a very early version of a phaser - Pike's crew were using laser pistols less than a decade before. The weapon is of a very curious design - at the front it has a very slender-looking barrel that looks like it would break very easily. At the back is a rather uncomfortable-looking stock, and between the two is a set of three cylinders. As you can see in this image, the topmost of the cylinders is directly in line with the barrel :
Type | Description |
Type I | Palm held weapon. |
Type II | Pistol. |
Type III | Rifle. |
Type IV | Large infantry / small vehicle weapon. |
Type VII | Starship weapon. |
Type VIII | Heavier Starship weapon. |
Type IX | Even heavier Starship weapon. |
Type X | Heavy phaser used on large ships. |
Type XI | Possible real designation of 'Type X+' |
Type XII | Really heavy weapon. Possible ship borne version of 'Type X+' |
Type X+ | Starbase / planetary defence phaser |
Type | Description |
Type I | 10 kilowatt output |
Type II | 100 kilowatt output |
Type III | 1 Megawatt output |
Type IV | 10 Megawatt output |
Type V | 100 Megawatt output |
Type VI | 1 Gigawatt output |
Type VII | 10 Gigawatt output |
Type VIII | 100 Gigawatt output |
Type IX | 1 Terawatt output |
Type X | 10 Terawatt output |
Type XI | 100 Terawatt output |
Type XII | 1000 Terawatt output |
Type X+ | Classified |
Type | Description |
Type I | 1 - 10 kilowatt output |
Type II | 10 - 100 kilowatt output |
Type III | 100 - 1000 kilowatt output |
Type IV | 1 - 10 Megawatt output |
Type V | 10 - 100 Megawatt output |
Type VI | 100 - 1000 Megawatt output |
Type VII | 1 - 10 Gigawatt output |
Type VIII | 10 - 100 Gigawatt output |
Type IX | 100 - 1000 Gigawatt output |
Type X | 1 - 10 Terawatt output |
Type XI | 10 - 100 Terawatt output |
Type XII | 100 - 1000 Terawatt output |
Type X+ | Classified |
Enterprise |
The latest Star Trek series, 'Enterprise', is set in 2151, about 100 years before Kirk's adventures in the original series. It features the crew of the first Human starship capable of reaching warp 5 and so exploring space beyond a few light years from Earth. The crew of this "NX" class Enterprise carry weapons called "phase pistols" and the ship is fitted with "phase cannon" which are, on the face of it, identical to the phasers used in TOS and beyond. The weapons fire a glowing beam much like the phaser, they can be set to stun or kill like a phaser.
Unfortunately, this causes a contradiction with the TNG episode 'A Matter of Time'. In this episode a man named Rasmussen visits the Enterprise-D, claiming to be a time traveler from the future. At one point he chats with Riker, Crusher and Worf about how different people view history in different ways and to illustrate the point asks what they think the most significant invention of the last hundred years was :
Worf : | "Phasers." |
Rasmussen : | "I beg your pardon?" |
Worf : | "There were no phasers in the 22nd century." |
Effects |
Somewhat strangely, phasers are capable of doing various different things. For the next part of the article I'm going to list and discuss each of the observed properties of phasers.
