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...another in the Napoleonic Library series from Pen and Sword
Title: A Soldier for Napoleon...
Author: Edited by John H. Gill
Publisher: Pen and Sword Books
...The Campaigns of Lieutenant Franz Joseph Hausmann, 7th Bavarian Infantry
Another of the Napoleonic Library series from Pen and Sword, a book first published by Greenhill books back in 1998. Dealing with a series of wars now over 200 years ago there were no newsreels, photos or recordings of what happened, so we must rely on paintings, and written records for details of what happened. This makes use of a series of very personal records thanks to Lieutenant Franz Joseph Hausmann, a junior officer in the 7th Bavarian Infantry. It uses his extensive letters home and his diaries, plus additional information thanks to the editor, John H Gill. We are very lucky that the family kept his letters and diary, so they are now preserved in an archive rather than simply being thrown away by the family as a 'bunch of old papers'.
The Lieutenant was diligent in writing home and ensuring he responded to the points raised in letter he received in return. It did make me wonder what in more modern times a censor might have made of the details he put in his letters home, giving details of the forces involved in different actions, where and when he had been or was going. Plenty of useful intelligence if they had fallen into enemy hands. He gives a good insight to what his campaigns were like, including war against Russia in 1812, the conditions they found themselves in, a lack of food for both men and horses, and the casualties they passed on the march. Writing home for extra clothing when his 'linens' went missing along with his servant and his need to get clean having been unable to change for a period of time, he was clearly worried about lice. From his comments he was clearly something of a fan of Napoleon, even though in the later stages of his service he was then on the opposite side to the little Emperor.
His military career started in 1805/6 in a campaign against Austria and then in 1806/7 against Prussia. Back to face Austria in 1809 and then Russia in in 1812. He was fighting against France between 1813/14. He was not directly involved in the campaign of 1815, but the Adjutant of the Reserve Battalion. So he survived his military career, and went on to complete University studies and became a career Civil Servant. He finally died in 1856 while on holiday. This is a detailed and very personal view of his life in the army during the Napoleonic wars and does makes for some fascinating reading for anyone interested in the Napoleonic period.
List Price in the UK is £19.99.
|First Post
|A Soldier of Napoleon...
...another in the Napoleonic Library series from Pen and Sword By Robin Buckland
|30/12/2016 08:12:12
by Robin Buckland
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The Warwick resident took over responsibility for the Alton Jones site back when the original buildings – turn-of-the-century farm houses, summer homes built in the 1930s, and numerous out-buildings — were falling into disrepair and long before the campus became a site for destination weddings.
"I'm really proud that we've totally re-invented the campus in the years since I came here," said Mitchell. "We've renovated almost every building, we've added Sycamore Lodge and a new cabin, and we've entered the wedding business."
The 2,300-acre property was donated to URI in 1962 by the wife of oil executive W. Alton Jones, who died in a plane crash. Jones had used the property as a hunting lodge, where he entertained business leaders and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Soon after taking ownership, URI began offering it to businesses and community groups as a conference center, and an environmental education center was built to offer youth camps and outdoor education programming.
"We've really changed the culture of the campus to be entirely customer focused," said Mitchell, noting that campus revenues grew from $230,000 in 1985 when he arrived to $3.4 million last year. "We've really progressed in everything that we do."
Mitchell, who grew up in North Providence, worked at the Urban Education Center at Rhode Island College before taking his first administrative position at the Alton Jones Campus in 1985. His background in educational administration and community planning was a perfect fit.
"There were a lot of reasons that made sense for me to come to Alton Jones," Mitchell said. "The job is somewhat similar to community planning – take a property and develop it. It's about strategic planning, adding facilities, building a wedding business and responding to the marketplace."
The economic environment in recent years has taken a toll, which has forced Mitchell to be creative in positioning the campus to best serve the community.
"We have lots of competition, and they all want to do what we're doing," he said. "We have a great reputation in Rhode Island, and what we offer is unparalleled in New England – a former estate where business groups can meet in a distraction-free environment, a beautiful wedding destination, and youth camps that are consistently rated tops in the region.
"The challenge is to identify the appropriate next steps to take," Mitchell added. "How do we continue to develop and advance what we've done? We can't stay static, we've got to keep fresh and make the right investment decisions."
An avid golfer who has taught an introductory computer science course at the Community College of Rhode Island for many years, Mitchell says he could retire shortly, but he's having too much fun to make that decision any time soon.
"When you come to Alton Jones, you're really going to have an experience that you will remember," he said. "It will be an experience reminiscent of something in your past — the night sky, a nature walk, an activity that you do, something you see. There's a lot of places you can get food and a room, but the experience here is something special.
"I feel good about what I've done at Alton Jones. I've had a great career at URI, and I couldn't have asked for more. Most of the good things in my life have come from my affiliation with higher education in Rhode Island. And there's more to come."
URI Department of Communications & Marketing photo by Joe Giblin


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Little House on the Prairie
Wilder, Laura Ingalls. 1935. Little House On the Prairie.
A long time ago, when all the grandfathers and grandmothers of today were little boys and little girls or very small babies, or perhaps not even born, Pa and Ma and Mary and Laura and Baby Carrie left their little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. They drove away and left it lonely and empty in the clearing among the big trees, and they never saw that little house again. They were going to the Indian country.
Thus begins Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was written in 1935. (Farmer Boy, a book about her husband's childhood was published in 1933. I do plan on reading and reviewing Farmer Boy. I just have a little different reading order I follow.) It's funny--okay, not really ha ha funny--but this is one of those opening paragraphs that I had practically memorized from childhood. It's not that I think it is particularly "awesome" or anything. But something about it struck me as a child. Of course, this opening like the opening to Little House in the Big Woods loses its "trueness" with the flow of time.
By 1935, all of my grandparents had been born--two were even teens or preteens by that point--but this story would have been targeted for them. It was this generation that would have been the first readers. This introduction would have been about getting them to think about their grandparents. It's mind-boggling as a child to think about your grandparents having grandparents. I think age, time, history is so complex that it's hard to wrap your mind around as a child. To think that your grandparents were ever anything but "old" to think of them as being children, of being good and naughty, of going to school, of getting in trouble, of having fears, of having friends and playmates, etc.
Perhaps Little House is one of the reasons I've always loved stories and storytelling. Perhaps not. Perhaps I come from a family of storytellers. My mom can tell stories--and they're such great stories--about her childhood, about her parents, about her grandparents, about her cousins, and most especially about her naughty siblings. To hear my mom talk about her grandparents, it's a wonderful thing. To hear my great-aunt and my grandma talk about their childhoods, their parents, their grandparents, is a wonderful thing. I love family history. I love family stories.
Maybe I'm the only child that read this opening and thought of how deep and mind-boggling it was to trace the generations back and learn and explore and connect. Maybe not.
This book--like Little House in the Big Woods--is so poignant to me. Maybe I'm not using the right word. What I mean is that each chapter, each event, is so much a part of my memory, so familiar, so resonating that it remains sharp and clear even after a dozen years since the last reading. I think the Garth Williams illustrations are part of the reason why. The book is like a collection of snapshots not only of Laura's story but of my own childhood. The Little House books are part of my reading DNA.
The story, very briefly, is about Laura and her family as they travel by covered wagon into new territory. Once they arrive, they try to make this land their new home. There is the house to build, the barn to build, the well to dig, the neighbors to meet, the fields to explore, etc.
The book isn't without faults. I mentioned this very briefly with Little House in the Big Woods. The book has through the past decade or so been challenged in some districts. I'm not sure of the specifics of whether it was school libraries, class curriculum, or public libraries. But it has been challenged enough that it is part of a long list of books that some (perhaps erroneously) refer to as banned books. [In my opinion, a book isn't banned if it is still available to sell. A "banned" book may not appear in one town's library, but if it's still widely available in most libraries across the nation. Still available to buy in stores and online. It's not really "banned."]
As I said, I'm not too sure on the specifics. But if I had to take a guess, I would say that while talk may come and go on this one it's still widely available in school and public libraries. And that it hasn't really ever been out of print as far as I can tell and isn't really in any danger of disappearing. HarperCollins (perhaps foolishly) has just released new editions in 2007. I say foolishly because they have been stripped of the illustrations by Garth Williams. So the real danger is if this trend continues and the illustrations become hard-to-find.
The issue with Little House on the Prairie is that because it is about the conflict between "white settlers" and "Indians" it is more than a little offensive. Ma Ingalls fears that the Indians would massacre them and their neighbors. Her repeated notions (and it's at least a dozen times) that the only good Indian is a dead Indian. It's easy to see how this one might be in danger of being purged "for the good of children everywhere" by the politically correct camp. But Ma's views aren't the only views presented. Laura is more curious than scared. Pa is more cautious and friendly than gung-ho to make an enemy. Pa more often than not voices logic and reason and peace and goodwill to Ma's rants. Pa may be accused of wanting the Indian's land so he could have a nice place to live and raise his family. But Pa wasn't wanting the Indians to be killed.
