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|2010-10-18, 03:18
|Link #1
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: neverland
DoTA 2
Valve Dota Officially Revealed
In 2009, Icefrog announced that Valve would be entering the DotA Based Game genre with Icefrog at the helm.
Mid 2010 - Valve applies for the DotA, DotA 2 and DotA 3 trademark.
October 2010 - the Valve secret DotA project is unveiled by GameInformer.
The new DotA 2 Logo from Valve
What's a Dota?
Dota 2 takes its name from the Warcraft III mod Defense of the Ancients, a drastic change to that stock real-time strategy title, which pits two teams of five players against each other in highly competitive, 40-minute or longer matches. Unlike most RTSes, DotA has each player controlling a single hero who levels up and stockpiles gold to purchase powerful equipment and consumables. As computer-controlled armies continually spawn and rush the enemy's base, players are responsible for using their powerful heroes to turn the tide of the battle in their favor.
DotA quickly gained massive popularity on Blizzard's Battle.net service, with the growing community utilizing user-created channels and the rudimentary custom game browser to connect players. As mods tend to do, it branched into several variations as time passed. Eventually, one rose to the top: DotA-Allstars, originally created by Steve "Guinsoo" Feak (now employed with Riot Games designing League of Legends). Allstars is currently maintained and updated by IceFrog (who declined to give his real name), who was hired by Valve in 2009 and is now working on Dota 2.
DotA enjoys such unprecedented popularity for a number of interconnected reasons. The game has a skill curve as long and as wide as Counter-Strike or StarCraft; expert players dominate matches with lesser-skilled individuals solely through manual dexterity and hard-won knowledge. Extensive upgrade paths allow players to combine items into more powerful versions, gaining thousands of hit points or powerful life-stealing attacks. Team play is hugely rewarded; though the map is large enough for all ten players to spread out and fight creeps on their own without anyone engaging anyone else directly, late-game play is almost invariably centered around giant 3v3 or even 5v5 team fights.
The mod has benefited from excellent, long-running support in the form of constant updates that add new content or address balance issues. Said balance is good enough that no dominant team composition or strategy has ever taken hold for long. The heroes are varied enough that a match featuring different team rosters can take on an entirely different character from the last.
The enormous following generated by DotA's deep gameplay is unprecedented. Today, years after its release, a third-party site hosting an update can get hammered by more than six million downloads in a day. The mod spawned a new subgenre, commonly referred to as "action-RTS," that contains two successful commercial games in League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth (and the unfortunate flop Demigod) as well as DotA-Allstars itself. Valve Corporation, the company beloved for its Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Team Fortress, and Left 4 Dead series as well as its outstanding Steam digital distribution and matchmaking platform, is making its entry into this still-growing genre next year with Dota 2.
What Does Valve Bring?
Valve's approach to Dota 2 is unusual in that the gameplay itself is remaining almost entirely untouched. "Our first reaction is to assume that [design elements are] there for a reason," project lead Erik Johnson explains. "IceFrog is one of the smartest designers we've ever met. He's made so many good decisions over the years in building the product. He virtually never makes a decision that doesn't have some reasoning behind it and a way to pick apart the logic behind it." This approach means that Dota 2 basically is DotA-Allstars with new technology.
DotA-Allstars' roster of 100+ heroes is being brought over in its entirety. The single map games take place on is functionally identical to the one that you can download for free today in the Warcraft III mod. Items, skills, and upgrade paths are unchanged. Some hero skills work slightly better due to being freed from the now-ancient Warcraft III engine, but Dota 2 will be instantly familiar to any DotA player.
A few things will make significant differences to players making the transition. Dota 2 uses Valve's Source engine, so the game is much prettier. Source itself is getting a few upgrades, including improved global lighting and true cloth simulation. Dota 2's integrated voice chat is a huge step up from having to set up your own Ventrilo server, and the speed of voice communication is very nearly a requirement for a game as team-focused as DotA.
AI bots will take over for disconnected players, and will be available to play against in unranked training matches as well. However, don't get your hopes up for a full-fledged single-player game, though. Johnson says, "Our goal with the AI is just that their experience isn't destroyed just because one person couldn't finish the game."
The visual style is remarkable for retaining the somewhat cartoony feel that the Warcraft III version of DotA-Allstars is built around, while going in a few different directions. "I think there are functional aspects to the art that are pretty significant to the players," Johnson muses. The environment, particularly in the forests that fill in the map between the three lanes that the NPC armies follow, uses a desaturated color scheme to give the colorful heroes and abilities some visual pop. The sizable art team is putting a lot of work into making the shapes and animations of each hero distinct to the point that players will be able to instantly identify any hero they see and quickly gauge the threat level of any situation.
The game will also feature a ton of custom voice work. You'll get amusing lines from heroes as they deny the enemy team last hits on creeps, and champions who have backstory connections will trade quips when nearby.
The bulk of innovation in Dota 2, however, is ancillary to the gameplay itself. Valve is upgrading Steamworks (the company's backend technologies for matchmaking and other gameplay and community-related things) to allow them to create in-game rewards for participating in the Dota 2 community. The idea is to have everything a player does in or out of game tie back into their online identity. Like the improvements to Source, the Steamworks upgrades will be available to third-party developers who choose to use Valve's tools when Dota 2 launches in 2011.
At a basic level, posting useful feedback or participating in constructive discussions on the forums will contribute to your standing in the community in a visible way. Valve doesn't have the specifics on how this will work nailed down yet. Will you get points that contribute to a visible ranking, like a Gamerscore? Will your posts need to be recommended by other community members to count for anything? What counts as a constructive discussion? These questions are all being actively explored at the moment. Valve assures us that the designers have a slew of awesome ideas for how to implement rewards in a way that's visible to the rest of the community, but there are no details to announce yet. "When we talk about this identity that exists inside and outside the game, we don't think we're anywhere near it with what exists on Steam right now," Johnson admits.
If this was just about getting points for posting comments, though, we wouldn't waste your time by telling you about it. Dota 2 goes much farther than that. Everything from unlocking new skins for your favorite hero to getting a unique title for writing a strategy guide is on the table. Valve has ambitious plans (for which, again, there are no specifics to share) to host everything themselves and provide the best framework for the community to interact with each other. The idea is to reduce the social friction inherent in having to dig around a bunch of different fansites and wikis to find what you're looking for.
Ultimately, two things will make Dota 2 stand out: the coaching system and interactive guides. Read on to find out more.
Riding the Skill Curve
Getting owned sucks. It doesn't matter if you're the victim of a headshot in Counter-Strike, corner trapped in Street Fighter, or swarmed under by Zerglings in StarCraft. Holding the short end of the skill stick in competitive games like these is rough. This problem is compounded in DotA and its clones by two factors. First, matches last around 40 minutes – that's a long time to spend getting your face kicked in. Second, dying not only takes you out of the game while your respawn timer counts down but also directly benefits the other team by giving a big cash bounty to your killer.
At intermediate and higher levels of play, having a poor player on your team who dies frequently is worse than fighting with a man down, as the opposite team gets gobs of gold for picking off the newbie. This has fostered a legendarily newbie-hostile attitude within large swaths of the DotA community. As fun and rewarding as the game is when you're in a match of appropriate skill level – and it can be one of the very best experiences in gaming, without exaggeration – finding those matches has always been a nightmare. It doesn't help that the game is so intense that Valve had to institute a "no talking about the match for an hour afterwards" rule for its internal playtests. The recent commercial titles that more or less cloned DotA have ameliorated this to some extent, but it is still often a huge problem.
Valve believes that the solution to the huge barrier to entry is threefold. The first, obvious solution is to have excellent skill-based matchmaking for both individuals and teams. Valve believes that the work going into Steamworks for Dota 2's release meets that requirement. Second, interactive guides will allow players to do more than just read a guide for their favorite hero that has been deemed helpful by the community at large. Valve plans to allow guide-makers to tie their work back into the game by doing things like highlighting suggested item purchases or displaying useful information during a match.
Finally, a coaching system is being deeply integrated into the game. By logging in as a coach, veteran players can do their part to help out newer folks. Valve hasn't entirely decided on the specifics of how newbies and coaches will be matched up, but once they're together a few things happen. The coach sees the pupil's screen, and gets private voice and chat channels to communicate with them. The coach probably won't be able to take control of anything directly (once again, the details are currently under discussion), but information is power in Dota 2 and having a mentor whispering in your ear can make all the difference in the world.
Of course, the pupil will be able to rate the coach's helpfulness. Being a well-regarded coach will have explicit in-game rewards, just like writing useful guides, posting constructive feedback, or engaging in interesting strategy discussions. If the overwhelming response to Battle.net achievements is any indication, vanity rewards like these will be extremely effective in channeling the community's energies toward positive contributions.
Valve founder and boss Gabe Newell thinks that ongoing service and value creation over a game's lifespan is the new reality of game development. "IceFrog was one of the smartest people we've ever met about doing that, and he was doing it with both hands tied behind his back, so to speak," Newell says. The company plans on approaching Dota 2 with the same dedication that won it the fanatical devotion of the Team Fortress 2 community, pushing out dozens of updates that do everything from adding new hats to fixing balance issues to introducing entire new match types for free.
"I think the interesting thing is us adding a second layer where the community is a service to each other. That's the real shift that we're trying to build here. Valve is going to keep building software around Dota and around the community and around Steamworks for Dota, but we're also going to build this system where the community can bring service to each other and be recognized for it," Johnson proclaims. With a solid backbone of community-enabling systems and Valve's legendary support and technology behind it, Dota 2 has a chance to turn one of the most popular mods of all time into a full game on PC and Mac that compares favorably to any eight-figure-budget console blockbuster.
One thing going for the Valve DotA Based Game is it's lead developer. Since Icefrog is credited for bringing DotA to it's peak, a lot of DotA players will be following Icefrog and the Valve DotA project. Expectations are quite high since both Icefrog and Valve have generally good reputations when it comes to their craft.
Editor notes: One notable game in the DotA based game genre is Heroes of Newerth, a 30 dollar game from a game company with a cult following. HoN is currently marked by long-time DotA veterans as the only worthy successor to DotA so far. All these can change if Valve meets the high expectations from both the DotA and Steam communities.
Drow Ranger
great news for all dota fanatics! all hail icefrog!!!
|2010-10-27, 05:38
|Link #2
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Australia
Age: 35
|2010-10-27, 05:46
|Link #3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Finally the game is out. No more shitty LoL or HoN. <3
Last edited by Rhythm; 2013-03-27 at 21:55.
|2010-10-27, 07:16
|Link #4
A Proud Lolicon
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: In front of my computer
Age: 31
|2010-10-27, 09:43
|Link #5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Just because it has a different "feel" (dafuq?), it means you can't compare them? Sure they introduced some new things. In the end they're both still based off the AoS style, both within the MOBA genre, and so is HoN...even though HoN was apparently more of a copy with improved graphics, LoL still retained the principle of 3 lanes, waves, heroes, towers, etc. So why not compare them? And if I feel it's inferior why not bash it? <3
Last edited by Rhythm; 2013-03-27 at 22:55.
|2010-10-28, 11:51
|Link #6
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: East Boston, Massachusetts
Age: 29
|2010-11-04, 21:10
|Link #7
Graphic Designer
First of all, the quality of these concept arts does not show the quality of graphic in game(derp). DotA2 will most likely replace HoN(?) but not LoL. I don't see how DotA2 has anything new to offer other than realistic graphics, which is still in doubt. Following this MOBA genre since AoS and played in the Cal, all I can tell you is that DotA's current balancing system is epic fail. Characters conception like Drow, Bloodseeker is hardly appealing(AOE silent and frost arrows, seriously?). Appealing characters such as Earthshaker/Engima/Silencer is imbalanced with AOE ultimate that could kill the whole team. Game mechanics like killing your allies to allow your creep to stay in one spot without moving while not letting opponent have any exp are epic fail. Items such as Dagger still have like a 3-4 second cool down. The balancing system is actually worse than when games were titled "No SA" in fear of the WitchDoctor Ward. What makes a game fun is its game mechanics and not that it has cool graphics. I am sick of getting that AOE combo in IH or the concept of late game and early game hero.
- I am biased because LoL has Touhou references(Wriggle's Lantern, Youmuu's Ghostblade) and Final Sparks(Lux). I used to hated LoL because the matchmaking system, runes, and mastery; It was until I played Annie, loli bursting people out-- something Lina/Pyromancer could not accomplish, that I began to love LoL. Note that LoL's player population is way larger than HoN due to being free.
Last edited by Izayoi; 2010-11-04 at 21:51.
|2010-11-05, 01:46
|Link #8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Spoiler for Response.:
And my opinion is that LoL and HoN are shitty, deal with it kiddo. :P
Last edited by Rhythm; 2013-03-27 at 22:59.
|2011-06-06, 14:31
|Link #9
Secret Society BLANKET
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 3 times the passion of normal flamenco
Sneak Peak at DoTA 2 Changelogs
... there was a private Beta for DoTA2 since November 2010?
|2011-06-07, 21:09
|Link #10
Gundam Boobs and Boom FTW
Join Date: Dec 2005
Actually, Valve can get sued pretty nicely by the anime studio that made Slayers.
LINA INVERSE, anyone?
Also, if they continue to use the same model for Phantom Lancer, Square Enix can sue for ripping off of Kimahri's model.
Also: WotC can sue for the unauthorized use of Morphling (M:tG Urza's Saga) for profit.
So can Blizzard for generally ripping off of their IP. After all, I believe whenever you made a custom map, that map became IP of Blizzard Entertainment.
Frankly, I hope Valve gets taken to the cleaners for this.
|2011-06-17, 11:08
|Link #11
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Age: 29
|2011-07-18, 19:42
|Link #12
Bittersweet Distractor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 27
We should be receiving interesting news soon.
Spoiler for space:
They have a countdown until gamecom on their website too.
And according to earlier Valve announcements they will be releasing Dota 2 probably mid year next year .
|2011-08-01, 16:28
|Link #13
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Unspecified
Dota 2 Championships: First Public Showing at Gamescom
the prize is $1 million.
|2011-08-03, 21:14
|Link #16
Itadaki-nyaaa !!
Join Date: Apr 2008
Valve wants to create hype and publicity with this and they sure as hell succeed in doing that. However, at the end of the day the quality of the game itself and the quantity of its features is what makes a great product and that creates a large community and longevity.
As for me, I had been playing dota even before Icefrog took over from Guinsoo - that's before 2005, and even more after that when it became more competitive. However, since some friends introduced me to LoL I never played a single dota game again and I pretty much never looked back.
Now when dota2 is released I'm giving it a serious try for it to prove to be the "better" game for me but seeing how I'm still hooked up with LoL after all this time, dota2 has to be extremely good for me to switch again for good.
|2011-08-03, 21:35
|Link #17
Join Date: Dec 2003
I believe it is better to host 5 different 200k tournaments than to dump $1mil into an exclusive tournament based on a game that is still in beta.
I believe $1mil creates a lot of hype, but 5x$200k can achieve similar results while providing a skeleton for future growth of the game.
|2011-08-04, 14:26
|Link #19
Bittersweet Distractor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 27
Valve has basically shown an incrediblemdisplay of both power and confidence here. Not only does this show the overwhelming financial support Dota 2 will have over lesser copies like hon but it practically announces Dota 2 as the next possibly enormous e game in the world. While there Always has been a nicely sized competitive scene out there for dotA it has very little sponsors and has been hugely limited by the war3 engine. This is a chance for Dota to really burst out into the internationL scene like sc2 managed to.
|2011-08-04, 23:42
|Link #20
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
They should do something like what HoN is doing with their public/verified users.
The rotating heroes for unverified users is probably the best idea ever for DOTA. One of the biggest problems was that newbies are completely overwhelmed by an immediate pool of 100 heroes. Having a much smaller selection on rotation would allow newbies to slowly learn various heroes without being overwhelmed by them.
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Suffolk University, which inhabited just a few brownstones behind the State House two decades ago, has carved a glittery swath throughout downtown Boston in recent years, its 17-building campus now encompassing some of the most expensive real estate in the country.
It abuts the city's most famous walk, the historic Freedom Trail, where students studying at the gleaming law school at the edge of Boston Common can hear the bells toll from the Park Street Church across the way. Enrollment, too, has soared - nearly doubling over 20 years to 9,600, with a growing number of international students and outposts in Spain and Senegal.
It is a world away from Suffolk's extraordinary, humble roots as a law school founded in a Roxbury living room more than a century ago to offer night classes to immigrants.
While the school has risen to make its mark on the downtown landscape, it has not managed to break into the ranks of selective, elite universities - even as it rewards its veteran president with the second-highest compensation in the country among private college leaders.
"I get angry when I'm standing in line at the grocery store and I see the rankings and we're like a third-tier university,'' said Dennis Fernandez, a Silicon Valley patent lawyer and a Suffolk trustee. "It's the shell they have built out, but have they generated any leading content? I see no Nobel prizes over there.''
Suffolk, struggling financially after rapid expansion, depends heavily on tuition and fees ($27,200 for undergraduates this year) to fund nearly all of its operating costs. It accepts nearly 85 percent of undergraduate applicants, many with mediocre test scores and grades. Only a fifth of those admitted choose to enroll. And only 55 percent of its students graduate within six years, compared with 76 percent among Massachusetts private colleges, according to federal statistics.
Now, some trustees and alumni have begun to raise questions about Suffolk's leadership, direction, and financial stability in light of the contract extension until 2013 that the school's president, David Sargent, received this month.
Recent news of Sargent's $1.5 million compensation package in 2008 coincided with Suffolk's sweeping efforts to stabilize its debt. Several influential alumni said they worry that Sargent's lavish pay tarnishes Suffolk's reputation as accessible to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. And they wonder whether he has the energy and vision to lead the university to the next level; he will be 81 the year his contract expires.
"The faculty, students, and alumni frankly deserve a leader who reflects Suffolk's values,'' said Kathleen McDermott, a 1986 Suffolk Law graduate and Washington lawyer who serves on an advisory committee for the law school. "The controversy has raised questions about governance, succession, and compensation, and whether the board's policies reflect prevailing norms and the high ideals of Suffolk.''
Even some Sargent supporters, including several trustees on the university's 33-member board, fear that complacency and inertia are holding Suffolk back.
Fernandez, who said he backs Sargent's leadership, would like to see the university recognized as a "thought leader,'' so he is helping launch a program to patent university-sponsored discoveries.
Other trustees among the half-dozen interviewed say Suffolk needs to invest in recruiting world-class faculty and expanding its research.
"We're in the early stages of a transition from the blue-collar guy into a respected global institution,'' Fernandez said.
Provost Barry Brown says Suffolk is making academic gains. Test scores of admitted students are climbing, and faculty are publishing more and receiving more federal research grants, he said.
Sargent, a 1954 Suffolk law graduate who had largely shunned the spotlight during his 20 years at the helm, declined multiple requests for an interview. John Nucci, the university's vice president for external affairs, said Sargent is "too modest'' to take credit for the college's transformation.
The crescent-shaped campus winds down Beacon Hill through Downtown Crossing to the once seedy Theater District, where the historic Modern Theatre, most recently an adult cinema, is being converted into the university's fourth dorm.
Suffolk - a commuter school until 1996, when it opened its first residence hall - now houses nearly a quarter of its undergrads and hopes to house more than half within 10 years. Students have a view of the State House's golden dome from their high-rise Beacon Hill dormitory.
The state-of-the-art law school building, which opened in 1999, bears Sargent's name. A Newport, N.H., native, he became a law school professor in 1956, when he would sweep the floors and empty the ashtrays because the school was too poor to hire a janitor, said Nicholas Macaronis, chairman of the board of trustees and Sargent's law school classmate. Sargent went on to become dean of the law school for 17 years before being named president in 1989.
"David Sargent has literally given his whole professional career to this school,'' Nucci, a former Boston city councilor, said during a recent campus tour. "You can't put a price tag on that.''
Befitting its prime location, Suffolk also wields significant clout on Beacon Hill, where alumni make up nearly a fifth of the Legislature and 100 serve in the Massachusetts judiciary.
But some say Sargent's unusually generous compensation amounts to an abuse of its nonprofit status.
"Here you have an average university and you're paying your chief executive more than the best institutions in the world,'' said state Senator Mark Montigny, a Democrat from New Bedford and chairman of the Senate committee on bonding, capital expenditures, and state assets. "The fact that anyone would defend that is laughable.''
Last year, dozens of alumni wrote angry letters to Suffolk's board after a Chronicle of Higher Education survey named Sargent the most highly paid college president in the country, drawing $2.8 million in 2007, including deferred compensation. They also questioned the independence of the board, some of whom hold lucrative contracts with Suffolk.
Some now threaten to withhold donations; only 7 percent of alumni give to Suffolk.
"I am not going to give money to the school anymore, and I'm encouraging my fellow alumni not to give until this clears up,'' said law graduate Theodore Schwartz, a Philadelphia lawyer who helped raise $350,000 for scholarships in 2004.
In 2008, Suffolk paid the lobbying firm owned by trustee Robert Crowe $120,000 to represent the university's interests in Washington, D.C. The same year, it paid $64,935 to the law firm where trustee Dennis Duggan Jr. is a partner.
While the college maintains those contracts, trustees say new bylaws have tightened disclosure and voting guidelines. As it looks toward the end of the Sargent era, the board's main concern is putting Suffolk on solid academic and financial ground.
"I think it's time there was a succession plan put in place,'' said trustee John O'Connor. "We need to make sure we're thinking about the things we need to do to increase our revenue base and deal with the challenges of fund-raising.''