Stun :
Phasers can be set to stun a person - the phrase "phasers on stun" is a well known one, and has been used countless times in the series. Here's an example from TOS :
Kirk : | "Scotty, put the ship's phasers on stun. Fire a burst in a one block radius around these co-ordinates." |
Scotty : | "Right away sir. Scott out." |
Sulu : | "That's the same red rock." |
Kirk : | "My phaser didn't cut through it." |
McCoy : | "Whatever it is it has a mighty high melting point." |
Kirk : | "Eight thousand degrees centigrade. It looks like igneous rock, but infinitely denser." |
Riker : | "Data, tell me about nuranium. It vaporises at?" |
Data : | "Two thousand three hundred and fourteen degrees sir. Of course, nuranium carbi-" |
Riker : | "Thank you Data." |
Geordi : | "Setting seven ought to do it." |
Picard : | "The problem is, if we begin firing particle weapons in engineering there's risk that we may hit the warp core. I believe our goal should be to puncture one of the plasma coolant tanks." |
Worf : | "These phasers have been retuned. Each has a different frequency spanning the upper end of the EM band." |
Kim : | "Type one phaser, modified to fire Borg nanoprobes." |
Kirk : | "Take your men. Take a swing around our perimeter. Scan for dichronium in the atmosphere. Set your phasers on disruptor beam. If you see any gaseous cloud, fire immediately." |
Kirk : | "I want four men armed with phaser two set for disruptor effect. Join me in the transporter room in five minutes. You'll accompany me to the planet's surface." |
'Even before the development of true interstellar space-craft by various cultures, it was clear that directed-energy devices would be necessary to assist in clearing gas, dust, and micrometeoroid material from vehicle flight paths. Emerging space-faring races are continuing to employ this method as an excellent maximiser of shipboard energy budgets, because a relatively small energy expenditure produces a large result. Material in space can be vaporised, ionized, and eliminated as a hazard to spaceflight. It did not take an enormous leap of imagination, of course, to realize that directed energy could also prove to be an effective weapon system. The lead defensive system maintained by Starfleet Command for sublight use for the last century is the phaser, the common term for a complicated energy release process developed to replace pure EM devices such as the laser, and particle beam accelerators. Phaser is something of a hold-over acronym, PHASed Energy Rectification, referring to the original process by which stored or supplied energy entering the phaser system was converted to another form for release toward a target, without the need for an intermediate energy transformation. This remains essentially true in the current phaser effect. Phaser energy is released through the application of the rapid nadion effect (RNE). Rapid nadions are short-lived subatomic particles possessing special properties related to high-speed interactions within atomic nuclei. Among these properties is the ability to liberate and transfer strong nuclear forces within a particular class of superconducting crystals known as fushigi-no-umi. The crystals were so named when it appeared to researchers at Starfleets Tokyo R&D facility that the materials being developed represented a virtual 'sea of wonder' before them.' |
Setting | SEM:NDF Ratio | Damage Index | Discharge Energy | Discharge Time | Power (Energy/Time) |
1 | 'Not applicable' | 0 | 15.75 | 0.25 | 63.00 |
2 | 'Not applicable' | 0 | 45.3 | 0.75 | 60.40 |
3 | 'Not applicable' | 1 | 160.65 | 1.025 | 156.73 |
4 | 'Not applicable' | 3.5 | 515.75 | 1.5 | 343.83 |
5 | 250 : 1 | 7 | 857.5 | 1.5 | 571.67 |
6 | 90 : 1 | 15 | 2,700 | 1.75 | 1,542.86 |
7 | 1 : 1 | 50 | 4,900 | 1.75 | 2,800.00 |
8 | 1 : 3 | 120 | 15,000 | 1.75 | 8,571.43 |
9 | 1 : 7 | 300 | 65,000 | 1.5 | 43,333.33 |
10 | 1 : 9 | 450 | 125,000 | 1.3 | 96,153.85 |
11 | 1 : 11 | 670 | 300,000 | 0.78 | 384,615.38 |
12 | 1 : 14 | 940 | 540,000 | 0.82 | 658,536.59 |
13 | 1 : 18 | 1,100 | 720,000 | 0.82 | 878,048.78 |
14 | 1 : 20 | 1,430 | 930,000 | 0.75 | 1,240,000.00 |
15 | 1 : 25 | 1,850 | 1.17x106 | 0.32 | 3,656,250.00 |
16 | 1 : 40 | 2,450 | 1.55x106 | 0.28 | 5,535,714.29 |
Kirk : | "Range, Mister Chekov." |
Chekov : | "Point zero four light years ahead. Our phasers won't reach it, sir!" |
McCoy : | "We get them out!" |
Scotty : | "If they're alive, and if we can find them. It's a big planet!" |
McCoy : | "Not too big for the Enterprise to handle, if it has to!" |
Scotty : | "We can't fire full phasers with our screens up. And we can't lower our screens with their disruptors on us. Of course, I could treat them to a few dozen photon torpedoes..." |
Styles : | "Phaser weapons energised. Set for proximity blast." |
Riker : | "I'm setting this to level sixteen, wide field. That should destroy half of this building!" |