A few random points.
1) Does Little House on the Prairie say things that out of context could be taken offensively? Yes.
2) However, it is more than important it is essential to always use context when reading.
3) Does Laura Ingalls Wilder authentically represent the majority opinion of the mid-to-late nineteenth century? Yes. Most white settlers felt it was their "right" to settle wherever they wanted.
4) Does Laura Ingalls Wilder authentically and accurately represent the American Indians or Native Americans? No. Her portrayal of the Indian tribes living in the region are generic. They're stereotypical. They're the white man's phony image of what an "Indian" is and says and does. The details about their lives, their appearance, their customs and traditions, not accurate, not authentic.
5) At the time when Laura Ingalls Wilder was writing the series--the 30s--was this stereotype present and alive? Yes. In books. In movies. In tv shows. And most likely in radio shows. The stereotypical "Indian" had many many many reincarnations. This "stereotype" was prevalent and abundant.
Slightly turning topics
1. It seems we have several different options. We can purge the past and pretend that the current notions, ideas, concepts, values have always been the ONLY ones we've ever had. We can try to erase our history completely and pretend that as a nation, a country, we've never had a racist thought, a racist act, a racist law. Or we can examine the past critically and discuss it.
2. Discussion is good. Explanations are good. Bouncing ideas back and forth. Learning from the past. Learning about ourselves. Thinking critically. Being challenged to think at all. Being challenged to question history, question the past. It's all good and much preferable than the alternative: being told, being programmed what to think, how to feel, how to act.
3. It is unfair and ridiculous to hold those living in the past to our twenty-first century values. Our ideas of right and wrong, just and unjust aren't static. They evolve, they change over time. To stand in judgment over the past. To pass judgment. To want to rewrite history. It's not really the brightest idea.
4. When evaluating literature--classics whether for adults or children--we should always be evaluating in terms of context--time and place and culture. If it is historical fiction, it is a snapshot of both the events chronicled (when the story takes places) and a snapshot of when it was written (when the story was written and published.)
Is Little House on the Prairie suitable and appropriate for modern readers? I think that is something parents will have to decide for themselves. Would reading a book--could reading a book--make you a racist? I'd say it's debatable. I think your home life--your parents, your education--that would play a larger role in socialization. But I think discussion will become more and more important through the years. I think--to borrow from a song--that you have to be taught to hate. And I personally don't think Laura Ingalls Wilder is trying to teach anyone to hate.
This is in some ways under the topic umbrella of "does a book make you..." For example, does reading a book about a murderer or rapist, make you as a reader want to go out and commit those crimes? Does reading a book about teenage pregnancy, make you as a teen reader want to go out and get pregnant. Does reading a book about teens doing drugs and drinking and partying make teens want to go out and do the same? I think it's a pointless argument. I don't really think books "make" anyone "do" anything.
One more quick point about book challenges and "banning." I think most people tend to label would-be book banners in one way or another. They forget that they come in all shapes, sizes, religions, cultures and ethnicities, and political affiliations. They forget that they are just as likely to be liberal as conservative, atheist as Christian, etc. These kinds of groups aren't one-size-fits-all-crazy. They're always more complex than that.


text:
However you choose to use propane, Hopkins Propane can provide the proper tank size to fit your needs. Our service technicians are experienced with setting tanks from as small as 57 gallons (200lbs) up to 2400 gallons and larger to accommodate nearly any type of usage.
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text:
Bid Information
Bid Alert No: 00000445353
Bid Title: Televisions with Wall Mounts for the Iowa Veterans Home
Agency Bid No. Title: 005 0516671140
Received Date: 12/21/2015
Close Date: 12/31/2015
Purchase Type: Not Stated
Delivery Point: Iowa
Delivery Date: Not Stated
No additional specifications were given.
Bid Related DocumentsDownload Solicitation Notice
Bid Related AttachmentsDownload Attachment
Product Code: 84060
Agency Information
Issuing Agency: State of Iowa - Department of Administrative Services
State: Iowa
Agency Type: State and Local
Contact: Randy Bennett, DAS Procurement Services Division
Phone: 515-725-2925
Fax: 515-725-0048
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Here at The Macaron Master we get excited about any-macaron-news especially when it involves Pierre Hermé and his masterful macarons collection. This source made a long excited and official announcement. Residents of HK ain't you lucky people!
Pierre is very meticulous when it comes to his macarons: 'The outside must be a very thin, crisp layer with an inside that is moist and tender. The flavours are very precise. The texture is very physical – sometimes I put small pieces into the filling so you can see, feel and taste. The macaron Celeste has two fillings.' Mmm…makes us wonder!!
How many macaron flavours can you name? Well, apparently Pierre's created about 250 macaron flavour combinations, which are constantly being introduced at his shops in themed "collections". Some are wildly innovative like his lemon and tonka bean or lemon and caramelised fennel.
Where does this macaron genius get his inspiration from?
"I imagine things in my head and then write them down and draw the product. I then ask my team to make tests, and through this, we sit down and taste and there are some adjustments made to finalise it. When I create a pastry or cake, I think first of the flavour, then I think of the textures and decoration that will create the final dessert."
"My creativity is based on my desires, what I like, inspiration that comes from products, ingredients, emotions, a conversation, an exchange with someone. This brings new ideas, and they get transferred into a bigger idea. Often, it can begin with one ingredient, for example olive oil is interesting and through a series of experiences – one being a trip to Italy where I tasted cookies made with olive oil – it made me think about how I can use it."
WOW, hopefully you feel inspired!
Apparently these are the macarons that will be available in the Hong Kong branch at IFC:
- Arabesque (Apricot & Crunchy Pistachio)
- Crème Brulee (Vanilla & Caramel Pieces)
- Imagine (Matcha Green Tea & Black Sesame Crisp)
- Infiniment Chocolat Porcelana (Pure Origin Venezuala Porcelana Dark Chocolate)
- Infiniment Rose (Rose & Rose Petals)
- Céleste (Passion fruit, Rhubarb & Strawberries)
- Mogador (Milk Chocolate & Passion Fruit)
Living in or traveling to Hong Kong? Keep these details handy…
Macarons & Chocolats Pierre Hermé Paris
Shop 1019C
IFC Mall, Central, Hong Kong


text:
Said Lisberger.
The Institute of Cancer Research receives environmental award HonourThe Institute of Cancer Research is pleased to announce that the the third EcoCampus bronze certificate on introduced presented in recognition of his efforts to improve the environmental sustainability.
Summary No.. The award is given to Cathy Scivier, Secretary of the ICR, in recognition of the organization commissioning presents the first phase of its environmental management system.The presentation will be representatives from all 17 participating universities in EcoCampus scheme. – ' We are delighted to have been presented with the EcoCampus Bronze Certificate, as the ICR is committed to developing its environmental policy, said Cathy Scivier. We hope to strengthen even further our commitment to the scheme by silver quickly to the next stage of the program and to receive recognition level... This teaches to us that this highly different neural processes of to the same degree of the same sources of noise be limited, said Lisberger. And It reveals that two processes very well to reduce the sound of is. Continuing differences is likely. Of to separate parts of of the brain to for the distinct processes – He concludes: Because the brain is noisy, we engine systems do not always do what it tells us to make accurate motion in the facial such noise is a challenging This study gives us new insights in how the brain functions art too.


text:
PS: Going for my fourth cytoxan infusion today!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Neurology Appointment, November 29, 2011
It was about this time last year that Cathy, myself, and my neurologist made the decision to take medical leave from the church in January of 2011. That medical leave would end with my resignation in June 2011 for health reasons. It was the right decision!
Since January my health has continued to decline even with various aggressive treatments, including chemotherapy. We met again with the neurologist on November 29 and it seems the disease progression has slowed. He had hoped the treatments would have made improvement in my current condition, but was glad the treatments had "kept me out of the ICU and off a ventilator." I am grateful for that too!
The High Resolution CT of my lungs and abdomen came back normal. No signs of problems except for a "fat liver." That goes along with the rest of my body! The negative CT confirms that my breathing problems are directly related to my Myasthenia Gravis and Small Fiber Neuropathy. So, I will continue with immune system suppression treatments.
At present, the six months of chemotherapy will probably be extended to one year. I will keep you posted.
PS: Going for my fourth cytoxan infusion today!
PS: Going for my fourth cytoxan infusion today!
Labels: Autoimmune, Cytoxan, Myasthenia Gravis, Small Fiber Neuropathy
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text:
22 Top Tips To Slash The Cost Of Your Big Lap Around Australia
Includes eBook in PDF format - viewable on any PDF reader (Eg. Acrobat Reader)
How to save money on
• Fuel • Food • Site Fees
Plus a whole lot more . . .
Includes eBook in PDF format - viewable on any PDF reader (Eg. Acrobat Reader)
Looking for ways to save serious money on your next big Road Trip?
Whether you're planning to do the full 'big lap' like us or just love getting away for weeks and months at a time. . . .