subset: commoncrawl


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Moments after their 14-10 loss at Worthington Kilbourne on April 19, members of the Columbus Academy girls lacrosse team remained upbeat despite suffering their first setback of the season.
Moments after their 14-10 loss at Worthington Kilbourne on April 19, members of the Columbus Academy girls lacrosse team remained upbeat despite suffering their first setback of the season.
That's the attitude coach Anne Horton has tried to instill in her team throughout her 19 seasons.
"The kids won the second half. They were pumped," said Horton, whose team fell behind 8-0 in the first half but outscored Kilbourne 10-6 over the final 36 minutes. "We don't like to lose. I told them whenever things aren't going well in the game, we have to figure out a way to fix it. (The Wolves) came out just smoking us and I told them if we don't start playing with more grit they're going to kill us, and we flipped the game."
Senior attacker Courtney Deena, who led the team in scoring last season with 61 goals and was first-team all-region and all-state in Division II, again is playing a role in the Vikings' success. Deena, who will play field hockey at the University of Maryland, scored five goals against Kilbourne.
"This was a good challenge for us, especially being so young," she said. "We needed to have a challenge like this early in the season rather than later."
The Vikings were 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the Central Independent League before playing Wellington on April 23.
Junior attacker Courtney Gittins scored four goals against Kilbourne.
Annie Lavin (defender), Deepa Manda (goalkeeper) and Abby Young (attacker) are the other seniors.
Other returning players are juniors Paige Berliner (def-ender), Kat Restrepo (defender) and Brianna Stahl (defender) and sophomore Kelly Brown (midfielder).
Other players are juniors Lindsay Bowman (defender), Hayley Mitchell (attacker) and Rachel Theis (defender), sophomore Alivia Brown (midfielder) and freshmen Katie Boeckman (midfielder), Julia Chester (midfielder), Alyssa Edwards (midfielder), Grace Geiger (attacker), Makela Hughes (attacker), Eleanor Rackoff (midfielder), Charlotte Smith (attacker) and Lawson Stump (goalie).
"I'm thrilled with the season," Horton said. "We're so young. We have eight freshmen and we're relying on them for key stuff. (The Kilbourne game) was a big game for them and some of them grew a lot."
Last season, the Vikings finished 11-5 overall and won their third consecutive Central Independent League title at 7-0, ahead of Bexley (5-2), Hartley (4-2-1), Columbus School for Girls (4-3), Watterson (3-3-1), DeSales (2-5), Wellington (1-6) and Granville (1-6).
Academy lost to Cincinnati Mariemont 9-6 in a Division II South/Central Region semifinal.
"We're really looking forward to the tournament," Deena said. "We have a strong shot this year with a lot of girls who really want it this year. That's a key part of our goal in the tournament."Boys tennis teamearns two key wins
The boys tennis team defeated Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 3-2 on April 19.
Winners were Evan Alexander 6-3, 6-4 at third singles, Ryan Jung and Shrikar Kundur 6-4, 6-4 at first doubles and J.P. Perrini and Ezer Smith 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles.
Academy also defeated New Albany 3-2 on April 17 for its first win over the Eagles since 2007, according to coach Jeff Warstler.
Winners were Jacob Wareti 6-1, 6-1 at first singles, Abram Schottenstein 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 at second singles and Alexander 6-3, 6-1 at third singles.
"We just have real good kids who are really good players," Warstler said. "We're playing loose and competing hard. The kids are doing a great job."Boys lacrosse teamdefeats Akron Hoban
The boys lacrosse team defeated Akron Hoban 18-7 on April 20 at home.
Last season, Hoban defeated the Vikings 18-7 in a play-in game of the Division II Central Region tournament.
Senior attacker Hart Wise led Academy in the rematch with seven goals. Sophomore midfielder Carter Kistler scored five goals, and junior attacker Grayson Wise had three.Baseball team'learning to compete'
The baseball team capped a busy week by splitting a pair of MSL-Ohio Division games.
After defeating Bexley 17-10 on April 19, the Vikings lost to Granville 13-2 in five innings April 20 in a game rescheduled from April 18 because of bad weather.
"We've had some really tough, one-run losses," said coach Jim Collis, whose team lost to Whitehall 4-3 on April 15 and Lakewood 7-6 on April 12. "We play in a very competitive MSL league. The kids are learning to compete and hopefully will find ways to finish the one-run games."Track teams winat Bloom-Carroll
The boys and girls track and field teams each finished first April 20 in the Bloom-Carroll Invitational.
The boys team was first (122) ahead of second-place Licking Heights (108) as 11 teams scored.
Winners were Jake Tuckerman in the 800 meters (2 minutes, 5.9 seconds) and 1,600 (4:58.8), Isaac Sheumaker in the shot put (41 feet, 9 1/4 inches), Aakaash Paladugu in the high jump (6-0), Jack Lint in the 110 hurdles (14.8) and Alex Ho in the 3,200 (10:42.3).
The girls team was first (110) ahead of Bloom-Carroll (99) and Licking Heights (99) as 11 teams scored.
Winners were Jillian Woodard in the long jump (16-1 1/4), Julia Rizk in the 1,600 (5:37.4), Susan Peck in the 3,200 (12:40.8) and Rizk, Andrea Ballinger, Elizabeth Falkenberg and Margaret Sutton in the 3,200 relay (10:17.8).