Phasers at Warp |
One of the other claims that the TNG TM makes about phasers is that they are useless or nearly useless when the firing and/or target vessels are traveling at warp speed. On page 127 the TM states :
'Virtually all phaser-related scenarios deal with sublight starship velocities, and for good reason. Space vessels operating at warp are protected, to a large degree, simply by the limitations of lightspeed physics. Phaser energy dissipates quickly in the vicinity of moving warp fields, especially when those fields are accompanied by active deflectors. This remains true even if the targets are motionless relative to each other (in comparison, subspace emission devices such as tractor beams and transporters are less adversely affected). Computational simulations suggest that and extremely narrow Type X phaser discharge, if released at full power and aligned along an oncoming target's velocity vector, has a 25% chance of disrupting the target's hull integrity. Other position and velocity combinations are subjects of continued research, since some small tactical advantages may yet be extracted for future use.' |
Kirk : | "Engage mister Sulu, quarter speed." |
Sulu : | "Point two five, sir... it's still blocking us sir." |
Kirk : | "Let's see if it'll give way. Ahead, half speed." |
Sulu : | "Point five oh sir." |
Spock : | "Radiation from the short end of the spectrum increasing." |
Kirk : | "All stop, hold position." |
Bailey : | "It's still coming toward us. Range one hundred ninety metres." |
Spock : | "Radiation increasing." |
Kirk : | "Power astern, half speed." |
Sulu : | "Half speed." |
Spock : | "Radiation nearing the tolerance level." |
Bailey : | "It's still coming, gaining on us." |
Kirk : | "Engines astern, full speed." |
Sulu : | "Full speed." |
Bailey : | "Range one hundred twenty five metres now." |
Kirk : | "Helm, give us warp speed." |
Sulu : | "Warp one sir." |
Spock : | "Radiation at the tolerance level." |
Sulu : | "Warp two sir. Speed is now warp three." |
Spock : | "Radiation passing the tolerance level, entering lethal zone." |
Bailey : | "Range fifty one metres and still closing sir." |
Kirk : | "Phaser crews stand ready." |
Bailey : | "Phaser crew reports ready sir." |
Spock : | "Going, we can take only a few more seconds of this." |
Kirk : | "Lock phasers on target... mister Bailey, lock phasers!" |
Bailey : | "Phasers locked, on target sir. Point blank range and closing." |
Kirk : | "Fire main phasers!" |
Spock : | "Phaser hit on port deflector four, captain." |
Sulu : | "Speed increasing to warp three, turning toward them now sir, 1 1 2 mark 5." |
[An exterior shot shows the ship turning to starboard.] | |
Sulu : | "Phasers locking on target sir." |
Chekov : | "Enemy vessel closing with us." |
Sulu : | "Main phasers firing." |
[An exterior shot shows two phaser beams firing from the Enterprise, then another volley a few seconds later.] | |
Sulu : | "A hit sir." |
[An exterior shot shows two phaser beams firing from the Enterprise, then another volley a few seconds later.] | |
Sulu : | "Two more." |
Chekov : | "Turning to 28 mark 42." |
Sulu : | "Phasers firing again." |
Chekov : | "Turning to mark 113 mark 5, warp 4 speed." |
Sulu : | "Firing again." |
Spock : | "Attacking vessels are moving off." |
Chekov : | "Moving back to original course and speed." |
Arrays vs Cannon |
During TOS it was unclear just where the Enterprise's phaser banks were located. Phaser beams would always emerge from the underside of the saucer section, but the precise origin point varied from episode to episode. Some episodes showed the beams emerging from the glowing white dome at the saucer's base, others showed them coming from points on the hull around or forward of this dome.
As a result, little can be said canonically speaking about the nature of the shipboard phaser weapons used in TOS because we never actually see them. We could rationalise that virtually all of the hardware is beneath the hull, perhaps with the beam firing through a small hole or window of some sort. Perhaps there are many such holes to allow the beam to fire in different directions.
With the refit version of the ship appearing in "Star Trek : The Motion Picture", things improved significantly. Even today the model of the Enterprise used in this movie rates one of the most detailed and highest quality ever created. And one thing that the designer of the model did do was include phaser banks on the hull. There are a total of eighteen of them - six on each of the dorsal and ventral saucer surfaces in three pairs, two singles on either side of the engineering hull above the hangar deck, and four more grouped around the bottom of the engineering hull. Although these are not seen firing in TMP, they are used several times during "Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khan".