With all of the gear you need to buy, the cost of caravan parks these days and the inflated cost of fuel and food in remote areas . . .who can afford to go at all?!
But don't worry . . .
There are ways to beat the high costs . . .
and I'm going to show them to you in this new eBook.
On our 16 month Big Lap we travelled on a very tight budget.
In fact our already tight budget took a beating after we rolled our Landcruiser and camper trailer 10 weeks into the trip and we had to write some BIG cheques to get it fixed.
So then we had even less money than we thought we'd have.
This is our rig just after it all went pear shaped - little did we know then that the damage was even worse than it looked!
One way or another we were determined to make sure this setback didn't end our trip altogether.
So we found ways to make it work.
And we stretched our budget further and completed our trip.
My 22 Top Tips for saving money . . . Including:
. . . and much more.
This eBook is a 100% FREE download.
When we release updates in the future we'll email you and let you know so you can download the update.
Includes eBook in PDF format - viewable on any PDF reader (Eg. Acrobat Reader)
Even if you only use a few of the tips in this eBook it could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars!
Happy trip planning.
Steve Baile
PS – I welcome your suggestions for other tips that you think should be added to the future updates. Please feel free to contact us with your suggestions.
First released: 2/6/2015 (Version 01)
Updated: 22/6/2015 (Version 01.1)
Updated: 08/3/2016 (Version 01.2)
Current version: Version 01.2
Click here for more information about The Big Lap film series


text:
Category: Mysteries
Regular price: $3.99
Deal price: $0.99
Deal starts: July 16, 2016
Deal ends: July 21, 2016
Get it now
A continuation of the haunting story of Alexandra and the aftermath of a midnight run to the Thirty-Fourth Street Subway Station. Who covers for her, and who will expose her? Psychological suspense abounds as world renown brain surgeon Alexandra Donicka is surrounded by faithful supporters from every walk of life when the death of her daughter is investigated. in the process she grapples with long-hidden emotions in an attempt to discover her own humanity. One facet of her life remains the same; the longing for what was left behind, until an unexpected surprise changes her outlook on everything.


text:
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July 17, 1956
COMMONWEALTHv.DEWAN, APPELLANT.
Appeal, No. 202, Oct. T., 1955, from judgment of Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace of Montgomery County, Feb. T., 1954, No. 228, in case of Commonwealth v. Joseph DeWan. Judgment affirmed.
H. Lester Haws, with him Haws & Burke, for appellant.
Nicholas H. Larzelere, Assistant District Attorney, with him Bernard E. DiJoseph, and J. Stroud Weber, District Attorneys, for appellee.
Before Rhodes, P.j., Hirt, Gunther, Wright, Woodside, Ervin, and Carr, JJ.
Author: Gunther
[ 181 Pa. Super. Page 205]
Appellant was indicted and convicted under the Act of May 27, 1949, P.L. 1900, section 1, added to The Penal Code of 1939, 18 PS § 4418, for malicious loitering or malicious prowling at the Nurses Home of Montgomery County Hospital, Norristown, Pa. The trial was conducted before Honorable George C. Corson without a jury, the right to a jury trial having been previously waived. From a verdict of guilty and a sentence of thirty days imprisonment in the Montgomery County Prison, appellant has filed this appeal.
On the night of March 12, 1954, at about 7:15 P.M., two nurses were disturbed by noises in a narrow private passageway running along the rear of the nurses' home between the building and the fence line of the property next door. At this point there was a tree just on the other side of the home property line high enough to enable one to look into the windows of the second and third floors of the nurses' home. They heard the cracking of dead twigs on the outside of the window. One of the nurses went to the adjoining bathroom from which she observed the figure of a man in front of the
[ 181 Pa. Super. Page 206]
nursing arts laboratory door. She testified that he then darted around the corner of the building. About the same time, one of the dieticians also heard sounds in the passageway, and a technician, who was in her room with the window partly opened, said she also heard a thud and later on the firing of a shot.
The police were called immediately by telephone and a radio car arrived at the scene about 7:30 P.M. One policeman proceeded to one end of the passageway and the other covered the opposite end. The first policeman covering the passageway nearest to the tree heard a thud and saw the figure of a man at the base of the tree. When he called out to halt, the figure ran toward the other end of the passageway. The officer fired a warning shot into the air but the fleeing man continued running and, while so fleeing, ran into the arms of the other officer approaching from the opposite end of the passageway. The man apprehended was the appellant, Joseph DeWan. His first statement to the police upon apprehension was that he be given a break because if he went down to the station again, he would go to jail. Apparently this was in reference to appellant's prior conviction of open lewdness and indecent exposure for which he received probation.
At the time of arrest, no other person appeared to be in the vicinity of the nurses' home. The tree at the base of which appellant was first seen by the police officer was opposite the window of one of the nurses' rooms occupied for dwelling purposes. The officer testified that the thud he heard apparently was caused by someone jumping down from the tree opposite the window of the nurse who first heard the commotion outside. The officer did not lose sight of the ...
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March 26, 1993
COMPUTER ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL, INC., ON-LINE SOFTWARE INTERNATIONAL, INC., and PANSOPHIC SYSTEMS, INC., Plaintiffs,
ELECTRONIC DATA SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Defendant.
The opinion of the court was delivered by: I. LEO GLASSER
GLASSER, United States District Judge:
On October 9, 1992, Computer Associates International ("CA") filed the complaint in this declaratory judgment action in Suffolk County Supreme Court. Defendant Electronic Data Systems Corporation ("EDS") removed the action to federal court on January 29, 1993. EDS now moves this court to dismiss, stay, or transfer the action based on the fact that a related action between the same parties has been pending in the Northern District of Texas for over a year and is scheduled for trial in November of 1993. For the reasons set forth below, this court hereby grants EDS's motion to dismiss.
EDS, a subsidiary of General Motors ("GM"), is in the "information technology business," which means that it provides computer-based systems and related data processing services to various commercial and governmental customers. Its principal services include developing, analyzing, installing, operating and maintaining data processing systems for those customers. A corporation organized and existing under the laws of the state of Texas with its principal place of business in Dallas, Texas, EDS does business all over the world, including New York, and operates data centers in a variety of New York cities; in addition, EDS has authorized Prentice Hall Corp. Systems, 15 Columbus Circle, New York, New York, to be its registered agent within this state.
CA is a leading independent software development company and the dominant supplier of systems, applications, and graphics software for IBM and IBM-compatible mainframe computers. A corporation organized and existing under the laws of the state of Delaware with its principal place of business in Long Island, New York, CA is involved in developing, acquiring, marketing, and servicing over 200 computer software products primarily for use on mainframe and mini-computers.
On-Line Software International ("On-Line"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CA since September 26, 1991, is a Delaware corporation originally headquartered in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Pansophic Systems, Inc. ("Pansophic"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CA since October 31, 1991, is an Illinois corporation originally headquartered in Lisle, Illinois. Prior to acquisition by CA both Pansophic and On-Line were independent designers, developers, and marketers of computer software that licensed the right to use certain of its computer software to third parties, including EDS. More specifically EDS and Pansophic entered into a Master Software License Agreement (the "Pansophic Agreement") in September of 1989, and EDS and On-Line entered into a similar Master Agreement (the "On-Line Agreement") in September of 1990. This lawsuit seeks a declaration of rights and obligations under these Agreements.
CA and EDS (and their subsidiaries) have been involved in various software license agreements from as early as October 1, 1983. On January 9, 1992, EDS filed an action against CA in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas alleging numerous state and federal claims, including breach of contract, interference with business relations, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing, antitrust violations and copyright misuse. (Affidavit of Ira G. Greenberg P 2 and Exh. A) The heart of the Texas action is EDS's allegation that CA "has systematically acquired software companies . . . with large market shares in software products that cannot be easily replaced [and,] as a result, CA possesses powerful leverage over its customers (including EDS), which it applies by demanding excessive payments . . . ." (Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Dismiss or Stay, at 3-4; Reply Memorandum at 4) EDS alleges that CA's deliberate pursuit and exploitation of its monopoly power has caused CA to breach numerous software license agreements.
On January 29, 1992, CA filed an 81-page answer to the Texas complaint alleging a variety of counterclaims, including breach of contract, copyright infringement, and tortious interference with business relations. (Greenberg Aff. P 3 & Exh. B; Miller Aff. P 29) With respect to these counterclaims, CA alleged:
120. In addition to the above [specifically mentioned] agreements, EDS is a party or successor-in-interest to numerous other agreements to which CA is a party or successor-in-interest.
121. Upon information and belief, EDS has breached most, if not all of those agreements . . . .
(Greenberg Aff. Exh. B) In other words, CA acknowledged the Texas action's expansive scope and revealed its understanding that all the agreements between the parties were likely to be the action's subject. Nevertheless, neither the complaint nor the answer expressly raised the issue of enforceability of the Pansophic or On-Line Agreements. While the original complaint discussed license agreements with numerous subsidiaries of CA, it did not mention Pansophic or On-Line specifically; it did refer to CA's "illegal acquisition" of Pansophic. Of course, reference to the dates of acquisition of On-Line and Pansophic reveals that at the time EDS filed its complaint, CA had owned these companies for only a few months.
