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Saturday, May 21, 2011
Spring Mushroom Soup with Aromatic Vegetables
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our normally beautiful spring has been erratic this year. Rain, that should have stopped weeks ago, continues to fall unpredictably and we've been pelted with stinging hail that makes local farmers shudder, and guarantees a late harvest in an area that's dependent on agricultural income and the jobs it provides. Their jobs may appear to be bucolic but they're surely not stress free, or, for that matter, guaranteed. To make matters worse, one of our local TV stations has a maniacal forecaster who, I swear to God, smiles whenever there's bad weather to report. Now I know he's young and been taught to be personable on air, but it gets to be a bit much at times. Were a tidal wave to hit the coast or a comet race towards earth, I'm certain he'd report it with a smile. Normally, at this time of year I've moved on to much lighter fare, but there have been days this spring when that smile of his has warned of weather that's cold and damp enough to warrant a warming soup. While I've drawn a line of sorts in the sand and refuse to make our winter favorites, I have been experimenting with lighter and quicker soups to ease the spring chill. This wonderful soup is an example of that lighter fare. It was inspired by one Emeril Lagasse created for Good Morning America years ago. I really like this and I think those of you who try it will like it, too. It uses a handful of everyday ingredient and can be on the table in an hour or less, depending on your knife skills. No special instructions are required to make this delicious, mostly mushroom soup. Here's the recipe.
Spring Mushroom Soup with Aromatic Vegetables...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Emeril Lagasse
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced smoked bacon
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 pound quartered button mushrooms
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup heavy cream
1) In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat butter and oil over medium high heat until hot. Add bacon and cook, stirring, until bacon is crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes.
2) Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until mushrooms release their liquid and have begun to brown around edges, about 5 minutes.
3) Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
4) Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in peas and cream and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
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Mushroom and Sherry Soup - The Housewife Diary
Spinach and Mushroom Soup - Home Cooking Rocks!
Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup - Dish by Trish
Mixed Mushroom Soup Recipe - 101 Cookbooks
59 comments :
- mr. pineapple man said...
looks fantastic! love soup~~ but it already feels like summer!
- May 21, 2011 at 12:27 AM
- Claudia said...
We'tr having then same spring. I am into soups and hearty salads - but do not want winter fare. The aromas draw me in - and the vegetables whisper of spring.
- May 21, 2011 at 12:31 AM
I love mushroom soup, and yours is very colorful! I've made Ina Garten's wild mushroom and leek soup, but it's pretty much in the same brown color spectrum. Great post!
- May 21, 2011 at 12:35 AM
- The Harried Cook said...
Oh I love soup and especially mushroom soup! I love how colorful and hearty this bowl of soup looks! Yummy... I was hoping & praying for rain in the midst of this heatwave we've been having, and we got fabulous rain last night! :)
- May 21, 2011 at 1:02 AM
- A Bitchin' Kitchen said...
Weather has unfortunately been terrible here in Virginia too :(...it has rained for at least a few minutes every day for the past week.
This soup looks fantastic, and nice and healthy!
- Maggie - May 21, 2011 at 1:07 AM
- Alessandra said...
That soup is a complete meal!
I hope that it stops raining, and the weather man becomes more tactful :-)
Have a good week end
Alessandra - May 21, 2011 at 1:22 AM
- Sunanda said...
This is call 'a bowl full of health' :) Love the creamy color very much..
Sunanda's Kitchen - May 21, 2011 at 1:32 AM
- Treat and Trick said...
Beautiful click and love this yummy and nutritious soup anytime!
- May 21, 2011 at 1:41 AM
- Banana Wonder said...
That spring hail HURTS! I love the idea of aromatic vegetables in this soup. Perfect for those rainy spring nights :- Hope you got some good sun today at least.
- May 21, 2011 at 2:21 AM
- dishingthedivine said...
I have been looking for a recipe to use up the huge batch of chicken broth that I just made, along with the miscellaneous veggies that are overflowing my veggie drawer. This sounds perfect! I'll give it a shot and blog it on dishingthedivine if I like it. :)
- May 21, 2011 at 2:37 AM
- Red Nomad OZ said...
Not only full of healthy goodness - but delicious AND attractive!
Hope the weekend is kind to you!! - May 21, 2011 at 2:52 AM
- Big Dude said...
I think I would love this soup.
- May 21, 2011 at 3:38 AM
- Anna's kitchen table said...
I simply had to leave you a comment and tell you that apart from looking like a delicious soup - that is one FANTASTIC photo!!!
- May 21, 2011 at 4:50 AM
- Angie's Recipes said...
The mushroom soup with lots of veggies tastes the best! So yummy!
- May 21, 2011 at 5:02 AM
- Elin said...
Mary, that soup must be flavorful with the aromatic veggies and the herb in this mushroom soup. Roll into spring with this aromatic mushroom soup. I like it and have KIV it for my next soup project :)
have a wonderful weekend,
Elin - May 21, 2011 at 5:59 AM
- Jeannie said...
I seldom see mushroom soups with vegetables in them! This soup of yours looks beautiful! I chuckled at your description of the weather forcaster :P
- May 21, 2011 at 6:16 AM
- Diane said...
This looks a really nice recipe, book marked for a cooler day. Thanks. Take care Diane
- May 21, 2011 at 6:22 AM
- Unknown said...
This looks so yummy and pretty also. I don't think to make soup too often in the spring/summer but you are inspiring me! I did make a soup earlier this spring that was loaded with seasonal veggies and I called it "Spring in a Bowl" - I think your soup might just be a sister to mine!
- May 21, 2011 at 6:24 AM
Oh my, what a beautiful soup - I love the bacon added to all the lovely veggies and finished off with cream.
Hope your weather improves soon.
:-) Mandy - May 21, 2011 at 6:38 AM
- Pari Vasisht said...
We are basking under 43C and spring is long gone away but the soup surely looks very inviting dear.
FOODELICIOUS - May 21, 2011 at 7:38 AM
Love mushroom soup and this one really looks good!
Karen - May 21, 2011 at 7:42 AM
- Clint said...
I love mushroom soup, but this definitely "kicks it up another notch".
I also love the television news bimbos who smile as they report a murder. Yegads. - May 21, 2011 at 7:49 AM
- Kim said...
Here too it's really a rainy spring... This soup would be welcome in my house!
- May 21, 2011 at 9:16 AM
- Tasha said...
Oh, I'd welcome a little chill to the air where I am! But no matter the weather, this sounds like a delicious soup.
- May 21, 2011 at 9:33 AM
- Melynda@Scratch Made Food! said...
This soup is just right for the mixed up weather of late. Thyme with the bacon and vegetable make me want to make this soup. Thanks Mary.