The visible element of each phaser is a small hemisphere sitting on the hull, perhaps five feet tall. The phaser beams emerge from these in pulses, each measuring a hundreds of metres or so in length.
When TNG arrived the Galaxy class Enterprise-D was given a much more detailed design. All of the surface features of the model had an identified purpose, including the phasers. "Encounter at Farpoint" got things off to a bad start by having a phaser beam emerge from the bottom of the Captain's Yacht, and the much later "Darmok" showed a phaser beam emerging from the forward torpedo launcher, but despite these two instances the creators of the show managed to depict phasers firing from the correct spot every time.
This time, however, the visible element of the phasers were quite different; instead of the small "ball turret" design, modern Starfleet ships sported "phaser arrays" - strips on the hull which ranged from tens to hundreds of metres in length. Close inspection reveals that these arrays are composed of hundreds (in the case of the longer strips) of smaller elements sat next to one another. On firing the usual procedure is for a glowing spot to move from each end of the array, converging on a single point from which the beam then emerges to strike the target.
On occasion the firing pattern is somewhat different; a beam can fire from an array without the glowing spots moving around the array, and indeed a single array can fire several shots simultaneously. This is usually done when the ship is confronted with multiple small, weak targets such as the Lysian defence drones in TNG's "Conundrum".
In "Yesterday's Enterprise" we see the Ambassador class Enterprise-C. This ship sports much shorter arrays than the more advanced Enterprise-D, and the implication here seems to be that there was a progression from the ball turrets of the 2270s through short arrays by the 2340s to long arrays by the 2360s. If so, then there would have to be some advantage to having longer arrays.
The TNG TM hints at that advantage. On page 123 / 124 it states :
"As installed in the Galaxy class, the main ship's phasers are rated as Type X, the largest emitters available for starship use. Individual emitter segments are capable of directing 5.1 megawatts. By comparison, the small personal phasers issued to Starfleet crew members are Type I and II, the latter being limited to 0.01 MW. Certain large dedicated planetary defence emitters are designated as Type X+, as their exact energy output remains classified. The Galaxy class supports twelve phaser arrays in two sizes, located on both dorsal and ventral surfaces, as well as two arrays for lateral coverage. A typical large phaser array aboard the USS Enterprise, such as the upper dorsal array on the Saucer Module, consists of two hundred emitter segments in a dense linear arrangement for optimal control of firing order, thermal effects, field halos, and target impact. Groups of emitters are supplied by redundant sets of energy feeds from the primary trunks of the electro plasma system (EPS), and are similarly interconnected by fire control, thermal management, and sensor lines. The visible hull surface configuration of the phaser is along shallow raised strip, the bulk of the hardware submerged within the vehicle frame. In cross section, the phaser array takes on a thickened Y shape, capped with a trapezoidal mass of the actual emitter crystal and phaser-transparent hull antierosion coatings. The base of an array segment sits within a structural honeycomb channel of duranium 235 and supplied with supersonic regenerative LN2cooling. The complete channel is thermally isolated by eight hundred link struts to the tritanium vehicle frame. The first stage of the array segment is the EPS submaster flow regulator, the principal mechanism controlling phaser power levels for firing. The flow regulator leads into the plasma distribution manifold (PDM), which branches into two hundred supply conduits to an equal number of prefire chambers. The final stage of the system is the phaser emitter crystal." |
Array | Length | Elements per array | Power per array |
Main Dorsal Saucer (1) | 798 m | 200 | 1,020.0 MW |
Small Dorsal Saucer (2) | 20 m | 5 | 25.5 MW |
Small Dorsal Engineering (2) | 16 m | 4 | 20.4 MW |
Small Ventral Engineering (2) | 16 m | 4 | 20.4 MW |
Lateral Pylon (2) | 40 m | 10 | 51.0 MW |
Main Ventral Engineering (1) | 92 m | 23 | 117.3 MW |
Ventral Saucer (1) | 630 m | 158 | 805.8 MW |
Dorsal neck (1) | 140 m | 35 | 178.5 MW |
Total, all arrays | 1,844 m | 462 | 2,356.2 MW |
Array | Length | Elements per array |
Main Dorsal Saucer (1) | 798 m | 933 |
Small Dorsal Saucer (2) | 20 m | 23 |
Small Dorsal Engineering (2) | 16 m | 18 |
Small Ventral Engineering (2) | 16 m | 18 |
Lateral Pylon (2) | 40 m | 46 |
Main Ventral Engineering (1) | 92 m | 107 |
Ventral Saucer (1) | 630 m | 737 |
Dorsal neck (1) | 140 m | 163 |
Total, all arrays | 1,844 m | 2,150 |
Power Figures |
As mentioned, the TM claims on P123/124 that Type X emitters are rated at 5.1 megawatts each, and Type II hand phasers are 0.01 MW. Yet this is contradicted in several episodes. There are two major ways that an episode can contradict the TM's figures - either through direct dialogue, or onscreen effects of phasers against known objects.