On October 6, 1992, EDS moved for leave to file a supplemental complaint in the Texas action and attached the proposed First Supplemental Complaint to its motion. (Greenberg Aff. P 5 & Exh. E; Miller Aff. P 32) Texas has a local rule mandating a twenty-day response period to such a motion. The District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted EDS's motion on October 27, 1992, and EDS filed its First Supplemental Complaint on October 28, 1992. (Greenberg Aff. P 5 & Exhs. F & G) That complaint sets forth transactions that allegedly have occurred since EDS filed its original complaint, including violations of the On-Line and Pansophic Agreements. CA moved to dismiss the First Supplemental Complaint on November 17, 1992, and the Texas court has not yet decided that motion. EDS filed a Second Supplemental Complaint on November 25, 1992, in which it asserted claims against CA for breach of various subcontracts CA had entered into in connection with an EDS government contract with the Department of the Navy.
As mentioned above, CA filed the action now before this court on October 9, 1992. Notably, this action, which seeks a declaratory judgment construing the On-Line and Pansophic Master Software License Agreements, was filed against EDS and GM in Suffolk County Supreme Court three days after EDS moved to supplement its complaint in the Texas federal court.
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I too was thrilled that the next chapter of agu is coming in July. I probably read the first chapter teaser about 10 times. Sadly I had to have ankle surgery this year and I can't tell you how much rereading all your series have helped get me through this very difficult time in my life. You are truly making a difference thank you so much. I see you have three new volumes coming out this year and I'm sure I'm not the only one that's told you we can't wait thanks again
Just curious, but i've been wondering if the next book is still on schedule. Its been happening a lot these past couple years where my favorite authors have had to reschedule release dates. And no, i'm not just talking about you.


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Canadians donate millions for Pakistani relief
Tally being done after government's matching aid program ended Sunday night
Fundraising organizations across Canada are tallying up donations to flood-stricken Pakistan after a federal government program matching donations ended Sunday night.
The Canadian Red Cross raised $18 million to help those affected by the July flooding that killed 1,700 and displaced millions. Of the total, $8.8 million is eligible for the Pakistan Flood Relief Fund, the fund-matching program administered by the Canadian International Development Agency.
World Vision Canada raised $5.1 million for Pakistani relief. The Humanitarian Coalition, a network of four Canadian humanitarian organizations — Care Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Quebec and Save the Children Canada — raised close to $4 million.
The Canadian government has already pledged $33 million to helping flood victims, making it the fourth-largest donor to flood relief in Pakistan, CIDA reports. The government pledged an initial $2 million on Aug. 3 and announced an additional $31 million on Aug. 14.
While fundraisers called donations "good" and "solid," there was still some disappointment.
"We still think we could have done more," said Kevin McCort, Care Canada's president.
For fundraisers like McCort, it was a difficult drive with a tepid initial response. The government's announcement it would match funds raised between Aug. 2 to Oct. 3 provided a "jump," but not a sustained response.
McCort also reported a small surge just before the program ended.
"People respond to deadlines," said McCort, whose organization helped bring in $250,000 to the Humanitarian Coalition over the last four days.
Nicolas Moyer, co-ordinator of the Humanitarian Coalition, said the most successful time for donations was near the matching program's initial September deadline. Over four days around Sept. 12, Canadians gave the coalition $800,000.
Moyer said it's clear that matching programs make a difference but they are most effective when the subject is in the news.
"If it's out of the news, it's out of mind for most Canadians," he said, adding the devastation caused by monsoon rains and flooding didn't shock people the same way an earthquake would have.
Caroline Riseboro, World Vision Canada's vice-president of public affairs, agreed that limited media coverage of Pakistan hampered donations, pointing out many Canadians had misconceptions about who had been affected by the flooding.
"If there's an emergency somewhere in the world and the media's not covering it, it's near impossible to raise money," Riseboro said.
She said media coverage is the main reason that World Vision raised $24 million for earthquake relief in Haiti while it raised $5.1 million for Pakistan.
Call for donations continues
Fundraisers say the end of the government-matching program and decreasing coverage of the floods will make it harder to raise funds for Pakistan.
"We could have done better and we can do better," Moyer said, adding there is still a huge need for money to rebuild thousands of homes and farms.
"In Pakistan, the situation hasn't gotten better. It has gotten worse."
Katie Kallio, a Red Cross spokeswoman, says the organization is still collecting donations in Canada while its aid workers in Pakistan work to rebuild communities.
Registered charities now have until Oct. 18 to submit their final donation figures to be matched.


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Hawaii United States North America Stations
A not-for-profit organization formed to manage O'ahu's public, educational and governmental access facilities. Services include training, production facilities and programming services.
Top: Arts: Television: Stations: North America: United States: Hawaii
See Also:
- KITV (ABC 4) - TheHawaiiChannel.com, featuring highlights from news broadcasts, links to hawaii sites referenced on air, weather, and programming information.
- KIKU-TV - Honolulu - Multi-cultural station, channel 20 in Honolulu. Includes message board, shows, schedules.
- KHON (FOX 2) - Local news.
- Hawaii TV Stations - Links to the four major stations.
- KGMB (CBS 9) - Local headlines, weather, program guide, anchor profiles, and north america sections united states focused on health, education, and investigative reporting.
- KHNL (NBC 8) - Local headlines, webcasts of shows and sports, jobline, hawaii weather, and united states polls.
- KWHE TV-14 - Covers the major population centers of Hilo, Maui, hawaii and north america Honolulu, full-time throughout the islands. Partly hawaii because its signal is north america the best of any hawaii Christian station in Hawaii, KWHE has north america successfully negotiated hawaii the right to a channel position available on north america hawaii cab
- `Olelo Community Television - A not-for-profit organization formed to manage O\\'ahu\\'s public, north america educational and governmental access facilities. Services include training, north america production facilities and programming services.
- KBFD-TV - Korean channel 32 in Honolulu. Schedule, about the north america channel, an e-mail service, chat. Site in both north america English and Korean.
- KHET Hawaii Public Television - Includes methods to support the station, news items, hawaii program listing north america and listing of upcoming meetings.
- Akaku Maui Community Television - Programming schedule, community television information and news, audio north america and north america video in RealMedia format.
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Report on Inflation
Liza Fahmida
A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Professional Master in Banking and Finance
Examination Committee: Dr. Sundar Venkatesh (Chairperson) Dr. Juthathip Jongwanich Dr. Yuosre Badir
Nationality: Bangladeshi Previous Degree: Master in Finance and Banking University of Dhaka Bangladesh Scholarship Donor: Bangladesh Bank
Asian Institute of Technology School of Management Thailand May 2012
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The dissertation paper entitled "Evolution Of Exchange Rate Regime: Impact On Macro Economy Of Bangladesh" has been prepared for the partial fulfillment of Professional master in Banking and Finance (PMBF) program conducted by School of Management, AIT, Thailand. I would like to offer my wholehearted gratitude and respect to a good number of people who offered encouragement, data and information, inspiration and assistance during the course of constructing this dissertation paper. It would be difficult to prepare the paper and to present it in a lucid manner within stipulated time without the help of my guide teacher Dr. Sundar Venkatesh, Adjunct Faculty, School of Management, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. His utmost care, constant support and meticulous supervision guided me through the process. I am indebted to Begum Sultana Razia, General Manager, Monetary Policy Department, Bangladesh Bank, whose sincere co-operation and valuable advice help me to prepare this paper. I would like to thank all of my colleagues and other employees of Foreign Exchange Policy Department and Monetary Policy Department, Bangladesh Bank for their assistance in this regard. I would like to thank all of fellow course mates who contributed through their comments and suggestions to prepare the report in a comprehensive manner.
ABSTRACT Bangladesh had two different exchange rate regimes- a fixed exchange rate system from January 1972-May 2003 and a floating exchange rate regime since June 2003. After adopting the floating exchange rate regime Bangladesh experienced positive impacts on macro economic development. The variables of the macroeconomic factors have been considered as foreign reserve, workers' remittances and export proceeds to evaluate the impact of exchange rate over them in this paper. But the ongoing challenges for the country are the depreciating trend in local currency in a highly inflationary economy. The objective of the paper is to evaluate the macroeconomic performance over the regimes and to analyze present currency situation of Bangladesh.