- May 21, 2011 at 9:52 AM
- June said...
Love mushroom soup and this one does look light and fresh. Hope your weather turns around soon!
- May 21, 2011 at 10:13 AM
- Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine said...
This really looks wonderful love the color here. It's so wonderful to see the variations you listed to off the read your entries too thanks for being such a great foodie supporter!
- May 21, 2011 at 10:46 AM
- dr.antony said...
Looks so rich .As usual,tempting !
- May 21, 2011 at 11:08 AM
- Cooking Gallery said...
This looks gorgeous, I almost thought it's potato soup... I love the colourful veggies in the soup, they make the soup look very pretty!
- May 21, 2011 at 11:24 AM
- Sutapa said...
It looks divine! I love the combo of bacon and mushroom!
- May 21, 2011 at 11:58 AM
- Ana Rita Marreiros said...
It looks delicious and it's texture so creamy is wonderfull.
Rita - May 21, 2011 at 12:16 PM
- La Cuisine d'Helene said...
What a nice picture, that looks delicious. I love soups.
- May 21, 2011 at 1:01 PM
- Angela said...
Very lovely. I am so tired of the rain and the cold. Summer will get here before spring arrives:(
- May 21, 2011 at 1:11 PM
- Joanne said...
I've been moving onto warmer fare whether the weather cooperates or not! This looks like such a delicious soup!
- May 21, 2011 at 2:03 PM
- bj said...
ummm...looks so so good. I love soups year 'round.
xo bj - May 21, 2011 at 2:20 PM
- Pondside said...
Soup sounds like a good idea for a cold and rainy Saturday - love mushroom soup!
- May 21, 2011 at 2:20 PM
- Rosita Vargas said...
es una sopa muy deliciosa me encanta muy saludable,todo lo que cocinas me encanta,cariños.
- May 21, 2011 at 2:29 PM
- Trish said...
Thanks so much for the shout out. Your soup sounds so wonderful. Perfect for these unusually chilly spring days. Have a lovely weekend.
- May 21, 2011 at 2:35 PM
- Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook said...
Pretty soup, Mary! I love mushroom soup and can only imagine how delicious it will be with delicious spring vegetables.
Enjoy your weekend! - May 21, 2011 at 2:40 PM
- Priya Suresh said...
Marvellous soup,wonderful bowl..
- May 21, 2011 at 3:37 PM
- Catherine said...
Oh Mary,I would love a cup of that right now. It just looks so inviting. Blessings, Catherine
- May 21, 2011 at 4:14 PM
- Maria said...
I adore mushroom soup and you've really made this dish into something so special and delicious!
- May 21, 2011 at 5:16 PM
- teresa said...
i love the flavor of mushroom soup, this looks and sounds so good. i love the extra veggies!
- May 21, 2011 at 6:58 PM
- That Girl said...
Oh my goodness! It's been raining here too! Glad to hear we're not alone.
- May 21, 2011 at 6:58 PM
- Swathi said...
There was a weatherman here in our local tv channel who used to say I can bring rain or wind. Here rain is one thing we are missing now. Yes you are right, if there is hurricane coming weatherman gets excited too much. Spring soup looks awesome perfect. I love mushroom in any form.
- May 21, 2011 at 7:14 PM
- Margaret Murphy Tripp said...
Wow, that looks really good. I love a nice bowl of soup on a damp day! I may try this next week. Great post!
- May 21, 2011 at 9:23 PM
- Guvi said...
This soup looks so pretty, colourful and inviting and I'd love to have a bowl right now! Have a great weekend!
- May 21, 2011 at 9:23 PM
- Monet said...
Soup like this can make any rainy day better. I am bookmarking yet another of your lovely soup recipes! Thank you for sharing with me tonight...I'm sorry I've been gone so long! Your blog continues to bring a smile to my face. I hope you have a blessed Sunday!
- May 21, 2011 at 11:08 PM
- Marguerite said...
This soup looks wonderful and I love the combination of veggies and the bacon, too! We have a weather man exactly like yours! He smiles during hurricanes, I kid you not!
- May 22, 2011 at 12:53 AM
Wow this soup looks so good, I am now drooling just by looking at that photo!
- May 22, 2011 at 3:53 AM
- Katarina said...
I love this soup!
- May 22, 2011 at 8:09 AM
- Elaine said...
I love the idea of a lighter spring soup and this one looks wonderful. I chuckled while reading about the tv weatherman - we have a newscaster like that here that delivers the most horrendous news with a smile...reminds me of a recent president of ours. :)
- May 22, 2011 at 10:46 AM
- Tanna said...
LOVE mushroom soup and this one looks like a winner!! Thank you so much, Mary. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday afternoon. blessings ~ tanna
- May 22, 2011 at 10:50 AM
- Sylvia F. said...
looks so delicious! I love all vegetable soup and your soup make me hungry now :)
Hav a great day :) - May 22, 2011 at 1:49 PM
- Manu said...
This soup is so chic!! Have a nice day
- May 22, 2011 at 2:21 PM
- Cooking Creation said...
Oh, I love the addition of bacon! This sounds amazing!
- May 22, 2011 at 3:21 PM
- Deb in Hawaii said...
This soup sounds so good with the smoky bacon. Love all the veggies in it too. ;-)
- May 23, 2011 at 4:14 AM
- Katie Q said...
I tried this today and WOW it was delicious! 10 out of 10! Thanks for posting!
- May 23, 2011 at 11:31 PM
- Paula @ Dishing the Divine said...
This is now one of my *favorite* soups. I love it! I changed it up a bit and posted here (with credit to you, of course!): http://www.dishingthedivine.com/2011/06/01/spring-mushroom-soup-with-aromatic-vegetables/
- June 18, 2011 at 1:17 AM


text:
First there are these things:
[photo and instructions for building it from about.com]
In my AmE dialect, this is called a pinwheel, but in BrE it's called a windmill (because it looks like a 'real' windmill). It may also be called a windmill by Americans as well. Pinwheel in AmE is also extended to other things that resemble including the pinwheel quilt pattern and pinwheel cookies (which resemble the motion more than the thing).
And then there are these things:
[from Open Clip Art Library]
In BrE, this is a bucket and spade. Now, whenever my in-laws discuss these, they put them in that order (bucket and spade), and so I was going to say that this phrase is an irreversible binomial (something we've discussed before) but via Google, I actually find more spade and buckets [see the first comment for vindication of my intuition/experience]. The AmE equivalent (in my dialect, at least) is shovel and pail, which I would put in that order, but for which there are many times more examples of the other order, pail and shovel, online. So, don't listen to me about word orders--apparently I don't know.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
ICAO seeking new standards on lithium batteries
Feb. 12, 2013, Washington, D.C. - A U.N. agency that sets global aviation safety standards is moving to prevent aircraft batteries like the one that caught fire on a Boeing 787 last month from being shipped as cargo on passenger planes, people familiar with the effort said.