The former is greatly preferable, as it reflects the writer's intent more clearly and is less subject to interpretation. We've seen earlier that phaser weapons involve three or four different effects, some of which have little to do with known physics. We can only speculate on how much energy it takes to push an object out of our continuum, and whilst we can calculate how much energy nuclear disruption takes, the numbers generated are staggeringly large - so high that it strains credibility that they could be correct. We do know that heating effects comprise a component of phaser beams, so we can make some calculations based on that. But again there is much speculation - how much of a phaser beam is heat compared to other more exotic effects? There's nothing in canon to say. For now, then, I'm going to concentrate on the episode dialogue.
Who Watches The Watchers?
At the opening of this episode the Enterprise-D is rushing a spare fusion reactor to a scientific station which has suffered a breakdown. Picard, Geordi and Riker are discussing the situation. Geordi reports that they have replicated all the parts they will need, but then says he doesn't understand why a three-man outpost would need a 4.2 GigaWatt reactor. The following dialogue ensues :
Riker : | "Enough to power a small phaser bank, or a subspace relay station, or..." |
Geordi : | "A hologram generator. Oh, a duck blind!" |
[The weapon commences firing] | |
Data : | "Energy flow is within normal parameters. From the prefire chamber to the emission aperture." |
Geordi : | "Rapid nadion pulse, right on target. Beam control assembly, safety interlock, both check out. Beam width intensity controls also responding correctly." |
Data : | "Energy cell useage remains constant at 1.05 megajoules per second. Curious... the efficiency reading on the discharge crystal is well above Starfleet specifications." |
Geordi : | "Yeah, by quite a bit." |
[The weapon ceases firing : total firing duration 34 seconds] | |
Geordi : | "94.1% efficiency." |
Data : | "Our most efficient discharge crystal typically fires with 86.5% efficiency." |
Geordi : | "Hm. Lets take a closer look at the wave pattern on the emission beam. That might tell us why it's losing so little energy." |
[The weapon commences firing] | |
Data : | "Pulse frequency on the prefire chamber reads steady." |
Geordi : | "There. That's not right, the initial output spike is inverted." |
Data : | "That might suggest the weapon has been charged with a forced pulse. Well into the terahertz range." |
[The weapon ceases firing : total firing duration 17 seconds] | |
Geordi : | "Then it's definitely not Starfleet issue. And there can't be that many systems that use the terahertz speeds." |
Data : | "Three hundred twenty seven to our knowledge. We can probably achieve an exact match with a random computer search. It will take approximately 3 hours." |
Geordi : | "I believe we can narrow this down with a little common sense, Data. Who has the most to gain from a conflict between the Klingon Empire and the Federation?" |
Reed : | "There's got to be a way to get through those shields with phase-pistols. If I cross-polarize the power cells, it might increase the particle yield. I'll be in the armory." |
Reed : | "Increase power another five megajoules. Fire." |
[The weapon commences firing. It continues to fire throughout the following dialogue, with the beam becoming brighter and pitch changing with each increase] | |
Reed : | "Keep it going. Increase to seven megajoules... try eight... nine. The density's holding. Bring it up to ten." |
[A hole is blown through the metal plate] | |
Reed : | "That should do it. Energy flow is within normal parameters." |
Conclusion |
To sum up the things that phasers can do :
Effect | Description |
Stun | This setting has been seen in use on virtually all hand held weapons, and was available on ship-scale weapons during TOS. |
Heat | Weapons in both TOS and TNG could heat materials like rock or metal to glowing point with short bursts, and have been stated as able to heat both rock and metal to thousands of degrees. |
This is apparently not part of a normal phaser burst, but hand weapons can easily be set for it be adjusting a standard control. The TNG TM talks of "nuclear disruption", but only the disruption part of this is canon. | |
Continuum Transition | The existence of this effect is somewhat uncertain; the TNG TM suggests it, and it would explain why the high temperatures generated by phaser blasts do not produce large amounts of vapour, but no part of the phrase has made it into canon. |
Yellow text = Canon source | Green text = Backstage source | Cyan text = Novel | White text = DITL speculation |
Copyright Graham Kennedy | Page views : 26,622 | Last updated : 1 Jan 1970 |


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After a couple of traffic accidents and vocal concerns from residents living by the North Avenue/Neck Road intersection, selectmen on April 28 approved Police Chief Paul Magee's recommendations to repaint the stop lines on the road and trim back trees close to the intersection.