Table of Content NO. 01 Title page Acknowledgement Abstract Table of contents List of Figures List of Abbreviations Chapter-01 02 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Scope 1.3 Objectives of the study 1.4 Methodology 1.5 Limitations 1.6 Organization 02 Chapter-02 Literature Review 03 Introduction 3.1 Factors Affecting Exchange Rate 3.2 Performance of previous and current FX-Regime in Bangladesh rate of GDP 3.2.1 Growth Unde 3.2.2 Current Account Balance 3.2.3 Inflation Situation 3.3 Justification of Floating Exchange Rate 3.4 The Transition from Fixed to Float 04 Chapter-04 Performance of Floating Exchange Rate System On Macro Economy of Bangladesh 4.1 The Export On Macro Economy of Bangladesh Situation 4.2 Enhancement of Workers Remittance 4.3 Reserve Position 4.4 The Growth Rate of GDP 13 14 14 15 7 8 8 8 9 10 10 Chapter-03 Exchange Rate Evolution in Bangladesh 7 Introduction 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 SECTION Page I ii iii iv V vi
4.5 Relationship among variables 05 Chapter 5 Preset Exchange Rate Situation Preset Exchange Rate Situation 5.1 Exchange Rate Movement 5.2 Reasons for Currency Depreciation 5.2.1 High Inflation 5.2.2 Low Foreign Direct Investment 5.2.3 Trade Deficit Chapter 6 06 Recommendation and Conclusion 6.1. Control Inflation 6.2. Reduce Trade Deficit 6.3 Enhancing Foreign Direct Investment 6.3 Effective...
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Violence in Media: No Problem or Promotes Violence in Society?
Violence in Media: No Problem or Promotes Violence in Society?
Many people believe the media is to blame for young children growing up becoming murderers, thieves, and even rapists, but on the contrary, they forget to realize violence was a big part of our civilization way before anyone learned to write. Because of this belief, the government took action and put up restrictions and rules involving which age group should be allowed to be engaged in material that involves violence, drugs, sex, and inappropriate language. When you take this into consideration, you will come to the realization that we do not need any more laws against violent T.V. shows, movies, videogames, or songs.
Using the media as a scapegoat allows individuals to "seek out easy or even abstract entities to blame in order to shy away from holding people responsible for their behaviors" (Christopher J. Ferguson). According to associatedcontent.com, "The targeted are musicians, film stars, etc. because no one wants to have to accept that something more familiar and sinister could very well be causing these troubles" (associatedcontent.com). Because we do not know the exact cause, we quickly jumped on someone's opinion that it was the media's fault. Although it does not seem like a big deal, the outcomes of scapegoating are not easily forgotten. In the Salem Witch Trials many people were killed because an individual started the belief there were witches in Salem. During the Red Scare Americans' lives were ruined.
Violence is engraved in humans physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Barry Moser, a distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at the University of Louisville states, "All substance begins with violence. We slaughter steer, quarter hog, pull living roots out of the earth. Our most common substance which feeds our body and sates our pangs of physical hunger is born of death and violence" (Barry Moser). For entertainment the Roman Empire was notorious...
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We try to start our church meeting with something beyond just a cursory prayer. In Session meetings, this is a 45 minute time of study/reflection/thoughtfulness. In committee meetings it's more a simple reflection of some sort. In the Nurture Committee, we try to do something somewhat interactive.
This last week, I followed a reflection from the Daily Feast: Meditations from Feasting on the Word from the Genesis text. The writer (Bert Marshall) points to Adam's line, "I heard the sound of you in the garden…" (Genesis 3:10a), imagines how God might have sounded, points out that the God of the written word is silent, and wonders how we might hear the sound of God in our world.
I had everyone choose a colored index card and markers and write/draw how God might sound/how they heard God (tangentially tying it in to our trying to listen for God as we look at our education programs, but mostly I just liked the activity, and I had intel that the passage would be used in the service Sunday, so it would connect for those who had ears to hear). Sometimes when I do the reflection at the beginning, I have trouble getting responses, so I figured if they wrote it down first, they'd have something to say. After a few minutes, we went around the table reading what we had written and taping them to a big sheet of drawing paper.
People said a lot of things (and I wish I'd brought the poster home to remind me) from the ocean/waves to laughter to babies to each other to silence. Everyone had something to say, and there were some resonances, but everyone's answer was a little different. It was good, I think.


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Former "Bachelor" contestant and "Bachelorette" star Emily Maynard is pregnant.
This is the second child for the 28-year-old reality star, who is mom to 9-year-old daughter Ricki. Ricki's father is race car driver Ricky Hendrick, who died in a plane crash in 2004. He and Maynard were high school sweethearts and were engaged before his death.
Read more


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Creekside Cellars
Evergreen Co, CO 80439
United States View map
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Cabernet Sauvignon
"King of the Red Wine Grapes." The colonizer of the vineyards, pushing native wine grapes into its shadows. The Caber...
The irony here is that Syrah's origins could give Carmen Sandiego a run for her international wallet. Syrah's deepest...
This special and exciting variety has taken California by storm and young plantings already demonstrate that this out...
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Creekside Cellars on Snooth
April 2017
According to the Wine Institute, in 2015, eighty-three percent of wine from the ... minutes outside of Denver, Creekside Cellars serves up a very nice Viognier and a robust Cabernet Franc; both grown at their vineyard in Palisades, Colorado. Last but not least, put Turquois Mesa Winery Syrah on your radar. Sourced from the Grand Valley AVA and ... Read More
October 2014
I began my wine journey mining for hidden gems in little known regions along ... more! Colorado: Creekside Cellars Winery 2011 Cabernet Franc: Having family in Colorado has made it easy for me to become familiar with the state's wines. Creekside Cellars is nestled in the charm-filled, historic mountain town of Evergreen, Colorado, and is su... Read More
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Californias Sierra foothills appellation spans across some of the least heralded great wine producing regions of the state. Unlike Napa and Sonoma, Cabernet Sauvignon did not serve as a historic touchstone here, though the history of wine production is almost as long. In contrast to the hype and glitter of newer regions propelled to fame by fadd... Read More
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The cover report in the January 2008 issue of Consumer Reports magazine is on cellular phone service. While some people do not agree with Consumer Reports' ratings, I find them useful (not that I'm a huge consumer) and subscribe online. I think it's worth it. (My parents used to subscribe to the magazine.) A bit about Consumer Reports, from the website:
Consumer Reports® and ConsumerReports.org® are published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, CU accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. CU supports itself through the sale of our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few noncommercial grants. Consumers Union is governed by a board of 18 directors, who are elected by CU members and meet three times a year. CU's President, James Guest, oversees a staff of more than 450.
In other words, they buy everything they test and do not accept advertising. Now for the dirt. The ratings are based on a survey of 47,000 CR readers in 20 urban markets ranging from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. In all the markets except Minneapolis/St. Paul, Sprint was rated last. (AT&T was rated last in the Minneapolis market.) In all the markets except Dallas and Minneapolis, AT&T was rated second-last. (In Dallas it was T-Mobile and in Minneapolis it was Sprint.) In 16 markets, Verizon was rated No. 1. In Cleveland, Phoenix and Tampa, Alltel was rated No. 1. In Minneapolis, T-Mobile was rated No. 1. The ratings for Miami, for example, are: (1) Verizon, (2) T-Mobile, (3) AT&T, and (4) yes, Sprint, which is what we have (I guess I didn't do my research--in case CR treated it at the time). (Same results for most other markets.) Consumer Reports says of Sprint:
Missing from the [Quick Picks] is Sprint, whose satisfaction record makes it worth considering only if you especially value special offerings such as its walkie-talkie "push to talk" service, which is now available through Verizon as well.


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Are you still looking for one of these?http://www.volkszone...ad.php?t=402745
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*crackle crackle* "Pog to the front desk please!"
Started by Volksy , Dec 28 2007 09:02 AM
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Posted 28 December 2007 - 07:46 PM
Looks to be a tax-busting 1.7, so no good for my needs. Thanks anyway!