February 12, 2013 By Carey Fredericks
Over the past few days, the members of the International Civil Aviation Organization's dangerous goods committee have proposed revoking an exemption that permitted lithium ion aircraft batteries as heavy as 77 pounds to be shipped on passenger planes, the sources told The Associated Press. All other lithium ion battery shipments on passenger planes are limited to 11 pounds or less because of the batteries' susceptibility to short-circuit and ignite.
The head of the agency's air navigation commission has signed off on the proposal, the sources said. Late Monday, agency officials were trying to reach the agency's council president, who was travelling, for his signature, which they hoped to secure Tuesday. As soon as the council president signs off on the change, it will be posted online and become effective immediately, those familiar with the situation said.
The sources requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.
The agency's standards aren't binding, but are widely followed by countries around the world.
The exemption for aircraft batteries, which was sought by the airline industry, has been in effect for less than two months.
Airlines wanted to be able to ship replacement batteries quickly to planes whose batteries were depleted or had failed rather than wait for a cargo plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration and aviation authorities in other countries grounded the 787 fleet more than three weeks ago after a battery caught fire in a plane parked in Boston and another 787 with a smoking battery made an emergency landing in Japan. The 787, dubbed the Dreamliner by Boeing, is the first airliner to make extensive use of lithium ion batteries, which are lighter weight, charge faster and contain more energy than conventional batteries similar in size.
The 787 has two lithium ion batteries weighing 63 pounds each.
The same day as the Boston fire, the Transportation Department published new regulations adopting the U.N. exemption to allow lithium ion aircraft battery shipments greater than 11 pounds on passenger planes.
Pilots and safety advocates complained that it didn't make sense to ground the 787 because its battery system is too risky, but then allow the same batteries to be shipped as cargo on airliners.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the Boston fire but so far has been unable to determine what triggered one of the battery's eight cells to repeatedly short-circuit. The short-circuiting led to thermal runaway, a chemical reaction characterized by progressively hotter temperatures. The short-circuiting and thermal runaway spread to the battery's other cells, igniting the fire.
Investigators are trying to determine whether the root cause of the incident was a problem related to the charging of the battery, the battery's design or its manufacture, NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman told reporters last week.
The board also is working with Japanese authorities, who are leading the investigation into the second battery incident that led to an emergency landing on Jan. 16.


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Friday, May 7, 2010
Open Friday: New Old School Games
62 comments:
I've always wanted to run a game based on Dune. I'd like to see that.
And as much as I love Champions I'd love to see a version with maybe around 20% less crunch.
I'd like to also see an updated version of Boot Hill.
The fanboy side of me would like to see a game set in John Carpenters New York. Lot of interesting character types (gang member, cannibal, scientist, gov't agent infiltrator...)I have the Last Unicorn rpg for Dune, and it looks excellent. Haven't had a chance to play, though.
I'd like to see a real Barsoom rpg come along. (Maybe will happen with the movie.) And something for Dragaera.
But I'm not sure what James is really asking. What old school games would I like to see increase in popularity, while remaining in a simpler style? I still love Cthulhu, RQ2 and Classic Traveller. I'd love for all of those to increase in popularity. Also anything in Tekumel, although the Tri-Stat system looks good, and I think BRP would be a good fit.
Hey, I know. I wish for BRP to become more popular.I think it's high time the OSR delves into historical horror and I'm setting my sights in that direction in 2011 (after my inbox is cleared out).
GORE, Goblinoid Games' forgotten stepchild of an OGL rule set, has been overshadowed by the success of Labyrinth Lord and Mutant Future. But GORE is both extremely lean on rules, begging to be tinkered with, and compatable with most of Chaosium's titles. It seems like the kind of tabula rasa project that we Old Schooler love to tinker with. I'm going to see what I can do with GORE while walking through the shadowy groves of history.I haven't yet seen the science fiction RPG I really want. Traveller may be the nearest thing, but Classic Traveller is a little too rough for me to make heads or tails of, and I think TNE may be too big and crunchy to inflict on my friends. Moreover, the setting and basic concept feels way too dated; the whole concept of an Imperium, nobility, and all that seems preposterous. (Besides, the idea of 53rd century commerce being built on little tramp freighters, a zillion lightly populated colonies, and a... weakly specified... mode of production makes me a little uncomfortable. Don't even get me started on 'feudal technocracy'.)
Maybe my ideal game would be lifted from Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space books, or Bruce Sterling's Schismatrix; at any rate, something incorporating the sensibilities of the New Wave and cyberpunk writers a bit more. No aristocracy, no assumption of monolithic planetary governments, some coherent basis for society, realistic levels of dysfunction, chaos, and social conflict, that sort of thing.
FWIW, I'd totally go for a Dune-ish RPG, despite it not having a ton to do with the criteria above. I actually enjoyed the last couple of books, Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune, and they could definitely be mined for RPG concepts.I agree with Clayton Wheeler...a good, simple, straightforward sci-fi game is much needed.
Something inspired by all our favorite pre-1980 sources.
Something adaptable if you want to play Star Trek or Star Wars or Dune or even Farscape or Stargate.
I don;t expect to ever see it, but one can but hope.Seems to me that SF is pretty well covered at the moment with X-Plorers, and Starships & Spacemen 2E is on the way. I'm really excited about "Warriors of the Red Planet". Espionage would be fun, I haven't really played since Top Secret. But I think what I'd really like to see is something that played like Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers serials.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Robert Saint James on a good espionage game a la James Bond 007 or Top Secret(SI). Haven't seen many of those around lately, and there is no reason either franchise (or something similar) couldn't be brought back in some form.
And I'll always have a place in my heart for Marvel Super Heroes and the FASERIP system. I really enjoyed the randomness of their character creation, rather than the HERO system of Champions. It always seemed to be keeping more with the "feel" of comic books to have no real idea what powers your character will have as a result of his mutation or exposure to cosmic rays or whatever. Loads of fun building your backstory afterwards.
And when else did you get to use your d100?I know I'm reaching a little too high, but I what a Barsoomian and Thundarrian-styled science fantasy!
That is, a sword & sorcery/swords & planets game, with cutlasses and blasters, Conan-styled barbarians, Barsoomian-styled princesses, Flash Gorden-styled rocket-jocks, flying ships & rocket ships, mad-scientists, sorcerer-kings, items of strange science or dark sorcery, savage mutants & beast-men, cruel slavers, bizarre Hana-Barbara-styled creatures, some naked chicks for their own sake, and anything else you can pull from escapist fiction!