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Might and Delight AB's Pid is now available for purchase from Mac Game Store. The 2D platformer puts players in the role of a young boy stranded on a remote planet populated by malicious robots. Pid features more than 12 hours of play, 22 locations to explore, five boss battles, and a 2 player co-op mode.
Pid is a platform game that will turn everything you know about 2D gameplay upside down. You play as a young boy that gets stranded on an old remote planet. He must fight off a variety of malicious robots bent on stopping him and befriend unlikely allies to shed light on a huge conspiracy that keeps the planet mesmerized and prevents him from ever reaching home.Features:Experience 12+ hours of retro adventuringLocate over 100 secrets spanning 22 different locationsFive smart and thrilling boss battlesTravel with a friend in 2 player couch co-op modeRequirements:Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later2.6 GHz Processor1 GB RAM1.3 GB HD Space 256 MB VRAM
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DETROIT (AP) The Tampa Bay Lightning ended almost 20 years of futility at Joe Louis Arena on Saturday night.
Teddy Purcell's goal at 3:51 of overtime gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
It was the Lightning's first win in Detroit since Jan. 12, 1994. They had been 0-10-1 at Joe Louis Arena since then and had an all-time record in Detroit of 1-13-1.
''That was in the past. There a new staff, a new team,'' Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. ''We need to win games here if we're going to have any chance of making the playoffs.''
The teams are now both in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division.
Ryan Malone and Steven Stamkos also scored for Tampa Bay. Ben Bishop stopped 25 shots.
''We stayed with it and it's a good feeling right now,'' Stamkos said.
Henrik Zetterberg scored both goals for Detroit, which lost its fifth straight at home. Jimmy Howard made 31 saves.
''In the end we got ourselves a point in a game we could have come up with nothing. So good for us,'' Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said.
''What I didn't like was when we lost our composure, when we gave up chances for no reason. Their speed with our inability to move the puck from the back today made us slower. I thought they were a quicker team than we were.''
Purcell got his fifth goal, from the slot, after a pass from Richard Panik preceded by Kyle Quincey's turnover behind the Detroit net.
''Panik made a great play on the forecheck to pressure him and was able to throw it out in front,'' Purcell said.
Babcock said: ''We had the puck and Q (Quincey) was coming around the net and their guy was quicker and stole it from him.''
Zetterberg tied the game with 4:12 left in the third on a slap shot from the right circle for his second of the game and 10th goal of the season.
Stamkos gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead with 7:10 left in the second period. He beat Howard with a wrist shot from the right circle.
Stamkos' 14th goal came four seconds after Tampa Bay had killed off 5:24 of consecutive Detroit power-play time with 36 seconds of it a two-man advantage.
In all, the Lightning had only been at even strength for 13 seconds of the previous 7:37 when the final penalty ended.
''That was probably the turning point,'' Purcell said. ''... Very difficult to kill six or eight minutes of a power play. And then Stammer gets one shot and scores.''
The goal extended Stamkos' goal streak to six games and his points streak to eight.
The Red Wings have scored on only one of their past 20 power-play chances.
''It was better tonight than last game. It's something we have to work on. It's really important to take advantage of that,'' Zetterberg said. ''You got to practice on it, put more time on it. We have to really bear down when we get our chances and score goals.''
Zetterberg opened the scoring 3:51 into the game when he intercepted Stamkos' pass in the slot and put a wrist shot past Bishop.
Malone tied it at 1 with 9:49 remaining in the opening period when he put in the rebound of his own wrap-around attempt. It was Malone's second goal.
NOTES: It was Tampa Bay C Valtteri Filppula's first game against his former team after signing a five-year, $25 million free agent contract with Tampa Bay in July. Filppula spent his first eight NHL seasons with the Red Wings. ... Detroit C Stephen Weiss didn't play because of a sore groin and RW Johan Franzen missed his fourth game with an upper body injury/illness. ... Lightning GM Steve Yzerman played his entire 22-season Hall of Fame career with the Red Wings and was the Detroit captain for the last 19 seasons. ... The Red Wings recalled C Luke Glendening and D Xavier Ouellet from their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids earlier on Saturday.


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Colorblock Raglan Sweater is rated out of 5 by 1.
Rated 5 out of 5 by natasha_4 from cute top Just got this top.Material is very sheer.Almost see thru.Expected it to be a little heavier,Overall it fits and looks great.
Date published: 2013-02-16


text:
Valley of Sorrow – romantic, sentimental melodic track suitable for love projects, trailers, films, games music, as background and just to listen
Sensual melody with a change of tempo. A little sad, a little soothing, melodic and uplifting…
Purchased file contains:
1. Valley of Sorrow (Original) – 1:43
2. Valley of Sorrow (Without drums) – 1:43
MP3 and WAV versions included for your convenience.
To buyers:
If you like the song, but it is not appropriate for any parameters (time, tune or else) write to me via email and I will correct composition by your wishes.
If you buy my music, I'd really like to know which projects it has been used, so please send me an email through form on my main page.
Please, comment it and if you purchase – don't forget to rate.


text:
Eva-Marie Mancuso, chair of the Board of Education, was dressed in CCRI green Friday and talking like a member of the team.
And, like a coach, CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale extolled Mancuso's commitment to education as a star player to an auditorium of faculty at the college's 11th annual professional development day.
Di Pasquale called it an occasion to celebrate the college's successes and "think about where we want to go." He talked about the impact of the college's 48 years and 60,000 graduates on the state. And he touched on the college's near-highest enrollment of 18,000, which he doesn't see declining, and its dependence on tuitions and fees to meet 60 percent of its budget.
His list of highlights included the faculty's involvement in community service days; the fact that more than 1,700 students received degrees last spring, the largest ever graduating class. He said the graduation rate has increased by two points and that, with 33 percent, CCRI's percentage of minority students is second only to Brown University in Rhode Island.
And then Di Pasquale, Mancuso and union leaders got down to the future of the college.
Mancuso, who taught at CCRI in the 1980s, and whose youngest child, Emily, attended CCRI, said she and the governor are committed to education. She said many high school students aren't prepared for college and that there need to be changes in elementary and secondary schools.
"We've got a system that's broken and you have a chair who is going to work on that system," she said, after the applause subsided. She further pledged to get the job done. "I'm not retiring to Florida," she said, "with your help, we're going to get the job done."
But she made the point that money is essential.
"You can have all the ideas in the world but, until you have the money, it's only ideas," she said.
Money was also on Di Pasquale's agenda.
Referring to the refurbished Bobby Hackett Auditorium, he said there would be more rehabilitation projects and the college will see "a change in landscape … this building hasn't been touched in 40 years. It's got to happen."
Di Pasquale said plans call for the renovation of Warwick and Lincoln facilities in 2014. He noted that voters approved of a $50 million bond issue for Rhode Island College, adding, "We're going to have to do that for ourselves as well."
While confessing reservations about the combination of the Board of Regents and the Board of Governors that oversaw the state's schools into a single state Board of Education, Di Pasquale sees the new system as capable of addressing the critical issue of preparing more students for college courses.
"She gets it. She knows what has to be done," he said of Mancuso. "She is the right leader at the right time."
Also speaking at the opening session were union and faculty representatives, including Lynn Gudezauskas, president of the Educational Support Professional Association, who left no doubt what's on her agenda. She said the union is "pushing for a substantial wage increase, which is long overdue."
Her comment was greeted by applause, but not nearly as loud as those that followed the remarks of Deborah Nortarianni-Girard. Nortarianni-Girard co-chaired the development day committee with Michelle O'Brien. The day included scores of workshops with topics ranging from iPad Basics for General Users; to Best Practices in Online Teaching; to retirement and investment strategies. There was even a walk for fitness session where participants were told to bring sneakers and walk at their own pace.
But Nortarianni-Girard really had the audience's attention when she outlined the day's schedule and highlighted lunch. Her announcement that there would be desserts from Gregg's restaurant brought cheers and laughter.
Let's see, a 'professional development day' for state employees where the focus was: more money, discussions with union leaders, and dessert from Gregg's. It's good that Rhode Islanders are occassionally reminded about the destination of their tax dollars.


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March 10, 1948
March 9, 1964
March 10, 1890
March 11, 1861
March 13, 1887
March 14, 1780
This Week in Alabama History
March 8 - 14
Featured Event:
Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald--Montgomery belle, writer, artist, and (with her husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald) icon of the Jazz Age--dies in a hospital fire in Asheville, North Carolina.
Other Events this Week
In the Alabama case New York Times v. Sullivan the U.S. Supreme Court hands down a landmark free speech decision. A Montgomery city commissioner, L. B. Sullivan, had sued the Times for running a factually inaccurate ad that criticized the city's handling of civil rights demonstrators. Citing the First Amendment the court ruled against Sullivan, thereby strengthening the right to freely criticize government.
Juliet Opie Hopkins dies. Hopkins served as the Superintendent of Civil War Hospitals established in Richmond by the State of Alabama during the Civil War. She became a Confederate heroine for her efforts and her portrait even appeared on Alabama state bank notes during the Civil War years.
The Confederate Congress, meeting in Montgomery, adopts a permanent constitution for the Confederate States of America to replace the provisional constitution adopted the previous month. The seceded states then ratified the essentially conservative document, which was based largely on the United States Constitution.
Fugitive State Treasurer Isaac "Honest Ike" Vincent is arrested on a train in Big Sandy, Texas, and is returned to Alabama for trial. Four years earlier Vincent had absconded with more than $225,000 in state funds unaccounted for. Vincent was tried and convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to fifteen years in the state penitentiary.
Listen: Click the play button below to hear Archives Staff discuss this event on Alabama Public Radio.
After only a day of resistance the British commander at Fort Charlotte surrenders Mobile to Spain. The city remained under Spanish control until the War of 1812 when the United States took it over, adding it to the Mississippi Territory.