A memorandum from Chief Magee to the Board of Selectmen cites two separate incidents when drivers failed to stop at the intersection that resulted in vehicular crashes. Residents have complained about safety issues surrounding the intersection, prompting Magee to devise measures to improve safety at the intersection.
Those measures will be putting down fresh paint along the stop line and adding the word "Stop" on the road to reinforce the stop line. Trees north and southbound on North Avenue will be trimmed back as well to improve visibility.
"It's a difficult intersection because of the sight lines," said Magee. He stated that existing cautionary signs placed ahead of the intersection should be ample warning of the upcoming stop signs, but alas …"and we are doing enforcement." added Magee. He said the new safety measures "will make a difference."
Newly appointed Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Bradford Morse suggested a motion to forward the chief's memo to the Highway Department to execute Magee's recommendations, and the board approved the motion.
In other news, the board approved the expansion of Matt's Blackboard Restaurant on Rounseville Road, increasing the 600 square-foot restaurant by another 300 square feet.
Owner Matt Gurney said the restaurant acquired the 300 feet some time ago when it took over the "Bev Loves Books" location because the restaurant needed the extra space for a storage room. The space was eventually converted into a "morning café."
"[The café] just didn't pan out and the dinners are really busy," said Gurney.
The added space will provide more seating and a larger waiting area for customers during busy dining hours.
Also during the meeting, the board briefly discussed the five-year Capital Plan, which is adjusted on an annual basis to include any new projects that "pop up," as Selectman Naida Parker put it.
Parker mildly criticized unspecified department heads for not accurately predicting future capital projects, saying they should be able to anticipate the imminent need to replace old equipment or make repairs within the foreseeable future.
"Department heads should really be taking a hard look at what's coming up in the next five years," said Parker. "We rely on them to bring these items forward…"
Town Administrator Richard LaCamera said, at this point, the Town has addressed all the items within the Capital Plan from the last three years, except roadway repairs and maintenance covered by accrued Chapter 90 state funding, which will ultimately become a focus in the current five-year plan.
LaCamera called the Capital Plan a "moving plan that gets updated every single year."
In other news, the board approved the recommended appointments to the Conservation Commission, as well as the Zoning Board of Appeals, Historical Commission, and Chief Magee's recommendation to reappoint current Animal Control Officer Anne Estabrook.
Magee further requested the additional appointment of Kelly Massey to part-time animal control officer to fill a vacant assistant animal control officer position. Massey is also an animal control officer for the Town of Mattapoisett.
The board also approved the reappointment of three additional part-time police officers: Alyson Rego from Dartmouth, Dylan Hicks from Pittsfield, and Alexander Malo from Taunton.
Selectmen reminded Rochester residents that they are seeking members for the newly-established Cable Commission, and asked any residents interested in serving to please express their interest.
The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen will be a joint meeting with the Finance Committee and town department heads on May 5 at 7:30 pm for a warrant and fiscal year 2015 budget review.
By Jean Perry


text:
Portland will host 2014 MLS All-Star game
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Portland will host the 2014 Major League Soccer All-Star game.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson and Portland Mayor Charlie Hales announced the event at Jeld-Wen Field on Wednesday.
In recent years, the MLS All-Stars have played premier international teams in the annual match. This year's All-Stars are set to play AS Roma on July 31 in Kansas City.