The art should have a style like Jack Kerby and Bruce Timm, with gratuitous violence and nudity being a must! damn, that would be awesome!!!I'd like an old school style, rules light wuxia/martial arts game, myself. Whether it's period (and fantasy) or modern wouldn't matter. In fact, being able to adapt the rules to either would be great. You could work on Drunken Master/Shaolin Temple/Crouching Tiger style period wuxia campaigns, or more modern gun-fu stuff with the same rules.
Seems like a winning combination.- AnonymousMay 7, 2010 at 4:15 AM
I would like to see something about Mutant Chronicles, maybe with an easier system. I know it's not exactly "old school", since it's 90's, but still awesome.
ReplyDelete Although it isn't fully old-school in its aesthetics, Burning Sands: Jihad is an excellent Dune rpg (with the serial numbers incompletely filed off). It uses the Burning Wheel system (and requires ownership of that game).
An espionage game would be pretty cool, but can anything really top James Bond 007 in that genre? That was nearly perfect.
To me, the swords & sorcery leanings of D&D fit swords & planet and other science fantasy gaming to a 'T', so I don't see the need for a specific game there. That said, Under the Dying Sun (based on Spellcraft & Swordplay) seems to be an excellent entry into that mold, and I look forward to it being completed and a print version offered for sale.
I'd like to see an occult conspiracy game set in the Elizabethan/Renaissance era using old-school ideas. A more subtle magic system (something like the system in GURPS Voodoo would make me really happy) and a focus on espionage in an earlier age would make for a fascinating game, I think.I certainly agree that James Bond 007 was pretty close to perfect, but I think wanting to see it (or something like it) come back is keeping with the question that James asked.
Many here are pretty sure the LBB or 1st Edition AD&D or whathaveyou are nearly perfect (or at least the best we've had), and that's what the OSR is trying to resurrect or improve upon.
I would like to see 007 or a similar espionage/spy system come back into gaming because they were fun and well done and it's a genre completely lacking in today's market.
Similarly, my love for Marvel's FASERIP system comes from the randomness of character generation. You get to play a superhero sure (and the direction D&D has headed through the 3rd and 4th editions apparently lots of people wanted to play superhumans) but it's likely not going to be some ridiculously overpowered, unstoppable, character that you've crunched numbers and calculated the perfect build for.
Those kinds of systems bring out creativity in players and fun in sessions. You may think you're making the next Wolverine, but then you suddenly roll Prehensile Hair for your power. It's up to you to make it work as a character and in the game.Brunomac, if you are looking for a new-old version of Boot Hill. You may be interested in Clockwork
It's a 1-page re-write of Boot Hill (ala Searchers of the Unknown) written up last year by
JB over at B/X Blackrazor.Not quite a new old-school game as such, but I'd like to see some Call of Cthulhu material coming from the community. There is stuff coming from Chaosium, but nothing like what we got in the old days, and I'd dearly like to see someone challenge the dominance of Delta Green for modern-day games.
ReplyDeleteFridays Unplugged lasted...all of a week? Not that I'm complaining...I need my daily Grognardia fix.
I'm also looking forward to the LL edition of Starships & Spacemen. Being compatible with LL & MF means a wide spectrum of gaming goodness is covered under one system. I'm also a fan of GORE and understand that a revamp is on the cards at some point...- AnonymousMay 7, 2010 at 9:20 AM
I'd love to see an updated version of Buck Rogers. Unfortunately, I think licensing issues will prevent that from ever happening.
ReplyDelete Is there still enthusiasm for gee-whiz SF? Cowboys in Space meets the Lensman challenge - "how big can you imagine it?" I'm not feeling it myself. regarding tramp freighters, I'd quite like a Phoenician or Genoese roots-of-Trav game. Lost tells me Fantasy Islands of the Odyssey are still in the collective consciousness, and maybe something episodic on these lines (shades of original series Trek) would be nice to see. I can at least imagine some fun tables for procedural mystery generation.
But I'd really like to see something we've never seen before - something that throws RPGs into an entirely new genre, Like D&D, Trav and CoC did. Maybe something outside what we're used to thinking of as the "adventure" genres. Of course, I don't have it ready to wow you with right here. But I rather think the "alternative" crowd feel like they've got their hooks on the cutting edge of innovation right now, and I'd hate to see the OSR get precious about retreading old ground, or feel that it has to stick to rootsy topics, rather than a certain attitude of inventive co-creation.I want to run a Silver Age comics campaign inspired by Green Lantern, Thor, Dr. Strange, and Legion of Super Heroes.
The heroes will be fighting space aliens, demons, and giant monsters more than thugs, drug dealers, and cat burglars. They'll be patrolling the solar systems and the nearby planes of existence moreso than the neighborhoods and alleys of the city.
I have no idea what system to use for this, but want it to be relatively "rues lite." I'd love for it to come from the OSR.Maybe I'm showing my youth here, but I loved Alternity! It was the Sci-Fi version of D&D, it could be used for anything and it didn't break down. By my all time favorite game designer Bill Slavisek. Just in the main books we were able to run Star Wars, Star Trek, X-files, Warhammer 40K, and a Survival Horror type of thing. A buddy of mine used it for Harry Turtledove's World at War, and Dune. Only game I've ever played that kept the balance for all of them. It WORKED. Shame they canceled it for the Star Wars D20. It never really caught on, but it was buried too soon. Stupid WOTC.
ReplyDelete- AnonymousMay 7, 2010 at 10:24 AM
This is what I feel is the problem with the OSR: Classic Traveller is exactly the game a lot of you want, for Dune, Star Trek, Stargate, Barsoom, etc, etc. There's no need to re-invent the wheel and make "new" old games, as the OSR tends to over and over; just strip away the Third Imperium fluff and play the game as you want to.
When I first played Traveller, nobody had ever heard of the Imperium; our characters were like Northwest Smith and Flash Gordon, and the galaxy was like a 1930's pulp. Ray guns and cutlasses. (SMG = Ray gun.) When we saw "noble" we thought of Princess Aurora and Duke Leto. But you know, if you don't want nobles, ignore that; it's your game! I'd like to see a Ghostbusters/ghostbusting game and I'm really looking forward to the "Warriors of the Red Planet".
However, I think I agree with Dave and Paladin, at this point it's more about setting than anything else. Rules are just a framework.
I'm happy playing with X-plorers, Swords & Wizardry, and Marvel Superheroes (yes, I'm aware of 4C). These cover all the bases for me.