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|2012-01-23, 20:32
|Link #27281
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
So many messages to reply...
Spoiler for Lenght:
This could be a good explanation!
Spoiler for Part of an interview to Ryukishi:
My guess is that said content is the ShKannon part, that it was removed from EP 3, that happens in EP 5 but Battler and Erika ignore it in Ep 5 (where Erika or meta!Battler never noticed Shannon and Kanon are the same person) and that's the 'unfair trick' used in EP 6.
Now, it can be that Land would have played it better and would have anticipated the problem, however, the fact Ryukishi postponed the problem caused it to lose impact.
Spoiler for Replies to Toku cuts due to lenght:
Spoiler for Replies to Wanderer cuts due to lenght:
|2012-01-23, 20:50
|Link #27282
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
I'd just like to say that I apologize for my previous post (it's deleted now). Please disregard that. Sometimes I don't function well.
The "17" doesn't kill him off either, even on the game board. After all, since Kanon does not exist in the guest room, we can conclude that Piece!Yasuda is currently Shannon, and only personas that are in use count as "people" at any given moment. In this case, if they were to resume the game, Piece!Yasuda could switch to Kanon in the very next instant, and there would still be 17 people.
Well, if the "18" was spoken in the context of the Meta-World, that makes sense too. I hadn't thought of that.
I think she probably did know. And unless I assume that she was willing to risk humiliation in multiple instances, I would have to assume that she really was cooperating with Lambda.
Last edited by Toku; 2012-01-23 at 21:02.
|2012-01-23, 23:04
|Link #27283
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Basically, objections to my theory concern the EP4 Reds about person limits, and the troll-ish nature of Lambda just arbitrarily changing the rules of the game for no reason.
To try and clarify a few things with my theory, it's my belief that :
(1) Kanon's personhood over other similar beings (Imaginary-Kinzo, Beatrice, Ronove, etc.), is an arbitrary distinction made by her, the author, because Kanon's personhood is very, very important to her.
(2) The GM, however, has the right to present any scenario they wanted as true. I would say, in Prime, it's limited only by what a reader may or may not find plausible. For example, I can write a story wherein there happens to be no duct tape on Rokkenjima, and people will swallow it easily (...probably ), even if duct tape were present in prior forgeries. However, people would call foul if I increased the human count by 2, on account of Kyrie's surprise ninja-clones.
(2A) So, what? "I wrote a story where Kanon has his own body." Is that a problem? Are you gonna stop me from writing it? No. You'll either have not noticed Shkanon in prior forgeries, and swallow it (a douchey move on my part, if I intend the prior solution to still be viable), or you WILL have noticed SHkanon already, and say I'm a horrible author / fanfic troll on the internet whose plot has "no love".
I'll try my hand at a sloppy chess metaphor, too - in my head, it's something like, "Shkanon is the standard rule, like a normal chess setup. In EP5, I exchanged one of my pawns for a spare knight piece, and my opponent either was too dim to notice, or maybe they noticed and grumbled "grr, that's not how you play the game..." but played anyways because their victory was still entirely possible.
...I've already admitted that this makes EP5 Lambda and EP6 Battler unbelievably troll-tastic, especially in regards to Erika's ability to solve the logic error - she went into her second game thinking my three knights was the normal setup, even though I was back to only using two. And my check was absolutely hinged on me having the typical amount of available pawns, somehow.
Or something like that.
Last edited by Kealym; 2012-01-23 at 23:09. Reason: detail
|2012-01-24, 00:37
|Link #27284
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Gnawing away at Rokkenjima
|2012-01-24, 01:40
|Link #27285
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Meta-Meta-Meta-Space
Actually, I think what this really means is that the authors wouldn't waste a paragraph of text on useless fantasy stuff unless it was trying to serve a purpose. Neither Yasu nor Tooya... and by extension, Ryukishi, when he can help it. Which I can understand when he and his character Tooya are disheartened at the idea that people would ignore everything but the red text. And so Featherine/Ikuko thanked... Ange was it? ... for reading the white text too. 8)
Which makes me think that the theme here is once again the idea that 'personal truth that remains uncontested becomes truth' even it it's not correct. But either way, he came up with a mystery solution and that denied the fantasy; the fantasy disappears.
As for the whole thing, I remember when reading that part that the beginning of EP5 was ultra suspicious for me. Basically when Lambdadelta couldn't name the exact number of people and danced around the true number was when I started developing the Author Theory. (Or rather the thing that made it not useless.) When she couldn't say it, I was ready for there to be 16 people on the island, not including Erika and so the end of EP6 ended up being a validation of sorts rather than a total surprise. But it was still fun to read that... 8)
And as jjblue said, I think we've all suspected that events on the gameboard also match the events in the meta-world, not just the other way around. So, Beatrice dead in meta-world and Battler running the game means... on the gameboard, Battler is REALLY running the game. etc.
|2012-01-24, 02:00
|Link #27286
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
To answer though, I'd say something like : "Lambda is a troll with unusual GMing habits. Maybe a semantic whim? Or Ryukishi wanted to further confuse the Shkanon issue until EP6, while still maintaining the presence of Kanon's body in EP5 as an example of a loveless forgery. Or perhaps Lambda kept Kanon's body in a state of flux until Erika observed it, forcing a decision, similar to BATTLERS dilemma with the guest room seals in EP6. We're also very used to vague and roundabout Reds, ESPECIALLY in regards to an actual body count. I believe this discrepancy to be the "dirty trick" Ryukishi alluded to."
Something like that.
|2012-01-24, 12:46
|Link #27287
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
The same should have been true for Erika but... they conveniently ignored it (They said something about Battler needing a witch to repeat/said it... through the red was actually given to him by a witch)
This brings me to something that was said in EP 8, 'red truth is truth everyone agrees upon'.
Bern might have been saying red truths based on facts that had reached some sort of common belief, although there's no proof Erika collected to support them.
Sort of like if I were saying:
Kumasawa and Gohda didn't kill anyone in episode 4.
We've no proof to confirm this, however I think it's common belief.
If the belief changes 'a truth of the future can overwrite a truth of the past'.
... and I guess the gamemaster doesn't really need to search for people's support for his truth. As he/she writes the story we're supposed to accept what he/she says as true. Basically as soon as he says it in red it generated consensus of the goats, and conscious or unconscious consensus of the player who agreed to the red truth rule.
... though in some cases what the gamemaster wanted to be a red truth can become unbelievable because said red truth is shattered by 'something else'.
(Ange carried on the gameboard a new Sakutarou so Beato's truth that there was only one Sakutarou became unbelievable and she couldn't voice it any longer)
I guess this work to prevent the GM from making a logic error (Sakutarou can't be a unique being if there are more of him).
In the same way no one was willing to believe Natsuhi was not the culprit, unless Battler produced evidence. Maybe Virgilia would have the authority to force that truth in (a witch's red truth must be believed), though we'll never know as she disappeared.
Shannon is informed about the prank so she works her way through it.
It's hard to believe the adults wanted to kill Krauss when they agreed to 'prank Natsuhi' but Krauss ends up dead anyway and the same is true for the others.
I'll say Yasuda tried to take control of the game which might have ended up in Battler not completely solving on his own the epitaph and therefore not having the right to stop the murders.
In Ep 5 there's also no Beatrice's letter.
As the game is between Yasuda and Battler I guess the letter is sort of a challenge to him.
However if he was already in the game there's no need to challenge him.
... though I probably need to work this out more...
|2012-01-24, 16:29
|Link #27288
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Now that it's reached this point, I feel that I can't continue without reading the scene in question.
So I've gone and done just that.
One thing I want to point out, is that at this point in time, Meta!Battler was busy pitching a fit over Erika's sudden involvement in the game. This is important because it helps to iron out certain characters' motivations. For example, Lambda started giving Reds on the number of people because he asked her about it. She didn't just suddenly say it for no reason at all. Also, the fact that both Bern and Lambda were handing out so many Reds in this scene, makes it clear that they were trying to ensure that he wouldn't just decide to leave. It's also another clue that the two could have been cooperating.
And I'll go ahead and say that there is a good reason for Lambda not to specifically state how many people there are on the island at any given moment.
Theoretically, the fact that Lambda didn't say there are X people on the island right now leaves open the possibility that there might be a number of people other than X. Believe it or not, this is important.
The Red Truth IS the substance of the puzzles you create and present to the Human side, you know. It's not just a method for counter-attacking. Someone who understands this will realize something along these lines:
It's advantageous for a Witch to come up with as many interpretations of their puzzle as they can. Within the bounds of the Red, all possible interpretations can and do exist. This will lead you to a number of completely different solutions to your puzzle, all of which will keep you from hitting a dreaded Logic Error. Slashing up one of these solutions with Red, is something that should only be done when you have no other choice.
You'll note that this is essentially BATTLER's big trump card in the EP5 Tea Party. He simply doesn't allow himself to be trapped by a single interpretation.
Having a good understanding of this will allow you to look at the game board from a completely different perspective. In particular, you will be able to come up with theories that, for example:
1. Do not require Yasuda to switch at all.
2. Do not require the use of Fantasy scenes to deceive the Detective.
3. Do not require a miracle to pull off.
4. Do not require Kanon to have a body.
First, let's assume that what we're shown by Battler is on the Fantasy side of the story. In other words, in that world, it's possible for Kanon and Shannon to coexist, just as it's possible for Witches to exist and use magic. But that's just a tale of White text.
So let's throw all of that away. Disregard the White text for a moment, and look at the Reds. This will allow you to see all possible interpretations of what could be happening in the Parlor on the Mystery side of the story.
Now, you'll notice that the only real restriction we have to deal with is:
In other words, the number of people in this parlor now is equal to the total number of people on this island.
So as long as everyone is inside the Parlor at the moment that Red is spoken, we can do whatever we want. For example...
-Before and after the Red is spoken, people are free to come into and leave the room as they please.
-Any non-suspicious means of diverting Erika's attention becomes possible.
-Any non-suspicious means of obscuring one or more of Erika's senses becomes possible.
And more.
Let's take a look at that last one for a bit.
Given that the unexpected guest is a young girl, it might have been decided that a strict and formal introduction is unsuitable and would make her feel unwelcome. So they decided to play a game instead.
It's a very simple game.
In this game, Erika is the detective, and she can question people as much as she wants. Her objective is to reason out everyone's identities correctly. However, it wouldn't even be a challenge if she could look at everyone, so she puts on a blindfold.
Naturally, the premise of this game is such that Erika would instantly agree to its terms, upon being challenged. After all, more than anything else, she is the detective.
Furthermore, the very nature of the ShKanon theory allows us to see that Yasuda probably has quite a bit of skill in acting, and masking her voice.
Most importantly, this game allows Yasuda to switch between Kanon and Shannon in front of the guest, without needing to change her appearance. And we know that Yasuda has all the motivation in the world to setup a game like this. One of the things she wants most is for everyone to acknowledge her personas as people. Therefore, her objective is to trick Erika into believing that both Shannon and Kanon exist at the same time. So she's the real mastermind behind this game.
If we were able to witness this game, we might see, for example, Yasuda staging her interpretation of Eva in front of a blindfolded Erika, and doing such a good job that anyone who wasn't very well acquainted with Eva, might not be able to tell the difference. Meanwhile, Eva herself is watching, and would surely find this very entertaining.
It's a big stretch, but the important thing is that this is easily possible with human tricks and it's pretty much impossible to prove that it didn't happen. Not only that, but it's easy to find the motivations for everyone involved. And it allows the number of people on the island to be twisted as much as Lambda pleases. Additionally, this game does not call attention to Shannon and Kanon in particular, so it gives Erika no reason to believe that they aren't both in the room at the same time.
Let's look at Renall's questions:
-Who was actually present, and when?
There aren't any restrictions on this in particular according to my theory, but let's say that 17 human bodies were present the whole time, which accounts for Erika and the known 16.
-Who did Erika see, and did she see them at the same time?
She wasn't able to see Shannon and Kanon at the same time, but she has all the reason in the world to believe that both are there.
-How much of what Erika saw is accessible to Bernkastel and Meta-Erika, if anything?
They can see things from Piece!Erika's perspective, which by the way, is perfectly objective.
-Is Lambda allowed, as a GM, to advance this falsehood right in front of Erika's face? Was Beatrice allowed to do the same to Battler? What happens if they catch on?
It does not violate any rules. The Game Master is definitely allowed to do this. If they catch on, it will not create a Logic Error.
-Why did Lambda bother with this in the first place?
In doing so, she can keep open as many interpretations of the truth as possible, which gives her a much larger number of options. In addition to this, she can easily respond to questions about the number of people on the island, without trapping herself.
-Did Battler have any reason to lie about what he saw, or was Lambda just making him lie?
Battler didn't lie. On the Fantasy side of the story, what he saw is what was really happening.
All of them can be easily answered.
|2012-01-24, 16:37
|Link #27289
Join Date: May 2009