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FIBRE ARTS & CRAFTS This Arts and Crafts Class is designed for those who are interested in learning different ways of embellishment using fabric, felt, thread and yarn. It is intended for beginners as well as those who have some
Photography – How to shoot great images Course code: 501 Tutor: Podge Kelly Cost €120 Saturday morning 10.00am – 12.30am
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Cookery for Men
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Wood Carving
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Saturday, December 31, 2005
Sonic Rush is a new game for the Nintendo DS platform. If you've been shut out by the crap Sonic has been taking on consoles lately, you might want to see this. The 2 screens function as one, with Sonic switching between them if he's launched into the air or takes a big fall. This doesn't function as confusingly as you might think, and can sometimes let you peek to those other unreachable areas as you run through that you'll try to get to next time. SR does introduce 3D elements for boss battles but the main zones stay pretty clearly as 2D gameplay. Shadow, Knuckles, Tails, and all the rest of the more frustrating Sonic Adventure crew don't pop up as playable characters this time, which is cause for rejoice! Blaze the cat, a new character, does factor heavily and as much as half the game will be played as her. Oh well. She does control much like Sonic, and won't bog you down with item hunting and gunplay. So far I've the game... kinda hard. The first boss managed to kill me 5 times before I made it past him, and I keep missing jumps or hooks to swing to the next platform. I'm sure with a little practice I'll get better, and these are really bad things. After all, if I could just hold right and make it through an entire level with only a couple jumps, it wouldn't even be a game. So timing and aiming have to factor in. There is a multiplayer game and support for single-card download play. I'll have to test that out later. I'll post more impressions later if something comes up, but Sonic games tend to be all about those first few levels, so consider this my definitive review.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Throwback Thursday: Transformers (PS2)
Transformers isn't that old, but its so damn good and was slept on this generation. Its available for less than $20 everywhere, and is the perfect game for any PS2 player who wants a taste of Halo. It rips pretty heavily on Halo, but the big free roaming levels and boss battles give it its own flavor. Here's my original review, posted on the old powet.com
Transformers headed for Next-Gen
There has been much fuss about this being the first good Transformer game, but I would simply say this is a flat out GOOD game. 2004 marks the 20th anniversary for the franchise, and what better way to celebrate it than with the release of a massive shooter that more than captures the spirit of the recent Transformers Armada series. The game isn't directly based on the show or comic book, but the names and faces are there. Optimus Prime, Hot Shot, and Red Alert are the playable Autobot heroes, with Megatron, Cyclonus, Starscream, and Tidalwave comprising the Decepticon menace. While it would've been nice to see more playable Autobots or more Decepticon bosses, by sticking with a smaller cast, Australian developer Melbourne House was able to greatly expand on the characters that did make the cut and fine tune the gameplay. The game takes place on Earth, and Megatron has ordered a full scale invasion to search for the lost Minicons robots. Minicons are pint sized Transformers who can attach or "powerlink" to a larger Transformer and enhance his abilities with new defensive, offensive, or perceptive capabilities. Naturally, the Autobot mission from the get go is to beat Megatron to the punch, and with each Minicon you gain, you'll greatly improve your chances of survival. An addition exclusive to this game are Decepticlones. These drones make up the bulk of the enemies you'll encounter over the course of a level. They're simple robots that don't transform but more than make up for it by sheer numbers and weaponry. The levels are few, but gigantic. You'll be dropped into hostile territory immediately and it might be a while before you see the end. Transforming to vehicle mode and driving (or in later, flying with the assistance of a Minicon) is the best way to make it from checkpoint to checkpoint. Transforming will allow you to plow straight through small enemies and evade large ones you might not be in any condition to fight at that point. I found myself speeding across the Antarctic with Red Alert the other day with at least a dozen enemies on my tail in the air and on the ground, but since I was low on energy the best course of action for me was to just keep moving and grab as many Minicons and Datacons as I could find before they landed enough shots to throw me into stasis lock. You might come back to the same level a half dozen more times after a boss fight to clear out the remaining Minicons and Datacons. Whats a "Datacon" you ask? Another fine invention of the developers of the game. Datacons are also hidden throughout the levels of the game, but instead of giving you combat capabilities, they enable special features you can view from the games "Extra" menu. You'll find production art, toy prototype shots, music, and even 5 classic Transformer Public Service Announcements encouraging the children of the world to wear lifejackets on a boat and not steal cars. A GREAT incentive for an otherwise standard item hunt scenario. Atar's Melbourne House development team defintely knows their Transformers and their video games. Fans will easily spot dialog directly from "Transformers: The Movie" and sound effects a voices directly from the Armada cartoon series. But, I also spotted similarities to games like Metroid Prime (an elevator shaft, and crashed starship), and the game controls using both analog sticks and shoulder buttons, not unlke a first person shooter. Driving and flight physics are just what you'd expect out of a giant robot, including the tumbles you take when you're knocked down. On the easiest difficulty level, it should take an average gamer little more than 10 hours to complete the all the major goals and watch the credits. But the fun is going back to the levels and finding ALL there is to find and try out new stunts like flying up to and landing on Decepticon Dropships and using a sniper rifle to pick off enemies on the ground. As a Transformers fan, this title is not to be missed. If you don't have a Playstation 2, you owe it to yourself to find someone who does. But any gamer with a passing interest in shooters should also consider taking Transformers for spin. Its great fun and hopefully it'll do well enough to warrant more installments in the Transformers franchise to make it to game consoles.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Mario Kart DS: 100%
I got the RED DS bundle on Dec. 13. I had to return it a few days later due to a dead pixel, which was sad. In doing so, I ended up returning the game and starting over, which wasn't so bad. But after yesterday I'm proud to say I have completed Mario Kart DS for the Nintendo DS, and it is by far the best entry in the series. I'll get my complaints out of the way first and fast. The courses chosen for the Retro cup are all great, but theres so many shortcuts missing! Yoshi Island is missing the tunnel, Mushroom Bridge is missing the pipe and the bridge arch (not to mention the bomb, wiggler, and mushroom cars), and even Koopa Beach 2 lost its feather shortcut! The sacrifices to get these tracks in and make them work for the MKDS play mechanics are not that big, but it makes me wonder why Nintendo didn't just select courses that could be ported perfectly. Also, the Shy Guy racer may not be anything special, but I'm bugged that he can only be used for others in download play. Other than that, the cart selection, new track design, and the brand new mission mode all make this the first real "must have" game for the DS. Not that the handheld hasn't had some good games so far, but its obvious that MKDS is the realization of the technology within. The WiFi networking, the touch screen icons, and the map/play screens all bring home that this is a game developed specifically for the DS, and not ported or half-assed or leaning on a gimmick. Controls are tight, and you don't miss the analog stick much. I do miss the more ergonomic controller, but thats a DS issue. I am glad that power sliding, item dragging, and even the hop are plenty easy to do once you've played a couple races. I know its been over a month since adam posted his review, but I couldn't just let my experience with the game go without saying. Nintendo has removed its biggest stumbling block (online play) with ease, and given their handheld a game that Sony's shiny and powerful PSP cannot duplicate. This won't turn everything around, but it does solidify their position as the rulers of portable gaming.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Michael Jackson vs Famicom World
Michael Jackson takes on the entire Nintendo catalog, as well as some others. This is from the same guy who did another excellent flash movie Sega Fantasy VI, where consoles and handhelds from all generations take on the dastardly PSP!
Sunday, December 25, 2005
$20 game of the week: FIre Pro wrestling 2 (GBA)
Consolewise, this generation has been a bit lacking for wrestling fans. With the main WWE games ranging from just okay to mediocre, the few avanues for non-WWE gameplay (that isn't Def Jam) are even worse (Backyard wrestling and Legends of wrestling). This leves many to turn to one of the hidden gems of the Game boy advance, the fire pro wrestling series. THis is hard to find, but it's cheap and well worth it. You'd be better off playing this than most of the console games. With a surprisingly in-depth character editor, plenty of match types, and a large amount of characters to choose from (many must be unlocked), this will keep GBA wrestling fans hooked for days. Also of note is how a lot of characters closley resembe real-life stars such as Stone Cold, kane, and the dudley boyz except for a few minor name and costume changes. Old school wrestling fans will geek out big time. It's too bad this game didn't do as well in the main stream. One can only hope that they bring this series back with a better publisher. It would amazing to see a game of this caliber on the current or next generation of systems.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Throwback Thursday: Crappy Rare Games
PDZ and Kameo aren't setting sales records or getting rave reviews. But, things could be a lot worse. Battletoads, one of Rare's first big hits wasn't that good. In fact it remains one of the most impossibly hard games ever made. Ask around and all most people remember is the "Pause Music" from this Ninja Turtle knock-off. Amazingly, things went downhill from there. BattleToads VS Double Dragon matched the amphibious avatars with Billy and Jimmy Lee for a race into video game obscurity. This game was and is a horror to behold. Nintendo then handed them Donkey Kong and Rare hit it big with a masterful reinvention of the big ape. Donkey Kong Country was great. DKC2 and DKC3 followed quickly with diminishing returns and less likably characters. GoldenEye is still held up as a triumph, but a quick look at Rare's other N64 titles. Diddy Kong Racing wasn't bad, but certainly not loved like Mario Kart. Banjo Kazooie came out in time for players thirsting for more games like Mario 64... and it worked if all you liked about Mario 64 was collecting shit for the sake of collecting it. Donkey Kong 64 more or less ruined any progress made with DKC, and is probably the reason we haven't had a real DK game since. Jet Force Gemini... I know I played it but I can't remember anything about it, which is worse than being bad because its like the game doesn't even exist... Looking at their timeline on the official Rareware page, I see a lot of forgettable stuff. Thats probably true of a lot of developers and maybe they don't deserve a whole post dedicated to their less great games. But who am I kidding, this post about one thing, and one thing only... They helped killed Star Fox. Star Fox 64 was hands down one of the best shooters I've ever played and deserved a worthy sequel. I won't blame Rare for all of this, since they were developing a different game called Dinosaur Planet and then were asked by Nintendo Corporate to put Fox in it. They are guilty of half assing the flight levels, turning in another bad adventure game, and not even bothering to explore Star Fox's universe at all by rehashing the ending from the last game. Star Fox Assault might never have happened if Fox didn't get out of the goddamn ship. If Rare hadn't released its 5th crappy 3D platformer in a row, Star Fox might've had a chance. Now one of Nintendo's greatest potential franchises is risking falling into complete obscurity since Star Fox 64 is the only really good game in the series (the SNES original was groundbreaking and fun, but its too primitive to warrant being a classic). Goddamn you Rare. I really hope Microsoft cracks the whip and gets some better stuff out of you because I know you're capable of it. You don't want your studio being constantly damned by Grabbed By The Ghoulies and the Conker remake.