It's just where the heroes are going that's interesting to me now!Chris: oh hell yeah, V&V was my superhero game in between Superhero 2044 and Champs. We all rolled ourselves up as supers in that, plus a ton of other great random dudes. You would think random powers would suck, but bright players could come up with all kinds of angles for a guy with 4 arms, invisibility, and levitate powers.
Someone mentioned Thundercats. I'd like to see it be popular so there would be a ton of hot cat girl figs like Cheetara (who should really be the Cheetos mascot instead of Chester the Cheeta Molester)- AnonymousMay 7, 2010 at 2:03 PM
I like the 'What If' games like Dragons at Dawn, Encounter Critical, Mazes and Minotaurs, Emprise and X-plorers.
Otherwise, it's the setting-based stuff like Planet Algol, Redwald and Urutsk that interests me. Ah, I forgot Gamma World / Metamorphosis Alpha. And I enjoy a good cyberpunk game, too.
I have to agree with Dave's post though. I don't really want to learn more rules systems if I don't have to, and I think the spirit is supposed to be more along the lines of reviving the old school classics we love. Or updating them to increase their appeal.
Ports written up to adapt genres and classics of literature to a particular rules system are the best solution for me. I'd love to see one site where all those ports can be made available.- AnonymousMay 7, 2010 at 3:28 PM
Ohhh, if I had a choice, I'd go for an old-school version of one of my pet historical periods: Three Kingdoms-era China. Not the REALISTIC period, mind you, but the MYTHIC period, a la the novels films and video games set in the period. if you've seen the movie Hero, you have a pretty good idea of the vibe I'm looking for!
ReplyDelete Re: Cyberpunk...
Why refit it to 20th century sensibilities? Cyberpunk is now retro-SF, just like rockets & rayguns. Be cool to see an OSR take on classic Gibsonian cyberpunk. The game would certainly have a "future as it looked from the 80's" feel. Cyberdecks, netrunning, monomolecular whips, and big-ass mohawks.I want not a clone of a specific game, but a neo-classic game for Cold War atomic horror, and another for '40s/'50s rocket patrol SF. Alien invasions, marauder robots, and giant radioactive insects. I have an idea for how to write the atomic horror game; the second one, too, although I guess someone's done a game more or less like that.
ReplyDeleteHmm...one system for Star Wars and Star Trek?
Although, I've always been interested in running some kind of "alternative Star Wars". Like a mash-up of Star Wars with classic Traveller or GURPS.
I'm interested in an old west system. I want to do something like the Wild Wild Wild West meets Brisco County, Jr. I'm not sure what the ideal system for that actually looks like, though.
I'd love to see a lighter version of GURPS. Not like TFT, though.The thing that I love about the OSR as a concept is that it's the ultimate grass roots do-it-yourself movement that grows out of the open systems.
So beyond the DIY dark fantasy I'm kicking about using S&W, what would I next do or like to see that harks back in time a little?
Probably a post-apocalyptic/cyber-punky people in cars thing. A game that falls somewhere between Games Workshop's initial idea for Dark Future (a cyberpunk RPG) and the minis game it became.Traveller. Halfway through the first episode of Firefly, it dawned on me what a great Traveller campaign that would make.
I liked James Bond, but it seems like it only plays well with 1-2 players. Top Secret seemed like a better system for larger groups, though it wasn't as polished.
My favorite, though technically not an RPG, would be Car Wars. It was a great "pick up" game for us.Traveller variant? Firefly is Traveller straight out of the old little black box before the 3rd Imperium setting smothered everything else. Mongoose Traveller is an easy fit for Firefly and much cleaner system that the official Serenity game.
I'd like a good official Barsoom game. I've been grousing about that for over 20 years now. Adamant's MARS was well written but it used d20 = fail in book.
As we seem to keep restating Chaosium's BRP (RQ, CoC, etc.) is still in print, still played, and hasn't needed much improving in almost 30 years. I should just stop complaining and write up MARS BRP.@Kelvingreen If you want a good Cthulhuesque style campaign set in the here and now, Miskatonic River Press has done Our Ladies of Sorrow. The other option is The Laundry RPG from Cubicle Seven based on the books by Charles Stross.
@John Fletcher Adamant's MARS is also available for Savage Worlds.An old-schooly western would be the bee's knees, in my opinion. Of all the old games I used to play, I believe the most fun I had was when playing the second edition Boot Hill. Yeah, yeah ... more war-gamey than role-playing - but fun, nonetheless. :)
A very close second was the Boot Hill inspired Gangbusters.
So my votes would be westerns and 20/30s-era gangsters.There's an interesting mini-game from Dragon 47 - Crimefighters. It has that pulpy 20s - 30s feel to it. I haven't played it, but it reads like fun.
Maybe the next thing for the OSR is to have a few mini-games. You know, the one-off for when half the group is sick/kids sick/summer vacation/overtime at work/etc.
Many a Barsoom mini-game can get everything rolling...RE: MARS, yes I'm tempted to get the Savage Worlds version but last time I checked the print edition was mail order from a British POD service - quite pricey.
RE: BRP I've also heard about Jason Durall's Interplanetary. If it get good reviews I'll be the first one in line. I like my BRP about as complicated as CoC or Stormbringer. Full on RQ with strike ranks, hit locations, and 3 variant strap-on magic systems is a bit much for me.
I am going to go dig out my copy of Pendragon - it might be a good template for Dune or even Barsoom.


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This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. When Colorado and Washington state voted to legalized recreational marijuana last November, they moved their states into uncharted waters. It's one thing to say possession of an ounce of pot is legal; it's another to set up a way to regulate this new business.
From seeds to sales, how do you control quality and safety? How does this affect cops and parents and teachers? Does a no smoking sign mean no smoking anything? And then there's federal law, where marijuana is still a class A narcotic. Can a pot distributor open a bank account? What does a marijuana retailer say on his tax return?
If you live in Colorado or Washington, we want to hear from you. What's changed? Our phone number is 800-989-8255. Email us, firstname.lastname@example.com. You can also join the conversation on our website. That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION. Later in the program we continue our Oscar Docs series with the co-directors of "Five Broken Cameras."
But first normalizing marijuana. Jack Finlaw is chief legal counsel to Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, co-chair of the Amendment 64 Task Force. They're in the process of hammering out new policies to govern the sale and legal use of marijuana, and he joins us now from his office in Denver, and welcome to TALK OF THE NATION.
JACK FINLAW: Hi Neal.
CONAN: Your group has until the end of the month, as I understand it, to pass along its recommendations to the governor. How's it going?
FINLAW: Well, we're hard at work. We've been working since mid-December. We have a 24-person task force that includes folks from law enforcement and folks who are advocates for marijuana, folks from the marijuana industry here in Colorado and all sorts of other people that are hard at work looking at the criminal law issues, the regulatory framework that we're trying to put together and some of the consumer and public safety issues, as well.