Well yes, if you alter absolutely everything about the nature of the scene based on no presented evidence, you can answer just about any question.
What about when the scene is playing out as Battler describes it? Why must he be discarded just because he's "unreliable?" Is there not a simpler answer, one which follows the description Battler has advanced without necessitating that Erika be subject to the vague whims of unverifiable reality, precisely the opposite of what her entire investigative method is supposedly about?
|2012-01-24, 16:59
|Link #27290
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Erika introduces herself to the family, and is welcomed as a guest.
I didn't change that premise. I just made them welcome her in a different way.
My theory hinges on the fact that two stories, which are different but loosely intertwined, exist at the same time. Therefore, Battler is not unreliable at all. After all, Battler is not the Detective in EP5, so those who control his Piece in this game will only see the Fantasy side of the story.
And of course, in a game like this, her investigative method fails. That's why she lost to BATTLER in the EP5 Tea Party. He understood how to fight, and she was left to look like an idiot while Lambda questioned her: "Are you sure you wanna keep fighting?"
Of course, before he managed to reach the truth, he was the one being thoroughly defeated by her. Ordinarily, her methods are very reliable. However, this game board was created with the Endless Magic, which creates a cat box in which all possibilities can and do exist.
|2012-01-24, 17:04
|Link #27291
"Senior" "Member"
Join Date: Jan 2012
It can be easily answered.
Battlers perspective is fake! The monologue is a fantasy scene that doesn't exist. No matter how much authority a detective has, he/she still cannot read the minds of people. So the whole monologue of Battler was just used to make everyone believe that it is, even if not objective, at least a "human" prespective. His real thought probably have been completly different!
|2012-01-24, 17:25
|Link #27292
Join Date: May 2009
I hate to feel sorry for Erika, but damn... you seriously do not care at all about her, do you?
In short, her abilities don't really exist.
I don't think this is the sort of thing you want to hang your hat on.
|2012-01-24, 18:35
|Link #27293
Dea ex Kakera
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sea of Fragments
Hey, that reminds me. Renall, didn't we have a argument like a year ago in the EP6 thread about the possibility that Erika was a fantasy-layer (or mystery-illusion-layer) character? I think one of the points was that it might let her legitimately observe Shannon and Kanon together since they were on the same layer as her. What did we end up concluding from that?
Last edited by LyricalAura; 2012-01-24 at 18:58.
|2012-01-24, 18:41
|Link #27294
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Even so, I'd like to say that Erika is practically second on my list of favorite characters. As for my theory about the mutable nature of the truth of the game board, it does in no way imply that I don't care about her. I'm just stating my conclusions, based on overwhelming evidence.
For example, here's BATTLER, explaining my theory for me.
And then this scene of Erika's:
This also fits in perfectly with Ryukishi's definition of the term "Anti-Mystery," which he had Beatrice explain in one of the TIPS in Tsubasa.
|2012-01-24, 18:55
|Link #27295
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
If the story is being narrated by someone HE CAN BE THE CULPRIT, if there's policemen around ONE OF THEM CAN BE THE CULPRIT, if someone is declared as dead, HE MIGHT BE FAKING AND BE THE CULPRIT, if more than one witnessers are saying something THEY MIGHT BE LYING AND BE THE CULPRIT, having Poirot or miss Marple as witnessers of someone's alibi DOESN'T MEAN HE TRICKED THEM AND CAN'T BE THE CULPRIT, even a person who has no ties with the victim and who doesn't even know him/her CAN BE THE CULPRIT.
And also:
EVERYBODY LIES, DETECTIVE INCLUDED AND EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT THE CULPRIT (though the detective usually is kind enough to let the reader know he was lying to trick someone).
So... any particular reason why Lambda should be considered trustworthy by Erika who's a mystery expert?
Any particular reason Bern should be considered trustworthy when she's always there, threatening her and aiming solely at her own amusement that can come also in form of Erika being punished/in troubles?
Erika probably knew they weren't trustworthy. However, like in any mystery she had to choose in what to believe.
Shannon and Kanon being there when she couldn't check if they really were but was given a red truth that seemed to confirm it, might have seemed something not worth doubting about it.
After all the ShKannon theory, despite being the obvious truth, seems absurd first sight.
Same as the cousins and Rosa not being dead when Battler screamed.
Erika chose to believe what was being told to her, that Shannon and Kumasawa were behin her because 'everybody is there and, although she can's see Shannon and Kumasawa they must be there'.
It's not a stupid reasoning considering figuring out someone had been playing for 2/3 years 2 different identities, while being covered by everyone or not being discovered is much harder to swallow.
That of course, unless they were lying and Kanon only existed during the school festival and in those two days of Rokkenjima... which would still be weird as it was implied while Kanon was around the Ushiromiya had other servants who were not on the island that day and were probably questioned about Kanon.
If they had told 'Kanon? Never heard of him,' he would have been rather suspicious... and I guess Witch Hunters would also like him as he would litterally be the boy that came out of nowhere...
So I think even if Erika's prospective was reliable she was somehow tricked into believing that, in a moment in which she couldn't check who was around her, Kanon and Shannon were both present.
Her situation isn't more pitiable that Battler, who was tricked into believing that Shannon was death by Hideyoshi in EP 1.
They both should have checked and they didn't. They both had a good reason not to do it. And the gamemaster took advantage of it.
However forgive me but I don't think I remember your explanation for how Shannon and Kanon could be in the same room with Erika. Would you mind sharing it again?
|2012-01-25, 10:35
|Link #27296
Join Date: May 2009
Erika was told, in no uncertain terms, that she had certain powers and abilities. These powers and abilities require certain base conditions to be true, as otherwise the abilities either do not exist or she cannot actually use them.
Erika never once seemed to complain about not being able to use an ability other than in ep6 where she was faking.
So either Erika has been lied to about all of her abilities but is neither smart enough nor perceptive enough to actually notice that none of her powers really work unless she's spoon-fed them, or she has noticed and said nothing, or she believes that everything is working correctly and is right/wrong about it.
Yet, to believe most of the explanations that are being posited here, we basically have to assume she doesn't know a damn thing, doesn't notice a damn thing, and doesn't give a damn about it when that runs entirely counter to her character.
Can you see how this appears completely incoherent? Trying to handwave it away doesn't change that Erika herself should have said something if things were not operating the way she was told that they operate. To say nothing of the literary flop that would result if it turns out Battler and Beatrice defeating Erika wasn't even particularly triumphant or impressive because she was consistently and repeatedly lied to about the things she was actually allowed to do, to the point that she basically was never able to actually accomplish anything that higher powers didn't force on her.
This is completely not the same as a deception played upon the reader's assumptions. To even compare it to Christie shows a complete lack of understanding of what a literary faux pas such a scenario would be. It makes Erika's character either mutable as a matter of convenience, or utterly incapable of actually accomplishing anything she believes herself capable of doing.
It's beyond pitiful. It's just pointless. She's not even a villain, she's just meaningless filler that exists to be toyed with and tossed away. Nothing she did mattered at all, basically, and nothing in End or Dawn matters either. Battler might as well have gotten the point at the end of ep4 and skipped over that crap, because it was a bunch of pointless lies that existed solely to torment Erika, and he was willingly and gleefully complicit in that torture. It's sick.
|2012-01-25, 11:22
|Link #27297
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
In fact, with the help of Bern and Dlanor, Erika has an extremely useful ability: the ability to create Red Truths of her own, in various specific circumstances.
And she does learn as she goes. In EP5, she didn't make very good use of it, but in EP6, she used it to restrict BATTLER into a logic error, nearly breaking his game board.
She just didn't fully grasp the true nature of the game board until the end.
|2012-01-25, 11:48
|Link #27298
Join Date: May 2009
Because she was lied to by absolutely everyone. Why is this hard to understand? Beatrice at least was honest in her presentation of the format, if not the intention of her conversation with Battler. By your ideas, no one - Battler included, mind you - was ever honest to Erika. None of her powers were real; anything she did, she did because someone threw her a scrap and claimed it was her own doing when it clearly wasn't. The Logic Error was just another trick to convince her that she had any measure of control when in actual fact she didn't.
If Erika cannot even rely upon the perspective she's told she has and the abilities she has supposedly been given, then she existed solely to be manipulated and destroyed. She was of no use to Bernkastel from the start, she was no threat to Battler, and Lambdadelta screwed with her freely. And why did any of this happen? There was no reason. They did it for nothing but witches' cruelty, every single one of them.
No wonder she tried to take vengeance on them. They deserved it.
|2012-01-25, 12:40
|Link #27299
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
It is still a battle of reasoning, and she is extremely intelligent. She had more of a chance than Battler ever did in the first 4 games.
Her perspectives weren't that unreliable. Her Piece should have access to the Mystery side of the story, and she can watch the Fantasy side from the Meta World. All of this will give her many vital clues with which to begin reasoning.
Her objective was always the same: destroy the illusion of the witch. But she didn't really focus on that goal, and instead focused on trapping Natsuhi and BATTLER. That was her own mistake.
Even though the cat box hadn't been opened, she decided for herself that her perspective must be THE single, objective truth. Nobody ever deceived her into believing something like that. Certainly, on the Mystery side, her Piece's perspective is supposed to be very close to the truth of the current game. You can't use Fantasy to trick that perspective. However, it isn't quite at the level of Red Truth. And nobody ever said it was.
This applies to real life too, of course. Just because we observe something, we believe it's true, even though it's not at the level of Red Truth. In fact, Red Truth doesn't even exist in our world. All we can do is choose what to believe in.
That's the very definition of "Anti-Mystery." I don't know if you read that TIP or not, but anyway, this is what it says.
For example, you'll probably think it's ridiculous if I tell you that the world you're seeing right now is a dream and the world of your dreams is reality. But could you prove that I'm wrong? Anything you could say wouldn't be at the level of Red Truth. It might be close, but in the end, it's just not there. Because humans can't reach that level of truth on their own.
I'm not the one who decided that Umineko would be like this. Ryukishi wrote it this way.
And this is where his "without love, it cannot be seen" line comes in. In a world of Anti-Mystery, what you believe is decided by your love. If you want to believe something, you certainly will. But just because you believe something, doesn't necessarily mean it's true.
|2012-01-25, 15:49
|Link #27300
"Senior" "Member"
Join Date: Jan 2012
There are 2 things that i was thinking about.
1. Erika is arrogant. She always says she is a oh so great detective, but was "too lazy" to check the corpses of the cousins, although she could. When I think back, it is the same as it was with the parlor scene. She "could" investigate the number of people, but just didn't.
Maybe it is like in EP8 with Ange? Where she could just "enter" the body of her piece, but when she didn't want to, she could just let the piece take over... and now i wonder who "controls" this piece's personality when the player is not the one controlling it....
2. It was never said, that the content of what Meta-Battler saw and what Bern/Meta-Erika saw was the same.
What if Bern/Meta-Erika saw the whole game through the eyes of Piece-Erika? Also the parlor scene may have been presented longer, but skipped for Meta-Battler, because it was not really necessary for Battler to see it? Hmm I am not sure about this.
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Shared By Ron Australia
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The Horse-Race game is a great way to spend the morning on Melbourne Cup Day!
This is a fun activity for the elderly in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
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Get residents involved in Melbourne Cup celebrations!
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Get in the spirit of Melbourne Cup Day with a hat parade!
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Some interesting facts, history and trivia about Melbourne Cup!
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Make your own game for Melbourne Cup Celebrations!
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Get in the spirit of Melbourne Cup Day!
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A Melbourne Cup themed Find-A-Word
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Create your own beautiful hats to be worn on Melbourne Cup Day!
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Create a fantastic Melbourne Cup piece of art in this activity!
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Member submitted activity - thank you Filidea!
Beautiful hats made from paper plates, servettes, wrapping paper, bows, feathers and tule.
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This is what I am planning and any further ideas would be appreciated.
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Printable templates for the Melbourne Cup!
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Some more trivia to enjoy in preparation for the Melbourne Cup!
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I printed out this picture of a horse and trimmings for colouring in and cutting out, and gave him 2 wooden pegs for legs.
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Horse Racing is a fun activity which touches upon many of the holistic elements of health that we are trying to reach as recreational therapists.
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Another fun word search with words that describe the colours of horse coats.
Here are some of the horses that may be competing at the 2016 Melbourne Cup race. The final field count will be revealed the Saturday evening before the race.
Match owner, creator, film, or book with related horses.
The race that stops Australia is contested by horses from all over the world. This is a fun horse race game you can play to celebrate!