DS Friend Code sharing
I know you don't have enough DS friends yet on Mario Kart. I know you want trade more items in Animal Crossing. Thankfully, number of sites have popped up to encourage just this. DS Meet DSconnect DS Play Wifico and don't forget the Powet Forum to find DS players too!
Now you're playing with a power supply
Sunday, December 18, 2005
On Mario Kart DS and the future of NiWiFi
A recent conversation...
Zachery Shipley: are friend codes different for different games on DS? Zachery Shipley: hi, i've got add aDam: Ah. Yeah it's different for each game because it's for both teh game and DS. aDam: Not sure how portable it is if you change systems and try to use the same guy. Zachery Shipley: damn. I was going to try to make some form for profiles on the board where you just just have your friendcode or xbox live tag or whatever just be part of your profile aDam: Ah.. yeah don't think that would work. would need to have all the different games in there which is a bit annoying. Zachery Shipley: well... i guess we'll just have to come up with an interesting way of sharing them via signatures or some big thread. aDam: Hm.. yeah I don't really know... a pinned thread would work I suppose. Zachery Shipley: I hope nintendo comes up with a better account situation for the Rev. i mean, I don't expect something as robust as xbox live for free, but i'd hope that I don't have to enter a good friend's new info every time we get new games aDam: Yeah. It's quite annoying. Plus I find it difficult getting games organised with friends the way it is. Zachery Shipley: I spoke with caleb about this Zachery Shipley: once I get a wireless router in my apt, I'm going to try to organize a game night like once a month aDam: Solid idea. Zachery Shipley: get everyone online on whatever Zachery Shipley: i mean, I know more people with Mario Kart than with Halo 2 now, but I can see my xbox friends list on a web page without firing up the game so finding friends it easy. aDam: Damn... good function they have there... aDam: And for Mario Kart you pretty much have to be sitting there trying to connect to the friends network for anyone to see you. Zachery Shipley: thats kinda bullshit. aDam: And we were 4 trying to go at once. Could never get more than a 2 player friends game. I'm not convinced such a thing is possible using the wi-fi. Zachery Shipley: I was informed only race is available and that battle maps are left for ad-hoc wireless connections Zachery Shipley: I can see they still have a LONG way to go with this thing. aDam: Yeah. Was no option for battle when I did it. aDam: Yeah. And since MK is launched I don't htink there's much they can do about the existing system. Zachery Shipley: well there will be another MK and it'll get better aDam: Well yeah but you don't want to buy a new game every year just becuase that's their way of patching. Zachery Shipley: i mean, MK has has hit GBA, GCN, and DS in the space of 4 years aDam: True enough. Zachery Shipley: I'd kill for an MK game that came with a map editor or a means to download new tracks 11:20 PM aDam: Oh yeah. That woudl be sweet. aDam: It would be hard to do with the DS but maybe with the revolution that would be possible. aDam: But if there's no HD it might be hard to save a whole map on a memory card depending on their size. Zachery Shipley: storage is a big issue. aDam: w0rd! As much as I hate the X-Box their HD idea is good. An expensive way to go though. Zachery Shipley: Its not like the xbox and nintendo are right or wrong Zachery Shipley: theres just this way of doing things, and each are right aDam: Yeah. Good point. Zachery Shipley: microsoft keeps going bigger. it drives the price up, but you get what you pay for aDam: I think the gamecube is a really solid system. Cheap with good games. Zachery Shipley: nintendo flat our refuses to make something that expensive, and i gotta applaud that aDam: Yeah. X-box is good for the shooters and sports games and such. They're not my bag but it's more stable than a PC for sure. aDam: Well they have a point. Do most nintendo gamers really care about the processor's speed or anything like that? They just want some fun gmae. Zachery Shipley: skimp some features, but you'll never go broke on launch day with nintendo aDam: w0rd! Zachery Shipley: well even the cube's design and internal workings were pretty exciting when they were released. it is stronger than the PS2. aDam: HAhaha. The curse of coming out first. Perhaps X-Box will carry that burden this time. Zachery Shipley: but its never been important to someone who wants a Zelda game aDam: OH yeah. they did a good job technially with this one.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
$20 dollar game of the week: Metal gear solid 2 - Substance (PS2 and Xbox)
Convulted storyline aside, Metal gear solid was a huge milestone of gaming for this generation much like the original was a milestone for the last generation. The unique characters, soundtrack, and the plot twists all made this a standout gaming expierence, and we expect no less from Hideo Kojima and Konami. For those wishing for more MGS action, Konami has loaded this up with extra content that is longer to play through than the game itself. You get your choice of either Snake or Raiden, (along with several unlockable costumes such as the ninja and tuxedo snake), over 200 VR missions and alternate missions (just link the VR, except they take place in actual game environments and are a lot harder), that involve everrything from regular action to stuff like photographing and sniping, first person missions, and 'Snake Tales', which are fan fictions of sorts that basically allow players to use SOlid Snake in certain sections of the game. Even more stuff is unlockable, check out the boss battle mode as well as the Theatre. Even if you played through the original SOns of Liberty, the extra stuff on this disc is more than enough to warrant a second purchase, and it will help pass the time until MGS4 comes out.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Status Ain't Hood: Game Soundtracks
My brother's buddy Tom Breihan writes in the Village Voice: Video Game Music Supervisor: Best Job Ever? And speaks with Activision's Tim Riley about compiling the massive soundtracks for True Crime and Tony Hawk titles. While its true that the expanded legnth and continued replay of a video game demands a more pleasing audio experience, I worry about the future. Custom Soundtracks come in handy for titles like racing games where your favorite upbeat music keeps you going, but very story driven games being given customs might ruin the experience. And even though a lot of this licensed music in games is getting good, is it better than having great original music?
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
The Game Rag
The Game Rag is positioned to be to game news what The Onion is to real news. VGMW interviews Nathan Smart about the site. One thing sorely missing is photoshop images to go with the stories. Frequently the images are the funniest bits of the onion! Maybe I should send the guy an email offering services...
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Throwback Thursday: Mortal Kombat II
This is probably one of the most important games ever made. Mortal Kombat stormed arcades with a level of graphic violence unseen in video games before. It arrived on consoles as the first game to ever be given a rating, and was toned down quite a bit. The controversy didn't stop Ed Boon or John Tobias, the fathers of MK. They came back with MKII, adding 7 new characters, 2 new bosses, and greatly increasing the number of finishing moves. The arcade edition was the first game I ever followed versions of. Updates adding new moves and fatalities were added regularly and you did well to know what versions did what in my town because Mortal Kombat II was the only game worth playing. The web was in its infancy and few of my classmates had computers that went online, so moves lists printed out were a hot commodity. This also gave birth to a lot of complete bullshit moves, combos, and fatalities that you might waste 5 bucks playing trying to do thinking that you're at the wrong distance to do Sub-Zero's polar bear 'animality.' I can only guess that these schoolyard rumors are what inpired MK3's animalities. Its worth noting that MK3 mostly sucks. The run button and dial-a-combo changed the game dramatically, and it just didn't resonate the way MKII did. MKII hit consoles in a fantastic manner, giving SNES and Genesis gamers all the moves and blood of the final aracde version, and no more quarters. There was a Game Boy version, but as you can see it was pretty dumb looking. I actually knew a loser who had this turd, and not only did it play terribly, have only a handful of characters, and look messy, but the fatalities were actually just random punches or kickes with no real gore or death. They cut out the entire game! MKII also hit the Saturn and while it was an arcade perfect port in the looks and sound department, the loading times were about as bad as any first generation CD-ROM game, and went double for selection Shang Tsung and doing any morphing. The SNES was the version of choice for many. Graphics and sound were just right, and the 6 button control standard avoided the pitfalls of getting all the moves right on the 3 button Genesis pad. Basically the game wasn't as good on Sega systems! Ha! MKII is now pretty widely available under the budget priced Midway Arcade Treasures Vol 2, and as a bonus unlockable for the newly released PS2/Xbox title Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, a game that itself bridges the gap between the first 2 games. As I mentioned before, MKII was an improvement over the original Mortal Kombat in just about every way. As time went on MK suffered some embarassments. MK4 wasn't really bad for its time, but like many early 3d games it hasn't aged well. Special Forces and the Sub-Zero solo game were about as horrifying as you could imagine, and really helped bury the franchise while Tekken, DOA, VF, and the new generation of 3D fighters were really taking off. Thankfully Midway didn't give up and came back strong with Deadly Alliance in 2002, and then MK Deception in 2004. Sure, the series had to let go of its arcade roots, but the complete overhaul to the game didn't go unappreciated by serious players because now they could go online. MKII was the best kind of fun: dumb fun. It didn't take a lot to master the controls, the moves were mostly easy to do, and your payoff for having quicker reflexes than your opponent was to shamefully turn them into a baby or offer them an autograph as they wobble about in a haze. It holds up well after a decade, and offered the kind of content that paved the way for some of the best and worst moments in gaming today. Now DANCE! DANCE, BARAKA, DANCE!!!!