CONAN: What's proved easy, and what's proved hard?
FINLAW: One thing that's proved easy because we've been looking at it in this state for a couple years is a new law to make clear that driving under the influence of marijuana is not lawful. So we already have a bill making its way through our legislature to make clear that if you have five nanograms of THC in your blood system, you are presumed to - there's a presumption that you are driving under the influence of marijuana.
It's a rebuttable presumption so that people can challenge that in court, but that standard is now soon to be Colorado law.
CONAN: And what's proved difficult?
FINLAW: Well, you know, trying to figure out, thread the needle between enacting into law and regulation something that the voters wanted that is still illegal under federal law. We're trying to read the federal tea leaves because we haven't had any direct direction from the federal government. We've been in conversation with the Department of Justice and our local U.S. attorney.
They've been helpful, they've been friendly, but they haven't given us any specific guidance. So we're trying to figure out how to do the regulation and enforcement piece, how to set up the structure that will pass federal muster.
CONAN: I'd assume one of the things that they would be concerned about is if legal Colorado pot suddenly started flooding across your borders.
FINLAW: You know, that's one thing that Attorney General Holder has made clear to both our governor and the governor of Washington state, that they're going to be very focused on making sure that there's no diversion outside of Colorado or Washington state of the marijuana that's grown and sold here.
So right, we are looking at potentially limiting sales to Colorado residents, although we've not made a decision on that. It's likely, though, that owners of the grow operations and the retail stores will be limited to Colorado residents.
CONAN: And grow operations, is it going to be if you grow it, you can sell it, or how's that going to work?
FINLAW: Well, you know, we have one of the most robust regulatory regimes among all the 18 states that allow medical marijuana, and we have a vertical integration model where you have to have common ownership between the grow operation, the distribution operation and the dispensaries. And so we're really struggling right now to look at whether we have that same integrated ownership model for recreational model, or we loosen it up and allow other entrants into the marketplace.
So we haven't made a decision on that, but one thing's for sure: Whether there's common ownership or multiple ownership, we will have lots of technology in place to make sure that from seed to sale, we're tracking it, there's video surveillance in all of the stores, as well as in the grow operations, and we have all kinds of checks and make sure that no criminal elements are involved in the businesses.
CONAN: And in the process of that robust medical marijuana industry, you must have reached some ability to, well, quality control and measuring safety, that sort of thing.
FINLAW: That's right. We're looking at - you know, one of the problems is there's a lot of debate among the scientists who look at marijuana and the levels of THC and even how, for example, hash is produced. There's really a division in the industry between those who do it in a green, you know, sort of water-processed way and those who produce it using chemicals like butane.
So our public health department is going to look at perhaps putting in place some rules that will limit the way that sort of product is produced. That's the hash that's created to go into the butter or the oil that then is used to create the infused products.
CONAN: And alcohol, it's pretty simple: X percent alcohol, that's, what, typically six, seven percent for a beer, something like that, you can make your judgments on that. Will there be labeling for marijuana?
FINLAW: Yeah, actually the constitutional amendment requires labeling. The question is what to put on the label. How many dire warnings do we put on the label for young people, for example? Is it similar to the packaging that we see on cigarettes?
Then are there issues about, you know, how it's produced? Is it pure? What's the THC level? That's a big controversy. We've heard that from - some folks in the public say you can't measure THC because it changes constantly as you deal with the product.
So there's a lot of, frankly, some practical, scientific challenges, as well as the public policy issues of trying to both be very clear about the dangers of the product without disrespecting the fact that Coloradans want this product to be in the marketplace.
CONAN: We want to hear from people in Colorado and Washington state. Parents, if you're in law enforcement, educators, mental health professionals, what's changed now that marijuana, recreational marijuana, is legal? 800-989-8255. Email email@example.com. And I assume, Jack Finlaw, one thing that would say the same, if there's no smoking allowed, there's no smoking allowed.
FINLAW: You know, that's - that is right. Fortunately the constitutional amendment makes clear that marijuana still will not be allowed to be consumed openly or publicly or in a manner that endangers others. So to the extent that there's a sense that, you know, cigarette smoke or marijuana smoke would be endangering the health of others, it won't be allowed in public places.
CONAN: What about parents who want to smoke at home, and they have kids?
FINLAW: You know, I think that people can do pretty much what they want in the privacy of their own home unless there are issues with respect to, you know, family law issues, perhaps. One of the issues that's been discussed a lot in our task force is what is the implication of one parent who has a grow operation in the basement or is using marijuana in front of the kids where the other spouse or the other partner does not approve of that. Who gets to make the decision?
CONAN: And if there should be a divorce, who gets custody?
FINLAW: Absolutely.
CONAN: There are also, as you mentioned, a lot of concerns with the federal government. One of them is banking. Banks are regulated by the federal government.
FINLAW: We've already looked at that issue, and we've had a lot of creative minds focused on how we can get around the federal banking regulations because, you know, my experience is that these folks that have established these businesses are really entrepreneurial, creative types who are providing jobs for people, but they're having a problem making payroll.
They have to pay people in cash as opposed to having the typical payroll checks, since they can't bank. But we have not found a way around the federal banking laws, and I think that our task force is merely going to recommend that our congressional delegation and our governor and state legislature work with the federal government to try to find a solution.
CONAN: And this must have come up with medical marijuana, as well. What do you tell the feds on your income tax returns? If you put your actual profession down, it's - you're violating your own Fifth Amendment rights against testifying against yourself.
FINLAW: That's right. I understand that there is, you know, the typical business exemptions that you get to claim. If you're operating a different type of business, you're not able to do that on your taxes.
CONAN: Let's get some callers in on the conversation. Again, we want to hear from listeners in Colorado and Washington. What has changed now that recreational marijuana is legal? We'll start with Tamara(ph), Tamara with us on the line from Spokane in Washington.
TAMARA: Hi, thank you. I'm an educator in Washington, and one of the questions that I have is the effect of secondhand marijuana smoke on a student who may not be smoking at home. Often we get students at school who of course smell of the cigarette smoke of their parents. How is this going to affect the children that are around the smoke of the marijuana in terms of our education lives?
CONAN: And what grades do you teach?
TAMARA: I teach K through six.
CONAN: Well, I don't think you're going to have too much marijuana use by your students, but obviously later in high school and certainly in college, a lot of college students over the age of 21, but...
TAMARA: Yeah, I'm not speaking so much about their own personal use. I'm speaking about the use in the home, where there might be secondary smoke coming from their parents who might be smoking more recreationally, as we often smell the secondary smoke on the students that are - there's the cigarette smoke. So is there an effect of secondary marijuana smoke on children in the home where marijuana is smoked regularly?