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A few weeks ago, Jody and I watched "Hotel Rwanda." For those of you unfamiliar with the movie, here's a description from Netflix:
Amid the holocaust of internecine tribal fighting in Rwanda that sees the savage butchering of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, one ordinary man (Oscar nominee Don Cheadle) musters the courage to save more than 1,000 helpless refugees by sheltering them in the hotel he manages. Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte and Joaquin Phoenix co-star in this powerful film (sort of an African version of Schindler's List) directed by Terry George.
Despite the fact that it's about genocide, it wasn't excessively gory. I was worried there was going to be a lot of blood and gore (and almost didn't watch it), but there was not and I'm glad that I saw it. One of the special features on the dvd said in order to appeal to a broader audience, they chose to focus more on the story involving this family's struggle and the love between Cheadle's character and his wife, rather than the gore of the gruesome atrocities being committed against the Rwandans.
I was amazed to discover that nearly 1 million people died in 1994 when the majority tribe in Rwanda, the Hutu, attacked and slaughtered anyone of Tutsi, the minority tribe, decent and the Hutus who tried to protect Tutsis (like Paul Rusesabagina – Cheadle's character – who's wife and children were Tutsi).
I was appalled to learn that the United States did not intervene. This was just 11 years ago! 11 years! Not 50 years! Why was this allowed to happen? Why did no other country intervene? Hundreds of thousands of children, women and men were murdered with machetes and gunfire, while the rest of the world stood by doing nothing.
It was inspirational to see the way this ordinary man was able to use the hotel and his wits to save over 1,000 people from being murdered, but so sad that the situation got so bad and nobody stepped in to help him or others.
What's sad is that I don't even remember any mention of this. I was in my freshman year of college at the time so I was certainly at an age to know what was going on in the world around me. While I doubt I watched the nightly news, I still can't believe I didn't hear about it. One million people dead in a holocaust and none of my professors mentioned it?
I found an article on Unicef that discusses the lasting impact the genocide had on the Rwandan children. Thousands were orphaned.
"Ten years later, the children of Rwanda are still suffering the consequences of a conflict caused entirely by adults," said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy. "For them, the genocide is not just a historical event but an inescapable part of daily life today and tomorrow."
By the end of the genocide in 1994, 95,000 children had been orphaned.
"The children of Rwanda witnessed unspeakable violence," Bellamy said. "Tens of thousands lost their mothers and fathers. Thousands were victims of horrific brutality and rape. Many were forced to commit atrocities. The impact of the tragedy simply cannot be overstated."
Bellamy said the anniversary must be marked with renewed concern for those continuing to suffer from the genocide.
"We are all still accountable for supporting reconciliation and healing, and for ensuring that such atrocities never happen again," Bellamy said. "'Never again,' means holding perpetrators accountable, and restoring dignity to the victims by commemorating or alleviating their suffering."
Even more important, Bellamy said, is to meet this anniversary with a renewed commitment to ensure that the world never again allows such a catastrophe to go unchecked.
If you are interested in learning more about the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, I highly recommend you watch "Hotel Rwanda ."
Or read more here:
– How the genocide happened
– Preventing another genocide
– Living among the dead – A survivor's story
"Never again." I certainly hope not.