Saturday, December 10, 2005
$20 game of the week: Silent Scope complete (Xbox)
I'm a big fan of light gun shooters, and Konami is the top innovator of the genre (much respect to sega and namco's virtua cop and time crisis series as well tho). From lethal enforcers to police 911, their shooters add an extra kick to the tried and true formula of blasting the shit out of things while moving with the camera. Silent scope is probably thier greatest contribution to the genre. It added in a sniper rifle to arcade cabinets, enabling PC sniping jackasses to live out thier battlefield 2 fantasies without actually having to sign up for the military or worry about catching a case. THis triple pack from konami (actually 4 - pack since Silent scope Ex is included with silent scope 3) features lots of shooting action and a few hidden features. There is even a sinper rifle periphal you can pick up to bring the John Lee malvo goodness home. The dialogue may be cheesy and some moments may be goofy, but this is another notch on konami's belt. Now if only we could get a new lethal enforcers game.
Friday, December 09, 2005
So You Want a Revolution?
Recently the specs for the Nintendo Revolution have been leaked by one or more developers who are still working on incomplete kits. The reports say that, in terms of system and graphics memory, the Revolution is only 1.5-2 times more powerful than the GameCube. More importantly, as many suspected, the system does not support any kind of high definition output. MOST importantly, the specs pretty much preclude any chance of the system ever supporting HD standards, as there's simply not enough graphics power to push those resolutions. Then there's Nintendo's official release on the subject, which claims that they understand that high definition graphics are part of the next generation, and they promise that Revolution will still look crisp, regardless of whether it's on a standard definition set or high-definition one. Unfortunately, this is an outright lie. Xbox 360 owners can disprove this firsthand. It does cost more to make these games in both standard and HD. It's going to cost more in development, it's going to make the console cost more to have the hardware to manage the output, and it's going to make the games cost more. The HD sets still cost way more than a standard television. Even if you don't have an HD set (like me... so far), you're still going to have to pay for a capability you don't yet have. I can't say I'm a fan of that. Nintendo actually took the HD port off the back of the GameCube later in its life cycle, which I think clearly signaled that they were going to drop HD altogether in the future. Ultimately, though, I feel this is a mistake. It's one on par with coming in to CDs late, and scoffing at the avenues online play could open up. Now there's this. It might not make a difference the first couple of years, when a majority of households will still have standard definition sets. However, the US is slated to go totally HD by 2007. That doesn't mean that standard definition sets will be useless, but they'll require special adapters to be able to read the new digital signals. And that doesn't mean than standard definition outputs on consoles will suddenly be useless. It DOES mean that people will start switching over to HD en masse because 1) it will be cheaper than it is now, and 2) they'll pretty much have no choice, but the choices will still be 1(again)) comparably affordable to what they are now. It might not make sense for 2006 or even 2007, but what about 2009? Sure, the Revolution might output more polygons and skin them with higher resolution textures -- the storage medium and increased power bear that out. But it can't honestly be compared to the same power under HD output. Nintendo can say that their graphics will be crisp until they are blue in the face, but there's a simple technological fact that goes against this claim -- standard definition simply can't fill the number of lines available on an HD set. It's just not possible. They're missing, at best, about 1/3 of the total space. That means that for every seven lines they output, they're missing three. Those three have to be filled somehow, and it's done by duplicating pixels in the existing feed. No matter what they do, they can't overcome the blurry effect this creates on HD sets. If you have a high-end laptop or desktop LCD that's meant to run at 1400 and you try to run it at 1024 you'll know what I mean. The typical lifespan of a console generation is 5 years. While the difference might not be important for the first two or three years, can they really claim that by 2010 or 2011 this difference won't be the biggest tech gap (and therefore selling point) that they'll never be able to close? Is it unreasonable to expect that a majority of households will have HD sets simply out of pure technical need? Maybe Nintendo will change their minds when the NEXT next gen console launches and there's no reason why they shouldn't support HD exclusively (and totally strip out standard definition support). That's assuming this present decision won't be too damaging in the intervening time. I don't think Nintendo is going anywhere, but this will damage their reputation as a serious competitor. But even by Nintendo's admission they don't want to compete in the arena that the 360 and PS3 are vying for. I don't think that graphics are what's going to make or break this next generation, but I think it's perfectly reasonable to provide support for something that's going to be common within the next six years. To say that there won't be a marked difference between standard-def Revolution graphics and HD PS3 or Xbox 360 is disingenuous. Why try to claim that their graphics output will be competitive if they're not even interested in that competition? It boggles the mind. I'll still get a Revolution, but the likelihood that I'll wait to get a second console to "fill the gap" is severely diminished. I might even get a PS3 or 360 FIRST, without even waiting to see what Nintendo has to offer. And then they'll be indirect competition for my dollars when it comes to buying titles for one or the other. That's not a competition I'm sure Nintendo will win, even with me.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Ballmer doesn't have a 360
The Washington Post reports Microsoft's CEO will have to shop for his Xbox. It is unkown if he threw a chair or threatened to kill anyone when he was handed this news.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Video Game Controller Family Tree
A fella named Sock Master has assembled theVideo Game Controller Family Tree. Far from complete, he does draw a line from some of the most remembered and influential controllers to their natural descendants. Of note is how many bad Atari controllers where were. Hey, they were amoung the first, so we can blame them for not having it right, but that Jaguar pad sticks out like sore thumb as one of the worst designs ever.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
$20 game of the week: Unreal Championship 2 - The Liandri Conflict (Xbox)
While everyone is creaming themselves over Halo 2, Doom 3, and Half life 2, here is a worthy addition to the FPS genre that you might have missed. I use the term FPS quite loosley becuase you can switch to 3rd person combat and a big emphasis is put on special moves and meelee combat. If you adapt a mindless run and gun strategy, you'll get beat quick fast by a meelee expert. It's almost like a new genre has been invented here, and the closest thing I could compare this to is Capcom's Spawn and Heavy Metal games that were released for the Dreamcast(Although they don't combine shooter and meele combat as fluidly as Epic did here). The new story mode, challenges, and Xbox live portion (Including downloadable characters and arenas) will keep players into theis game for months. Midway was right to pick this up from Microsoft studios, and it even benefited from the addition of Raiden from the Mortal Kombat franchise. Hopefully we'll see more of this style of play in future editions of Unreal.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Throwback Thursday: Crazy Taxi
While this game is only about 6 years old, its gameplay is very much rooted in classic arcade racers. But the best thing is, its not a traditional racer! Instead of making laps around a set course, you're dropped on a city street in a taxi and charged with picking up passengers and getting them to their destination as quickly as possible. The more crazy shit you do while driving, the bigger your tip becomes! Driver on the wrong side of the road, the sidewalk, take ramps, drift turns... just don't crash or your passenger will yell at you and you'll lose that tip! Graphics were some of the best of its time, with very little pop-in and LOTS of on street activity. Few games today have as many people and cars on the screen at once. Soundtrack was handled by The Offspring and Bad Religion, and though they aren't exactly my favorite bands "All I Want" and "10 in 2010" definitely helped set the tone of the game as a fast paced thrill ride. Crazy Taxi started as an arcade game from Sega arrived on the Dreamcast in spring 2000. While the console version lacked the fun of the wheel and pedalsi n the arcade, it was only $40, which is a lot less than what I'd spent playing the game the previous summer at the arcade. Sega added an entirely new city, and options to extend the time limit to really explore. There was also a challenge mode, giving you specific pick-ups and time limits and grading your performance. Doing well meant unlocking a BIKE, which handled the same as your car, but was still fun and goofy to drive around in. Shortly after the DC was abandoned for Sega to go multi-platform, they licensed Acclaim to publish the game in PS2 and Gamecube. With Acclaim belly-up, and Sega's less than stellar sequels, its hard to say where the franchise might head in the future if it even has one. It did inspire a massive rip-off in Simpsons Road Rage. Burnout 3 is a very different game, but certainly rewards some of the same type of driving as Crazy Taxi. Considering the cult following the Dreamcast has and the availability of this game in bargain bins all over for PS2 and Gamecube, theres no reason not to play this game. It doesn't glorify violence, doesn't offer a story, and theres no multiplayer mode, but its about as much fun in a video game car a single person can have. Crazy Taxi Techniques maintains a massive strategy and tips guide for the arcade version, and Crazy Taxi Trailer Crazy Taxi PC demo Sega Japan Crazy Taxi site