CONAN: Jack Finlaw, has that come up?
FINLAW: Well, you know, we've talked about that, and we've got literally a file full of scientific studies showing the really strong adverse effects of marijuana, at least of smoking marijuana or ingesting marijuana among particularly young people whose brains are still in development. So I think that there is a legitimate cause for concern about secondhand smoke.
But again, the government can only do so much. I think a lot of that really is going to have to look towards parents using good judgment.
CONAN: And would there be a public education aspect of this? I presume you're going to have pretty stiff taxes on this marijuana.
FINLAW: Yeah, we are planning a very aggressive public education program funded out of money that's generated from the various taxes. The marijuana will be subject to our sales tax, but also the voters have indicated they'd like to see an excise tax imposed in addition. That vote - there has to be a second vote because of Colorado laws to impose a tax. We have to go back to the voters, which I expect we will do again in November of this year.
CONAN: Tamara, thanks very much for the call.
TAMARA: Thank you.
CONAN: We want to hear again from people in Washington and Colorado. What's changed in your life and your work now that marijuana's been legalized? 800-989-8255. Email us, firstname.lastname@example.com. After a short break, we'll talk with a member of the Seattle Police Department's Criminal Investigations Bureau. Stay with us. I'm Neal Conan. It's the TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News.
CONAN: This is TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. I'm Neal Conan. With recreational pot legal in Washington and Colorado, those states are now trying to figure out exactly how this new industry will work. To that end, Washington posted an unusual help wanted ad for an official marijuana consultant.
The ideal candidate would advise on the best ways to grow, distribute, test and regulate weed. Specifically the Liquor Control Board, which opened up this position, outlines four categories: product and industry knowledge; quality standards and testing; usage and consumption validation; and regulation.
Dozens of hopeful job-seekers, some reportedly dressed professionally, others in hemp necklaces and flannel, expressed interest in the position yesterday in Tacoma. That's just one frontier in the new normal, where pot is legal.
So if you live in Colorado or Washington, what's changed? 800-989-8255. Email us, firstname.lastname@example.com. You can also join the conversation on our website. That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION.
Even as lawmakers and their advisors, like our guest Jack Finlaw, chief legal counsel to Colorado's Governor Hickenlooper, work out details, and as Washington searches for its marijuana expert, law enforcement officers already confront a new reality, one where smoking pot is legal. Assistant Chief Jim Pugel is with the Criminal Investigations Bureau of the Seattle Police Department and joins us now from member station KUOW there. Nice to have you on TALK OF THE NATION.
JIM PUGEL: Thank you very much for having me.
CONAN: And though marijuana was legalized in Washington state in December, I understand recreational smokers have been pretty low on the priority list there in Seattle for a few years now.
PUGEL: Yes, as a matter of fact back in the early 2000s through a city referendum and initiative, voters said that the enforcement of any marijuana law would be the lowest priority in every law enforcement violation.
CONAN: So effectively, in Seattle at least, not a whole lot has changed.
PUGEL: Not per se. Actually this initiative has given the police department and the officers who work the street a little bit more clear, black-and-white guidance on what is legal and what's not. We still are dealing with the medical marijuana issues, which we had dealt with for the last, oh, two years.
But this really clarifies how much a person can carry, where they can display it and where they can use it.
CONAN: And that kind of clarity is helpful, you say.
PUGEL: Absolutely.
CONAN: And I know you were involved in helping to craft the language of the new law. What were you most concerned about?
PUGEL: Well, I in fact wasn't one that crafted it, but I was consulted, and we worked very closely with the ACLU and other people. And we knew that there was a pretty large groundswell out there that wanted it legalized. Whether one is for smoking it or possession or growing or not, there was too much - the situation was too clouded out there.
No one knew really what the rules were, and they didn't - those who don't agree with it still wanted some rules around it. So I think that that was the most important part about the initiative was that they were able to craft the language so that it drew a pretty sizable majority of the voters statewide to allow it to occur.
CONAN: And one aspect of the measure there in Washington state was - we heard just a few minutes ago from Jack Finlaw that they're already working on legislation there to define what's intoxicated driving. That's already part of the law there in Washington state.
PUGEL: Yes, police officers can only stop a person who's operating a vehicle based on their behavior. So just like if a person has been using alcohol or has been abusing or under the influence of a legally prescribed drug, they are still going to stop the driver based on how they're operating the vehicle.
Once a person rolls down the window or otherwise engages with the police officer, the police officer, she will smell or otherwise become aware of alcohol or observe certain physical characteristics or the way that the person is speaking or perhaps even smell burnt marijuana.
From that point on, they will conduct what we call field sobriety tests and verbal interviews to determine and investigate further whether that person is in fact under the influence of any drug.
CONAN: Field sobriety tests, walking the line, that sort of thing?
PUGEL: Walking the line, touching your nose, saying certain phrases, yes.
CONAN: But to get an actual result, again liquor you can do the breathalyzer. You'd have to do a blood test for marijuana.
PUGEL: Yes, we would. And we would have to ask permission of the person to do a blood test. They could absolutely refuse, although the rulemaking process has not been completed. We're not sure what the result of a refusal to give a blood test will be. But that would be up to the Department of Licensing.
The individual operator of a vehicle, though, has to remember that one police officer does not need a physical or a blood test or a breath test to obtain a conviction of driving under the influence. Quite often, people do refuse to either give a breath or blood test, and we can get a conviction or a successful prosecution based on the behavior, based on the field sobriety tests, but also a lot of cars now are equipped with a dash-cam video.
And when you present the video to a jury or to a judge, and they can see the behavior, hear what the person was saying, seen how they were physically behaving, that alone sometimes can get a conviction.
CONAN: Jack Finlaw, I wanted to turn back to you and put an email question we got from Martha Jones(ph), and that was - as you know, during the campaign, one of the arguments used in favor of legalization was that police should focus on more serious crimes, other kinds of crimes. What about amnesty, she writes, for those in jail already?
FINLAW: You know, we have not had any conversations about granting amnesty to those who were convicted under prior laws that were in effect. I do think that the data shows that very few people are incarcerated purely for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana. Usually, it's an add-on charge to other criminal charges.
CONAN: Let's see if we can get a caller in. This is Ean. Ean's on the line with us from Denver.
EAN: Hello, how are you?
CONAN: Go ahead, please.
EAN: Well, my name is Ean Seeb. I own and operate Denver Relief, which is one of Denver's longest, continuously running medical marijuana centers. And we are not really seeing too much of a change now, in regards to sales, as a result of Amendment 64 passing; and really don't have any fear as to losing our business as a result of adult use coming into play, in Colorado.