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"Jamaica, Farewell" a show title with a judiciously placed comma but very little in the way of a set or other trappings, is one woman's first-person story of her determination to leave the Caribbean island of her birth and find her way to a new life in America. Sure, it's hardly news that many immigrants risk life and limb — and leave those people and places they love — to get to a country that still acts as a global beacon for freedom and prosperity, whatever political shadows might temporarily obscure the light. But it is routinely forgotten. Here are 90 highly enjoyable minutes that might help you remember.
There's a lot of talk about internationalism in Chicago at present. Well, "Jamaica, Farewell," which has arrived here from Los Angeles (under the skilled direction of Joel Zwick, of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" repute), is a different kind of international show, but one just as potent and revealing of global forces as a window into some distant land. This is a tale of dislocation, a story about an ordinary person whose aspirations don't contradict her love of home. And the person in question, actress Debra Ehrhardt, is so sincere and honest, so clear-eyed and unshakably resolute, it is easy to connect with her experience with genuinely surprising intensity — even if your own experience of Jamaica mostly involved Apple Vacations, the beach at Negril and a few buckets of Red Stripe. Perchance a few NATO heads of states will find their way to Wicker Park and see what it's like to run on nothin' more than your own force of will.
And let me further recommend a trip to the Chopin Theatre for anyone operating in discouraged or frustrated mode. Nobody promised that a worthy stay on this earth was easy, and Ehrhardt's story is fundamentally an ode to sheer personal determination. Those in life who know what they want and don't stop until they get it are rare, lucky creatures, but the "don't stop" part kills off plenty of us along the way. Ehrhardt, not so much.
This may sound like some earnest immigrant narrative, especially since the antagonist in Ehrhardt's story is mostly a combination of Michael Norman Manley and the CIA, during Manley's first stint as Jamaican prime minister from 1972-1980. Therein, Manley (who later modified his views) became enamored of Fidel Castro, which did not sit well Stateside, given that the U.S. government wasn't looking for two communist Caribbean islands on its doorstep. It's widely assumed that the CIA played some kind of covert role in ginning up the domestic opposition to Manley, and it's that turmoil, which roiled the ordinary way of life in Kingston town, that forms the backdrop for Ehrhardt's story of departure (which has shades of a Cuban escape, even if Manley never went as far as Castro when it came to restrictions on freedom). It not a simplistic story. Ehrhardt uses a smitten and thus injudicious CIA agent to get her out of Jamaica, even as his work is arguably giving her more of a reason to leave.
Despite the intensity of the stakes, "Jamaica, Farewell" actually is a very funny and fast-paced piece (four mature ladies with hints of Jamaican accents sitting behind me Friday night acquired grins at the start of the show that never left their faces, and I kept checking). It is told with the irreverence of a story by Ian Fleming, the James Bond creator who, interestingly enough, loved Jamaica. A teenage Ehrhardt makes her exit while trying to smuggle out $1 million in cash, trying to help a struggling Kingston business buy supplies in Miami, despite the new restrictions of the Manley government. Her departure is one of mostly comic misadventures — involving farm animals, dead ends, buses, taxis, planes and frantic, daring deeds. But just as you start to laugh, Ehrhardt will sock you in the gut, throwing out a scene where she fights off a rapist who almost kills her, or a really touching little moment when she confronts her hopelessly drunken father. It's a small story of triumph over huge adversity, even if you and she constantly fear that the end result will not be all she hopes. It sits well in Chicago, where we like this kind of thing.
I'd argue a few visuals — a modest backdrop suggesting the island, rather than a cold, white screen — would enhance this very simple piece, which already has a very clear physical language. It would also be worth taking another pass through the script, plugging some narrative holes and deeping the moral and racial implications of Ehrhardt's journey. And the ending is abrupt, even if the Friday night encore, which offered up one reason why all this was worth it, went down very well with those grinning Jamaican ladies.
But whatever your point of origin, be it ten thousand or ten miles from Wicker Park, you'll likely find yourself staring at Ehrhardt, who is uncommonly beautiful, and musing on how the world kicks out remarkable people who refuse to stay where they are put. America is far luckier than it realizes that so many of them want to come here.
Twitter @ChrisJonesTrib
When: Through May 27
Where: Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St.
Running Time: 1 hour, 30 mins.
Tickets: $35 at 1-800-838-3006 or jamaicafarewelltheplay.com