The MLS opponent for the match in Portland will be announced at a later date.
The Portland Timbers are known for their fervent supporters and the team has sold out 42 straight MLS matches at its downtown stadium.
Jeld-Wen hosted opening round matches of the CONCACAF Gold Cup this week, including a 6-1 victory by the U.S. men's national team against Belize.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


text: Flag Bearer & Student Speaker Nomination Flag Bearers Flags are representing a cross section of countries parade into the auditorium before the ceremony. Selected students will need to attend a rehearsal the morning of the ceremony. If you're interested in carrying a flag, complete the nomination form. Nomination deadline is usually a month before the ceremony. For the June 2017 ceremony, the deadline is May 12. Student Speaker Consider nominating a fellow classmate or yourself for the Walsh commencement student speaker. Those in good standing can participate in the audition process. Selected student will need to attend president reception week of commencement and rehearsal the day before. If you're interested, submit the nomination form. Important Tip! If you are nominating yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind when writing/practicing your speech and making your audition. Overall speech content and message is important. However, the judging panel also takes into consideration posture, poise, eye contact, voice inflection, tone, and overall presentation.


text:
BYU-Idaho is committed to providing a safe work place for all individuals working in university facilities. The primary purpose of this plan is to ensure that university employees, students, and visitors are protected from fire and smoke, and that applicable safety and fire code regulatory requirements are followed.
This policy applies to all BYU-Idaho personnel engaged in the operation of hot work as defined below. Reporting requirements also apply to non-university construction personnel working in BYU-Idaho facilities.
1. Definitions
Hot Work- Any operation being performed with an open flame, spark, and heat generating tool or appliance. This includes, but is not limited to, brazing, cutting, grinding, soldering, welding, or torch applied products.
Hot Work Area- The area which is exposed to sparks, hot slag, radiant or convection heat as a result of hot work.
2. Hot Work Permits
Hot work permits are required for all University personnel engaged in hot work within the scope of their work or duties on university property. The University Safety Office issues Hot Work Permits to those persons who have received training regarding the university policy for hot work.
3. Fire Watch
A fire watch shall be provided during hot work activities and shall continue for a minimum of 60 minutes after the conclusion of the work. Fire watch shall include the entire work area. Additional personnel shall be assigned if the exposure to hot work involves openings where hot slag or sparks can pass through to unprotected areas. Individuals designated to fire watch duties shall have fire-extinguishing equipment readily available and shall be trained in the use of such equipment. Individuals assigned shall be responsible for extinguishing spot fires and promptly communicating an alarm.
4. Hot Work Area
Hot Work shall not be performed in areas where flammable liquids or vapors, dust, lint, or combustible storage is at risk of ignition from spark or heat. In areas that contain combustible materials appropriate shielding shall be provided to prevent sparks or heat from igniting combustibles or the materials shall be removed from the area. Openings or cracks in walls, floors, ducts, or shafts within the hot work area shall be covered to prevent the passage of smoke, sparks or debris from work in progress. Fire resistant guards or curtains should be utilized for this purpose. Floors shall be kept clean within the hot work area.
5.Fire Protection
If sprinklers are installed in area of work confirm that they are in service. A fire extinguisher with a minimum of 2-A, 20 b;c rating shall be provided at the hot work site and located within 30 feet of work being performed.
Visible hazard identification shall be provided at or near the hot work area to alert or warn others of the hazard. For example:
CAUTION: Hot Work In Process --- STAY CLEAR
7. Hot Work Checklist
- The hot work site is cleared of combustible materials or combustibles are adequately protected.
- Exposed construction is of noncombustible materials or combustibles are protected.
- Openings are protected.
- Floors are kept clean.
- There are no exposed combustible materials on the opposite side of partitions, walls or ceilings.
- Fire watches are assigned, equipped and trained.
- Fire extinguishers shall be verified as operable and available.
- Sprinkler protection is in service. (if applicable)
- Equipment is in good condition and has been inspected for defects.
8. Fixed Hot Work Areas
BYU-IDAHO has designated hot work areas which meet regulatory requirements. These areas are, Physical Plant Mechanical Shop, Physical Plant Vehicle Maintenance and Austin Welding Lab.