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Stop blowing smoke ,John, no one believes you; you are a hyper-partisan. Oh, wait, some do believe you. Nah, they are hyper-partisan as well.
Please read up on "sarcasm", John!
No, you do not understand at all. Why do I waste my time?
Well I would submit that if the Fed announced the end of quantitative easing come this Monday the inflated stock market would tank and both the bond market and the so called rise in housing prices would collapse when mortgage interest rates rise to market dictated levels.
It would tank, a correction would take place, and then with the right policies the economy would recover and grow.They have been putting this correction off artificially for years now.The longer they put it off the worse this correction is going to be.I wish they would just get it over with.The economy is not going to take off again until the uncertainty is out of the market.
MN:It is going to be a lot worse than just a correction. A whole lot worse. To squeeze out the debt being created on an ongoing basis today isn't going to happen overnight. And the longer the money printing goes on the longer it is going to take to even right the ship, much less even think about an economy taking off.
In a June 15 letter, Dennis Rhodes says he thinks Dick Cheney is "chortling" now that President Obama is spying on the American citizenry and that "Obama is out-Cheneying Cheney."Mr. Cheney appeared on "Fox News Sunday" (and this is Fox News, so we know it's got to be undisputable) and defended the surveillance programs. In fact, Cheney was a strong advocate for the programs when he was in office. Of course he was, because the surveillance program was started during the Bush administration!Stellar Wind was an umbrella name for the original Bush-era program that collected phone and Internet data. According to a recent article in The Washington Post, "At Bush's direction "¦ the NSA had been siphoning e-mail metadata and technical records of Skype calls from data links owned by AT&T, Sprint and MCI, which later merged with Verizon."Jack Goldsmith of the Office of Legal Counsel and James Comey, U.S. deputy attorney general under Bush, were "convinced that Bush had no lawful authority" to authorize the surveillance.So, who's chortling now, Mr. Rhodes?http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130620/OPINION/306200330/-1/rss17


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LUV (Starring Common) [Movie DVD Trailer]
"William "Woody" Watson (Michael Rainey, Jr.) is a shy, smart 11-year-old living with his grandmother in suburban Baltimore. When his uncle, Vincent (hip-hop artist Common), is released from prison after serving eight years of a 20-year sentence, Woody is captivated by the man's charm, swagger, and potential as a father figure. Woody's dad is long gone, his mother reportedly in North Carolina dealing with her drug addiction. Post-prison, Vincent seems ready to embrace both the kid and a life outside of "the life." But while driving Woody to school one day in his midnight-black Mercedes, Vincent makes a hairpin turn that will cause their lives to spin out. He decides to give Woody a crash course in being a man, complete with lessons on how to talk to girls, show confidence, and dress well. This innocent exercise soon turns chaotic when Vincent gets tangled in a quick-money scheme. Set during the course of a single day, their time together is marked by displays, starting at 8:36 am and continuing well into the night. Perceptive newcomer Rainey Jr. and Common, excellent here, are supported by a strong cast, including Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover, Lonette McKee, and The Wire's Michael Kenneth Williams."
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.


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Lexicon Dispute Update
Jan 05, 2008
We last told you that the WB/JKR vs. RDR Books case, in which WB and JK Rowling are suing a Michigan publisher over its attempts to publish a print version of The Harry Potter Lexicon, would next be updated on January 7, this coming Monday, when WB/JKR file their full petition for an injunction on publication. That date has now been changed to January 15. The change accommodates "various schedules," according to WB's lawyers.
The schedule is now:
January 15: WB/JKR file their "principal menmorandum of law and supporting papers."
Febraury 5: RDR Books will submit its opposition and supporting papers
February 15: WB/JKR will file a reply on RDR Books' opposition
February 28: Hearing will occur to decide on WB/JKR's motion for an injunction.
We hope to have more information about this case over the weekend; in the meantime, the Stanford Law Group has joined the fray on RDR's side, and other small details have emerged: There have been several documents filed arranging permissions for the Stanford Lawyers to practice in this case, which is filed in New York (this all seems standard and procedural). On Nov 28th, two letters from Dale Cendali (lawyer for WB/JKR) and one from David Hammer (lawyer for RDR) indicate that an attempt for a "discovery conference" was made and failed because parties have been "unable to agree to a discovery schedule in this case, or to resolve any of the preliminary issues raised." These letters have been summarized but not posted publicly.
J.K. Rowling also discussed the writing of her encyclopedia on our Harry Potter podcast, saying that she absolutely intends to publish her own version, proceeds to go to charity, though it may be several years before she does so. "It's about doing the absolute definitive, giving-people-everything guide," she said.
You can read this article for a brief on the case so far against RDR/the Lexicon, the latter of whom is a partner site of the Leaky Cauldron.


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Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division
A notice from Jefferson County, Alabama, describes a runaway named Bill who is committed to the local jail. As part of the intricate system that developed to protect the property of slave owners, the sheriff had the right to jail any persons of color who could not prove themselves free or did not have a pass. Bill is described as having "a scar on his right check bone, several on his breast, one on his arm, occasioned by the bite of a dog -his back very badly scarred with the whip." The detailed description of the man's scars speaks of a history of disobedience. The mark of the whip shows a past full of digressions, and the dog bites indicate that he absconded before and was hunted, captured, and bitten by "negro dogs."


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Working in the magazine industry, it has always startled me that there is no men's magazine catering to an interest in style.
There's a rank of men's magazines that contains style features – GQ, Esquire, Arena – but that's only a few pages. The rest is filled with normal lad's mag fodder: a cursory summary of new movies, books, music, plus some girls. And a lot of the style coverage is either ridiculously expensive (a recent GQ featured a photo shoot of Loro Piana sweaters ranging from £500 to £2000) or is done through photo shoots where you can't even see the clothes.
The second rank of magazines has come out recently and is dedicated to fashion, not style – GQ Style, Arena Homme Plus. How many men (not boys) do you know that follow fashion and the catwalks? That are quite happy to wear something for six months and then throw it away as untrendy?
There's nothing in between as far as I can tell. Something that is all about style and takes a practical look at men's clothes: where you can get designer clothes at high-street prices; which of the labels offer the best value for money; how to tell if your off-the-peg suit fits you; colour combinations and style leaders. Basically, much of what is done for women's style, but for men.
If anyone finds anything along these lines, please tell me. Plus, if anyone has a few hundred thousand pounds and wants to invest in a start-up magazine, I might be interested. (The only recent discovery is the Arena Big Black Book, but that is only published once a year, in the US.)


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I'd expect we might have a little bit of armament.
I also had the mobile respawn (not an Igor job, or was it?)
Loading up with 90kg of mines doesn't give a man much chance at jogging.
You might want to consider either limiting the number of revives to a max of 5 or or you could go with revive only and no mobile respawn tent
the helo's didn't seem like there doing much often sitting off hovering
I think you should add another truck of units
he should go with a better naming convention so that all the missions line in the lobby and can be played back to back
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text: Trudy Rubin's Worldview column runs on Thursdays and Sundays. Over the past decade she has made multiple trips to Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Turkey, Israel and the West Bank and also written from Syria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, South Korea and China. She is the author of Willful Blindness: the Bush Administration and Iraq, a book of her columns from 2002-2004. She was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in commentary in 2016 and 2001, and in 2008 she was awarded the Edward Weintal prize for international reporting. In 2010 she won the Arthur Ross award for international commentary from the Academy of American Diplomacy.