CONAN: Would you be - are you considering getting into - branching out into recreational sales as well?
EAN: We're absolutely willing to consider it. We are not going to be the first to do so. We'd like to see what type of federal response comes into play. But if there's an opportunity for us to continue providing medical marijuana to our patients, and to the people that have built our business, while still providing to any adult over the age of 21 who wishes to purchase, it's something that we would absolutely consider.
CONAN: Jack Finlaw - again, are you going to allow sales of medical marijuana and recreational marijuana from the same facility?
FINLAW: I think we're thinking that there can be common ownership, but that there would probably have to be separate premises, similar to the way we regulate alcohol; that if you're doing one sort of business, you have to have a separate premise for a different sort.
The way medical marijuana dispensaries operate today, there's really strict access limitations. You have to have a medical marijuana card; it has to be current. So even to get inside a dispensary, there has to be checks. I would imagine that a recreational marijuana store would be open to the public. The other distinction is that medical marijuana is available to people under 21, whereas recreational marijuana will only be available to people 21 and older.
CONAN: Does that make sense to you, Ean?
EAN: Absolutely, it does. And I think that they can both be done - it doesn't necessarily need to be mutually exclusive. We could absolutely provide for patients that are between the ages of 18, 19 and 20, as well as providing to all adults over the age of 21. Whether or not we - whether or not a separate facility is going to be needed, remains to be seen. But Jack is absolutely right that there are - there are some nuances to work out. But given the regulation that we are working under right now, I and my business partner certainly - or my business partners and myself certainly don't feel as though it would be difficult to follow those new regulations.
CONAN: All right, Ean, thanks very much.
EAN: Thank you for having me.
CONAN: Let's see if we can go next to - this is Rebecca(ph), Rebecca from Boulder, Colorado.
REBECCA: Hello, how are you?
CONAN: I'm well, thank you.
REBECCA: This is a wonderful discussion because it really shows the complications of this issue. So I'm really glad to hear it, and I wish more people could be, you know, privy to this.
CONAN: Well, what are the complications in your life?
REBECCA: None really. What - how this really affects me, I think, is how I communicate to my child, what - how am I going to discuss with him the difference between or the similarity between marijuana as a drug and, like, for instance, alcohol as a drug and teaching him in - you know, things in moderation.
In my mind, alcohol is actually a worse drug than pot. And where I come from in Boulder, Colorado, people very openly smoke pot. They very openly raise pot. You know, it's a very common thing around here. And so I don't know. I think this is - I think it's really positive, actually, to have this all being, you know, more open now and less black market and less under the radar.
CONAN: There are any number of kids who first see alcohol being used when they see their parents using it. I assume that's now going to be the case with marijuana too.
REBECCA: Well, I think it already is the case. I mean most people that I know who have children in this area very openly smoke pot around their kids. So I don't think it's really going to change all that much necessarily, you know, what happens within the house. I mean there will be some changes, you know, obviously what happens outside the house, but you know, teenagers, they're very clever at getting their hands on alcohol and pot now.
And I don't - I think it has a lot to do with the mindset of how the kids are raised and what their parents teach them and how the kids are and what they do in their experimental stages of their life. And so, if anything, it's going to take a little bit of the stigma off of pot, and that, I think, is absolutely very helpful for it.
CONAN: Rebecca, thanks very much for the call.
REBECCA: You're welcome. Bye-bye.
CONAN: Here's an email that we have. This is from Giraud(ph): How will this new law on marijuana affect work policies that have drug-free policies?
Jack Finlaw, is that something you're looking into?
FINLAW: Yeah, our task force has already dealt with that and looked at the plain language of our new constitutional amendment that specifically says that nothing in the - in this new law will change the relationship between employers and employees and the ability of employers to have policies that provide for not just a drug-free workplace, but that could, you know, restrict the use of marijuana by employees even in off hours.
CONAN: Jim Pugel, you mentioned that because of the city ordinance, this didn't change things much in Seattle. I assume you speak with colleagues from elsewhere outside the big city.
PUGEL: Oh, yes, we do. In fact, we've been in constant conversation with folks both in Eastern Washington, Western Washington and certainly the Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
CONAN: And is there more of a culture shock there, do you think?
PUGEL: I think you'd have to take it from one municipality or county to another. If you look at the way that the vote was recorded throughout the state, it was very balanced on the west and the east side, and Washington State is characterized by a little bit more conservative to the east of the Cascade mountain range and a little bit more liberal to the west.
But if you look at the balance of this vote, the people spoke pretty balanced throughout the state as far as give it a try, let's legalize it, but put some reasonable rules around it.
CONAN: That's Jim Pugel, who's assistant chief of the Criminal Investigations Bureau at the Seattle Police Department. Also with us, Jack Finlaw, co-chair of the Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force. He's the chief legal counsel to Governor John Hickenlooper there in Denver, Colorado. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News.
This email from Nan(ph) in Colorado: I'm very concerned about the legalization of marijuana. My 16-year-old is hearing that pot was legalized because it is not harmful to consume and that alcohol is far more dangerous. Legalizing pot and not putting out all the facts about the effects of pot use, especially on children's brains, is hugely irresponsible. It is so disappointing to see medicinal pot shops on every corner here already, close to schools, neighborhoods and daycares. And now we will have even more sources available to our children as we add recreational pot shops.
And Jack Finlaw, you mentioned regulations in effect on medical marijuana. Those are seen by - well, it's a wink and a nod in a lot of places, isn't it?
FINLAW: Well, you know, we have very strict controls over who can have access to medical marijuana. Also, thanks to some guidance from our U.S. attorney, any medical marijuana dispensaries that were located too close to schools or other places where young people gather have been closed down.
And I expect that our rules on recreational marijuana stores will also have limits as far as, you know, where they can be located, how many shops can be in any particular community. It'll be a joint partnership between the state regulations and local governments. And also, local governments in Colorado are permitted to opt out of legalization, and they can prohibit it in their towns or their counties.
CONAN: Let's go to Brian, Brian with us from Seattle.
BRIAN: Yeah. I'm a teacher in - at an alternative school, and we've had - you know, I've had conversations throughout the years with my students about marijuana, most of the time before legalization. It was fairly oblique references to use or, you know, use in the past, but never anything present. But then after the legalization, it's been - there's been a lot - there's been a change in the climate of how those conversations go.
It's gone from kind of references to other people and other things, and it's become a little bit more personal. And I feel like it's been a good step because we've been able to talk more about the effects on the - on learning, on, you know, the dopamine levels in your brain.
And I also have been really encouraged because I feel as though there's a legal hypocrisy in terms of our treatment of alcohol and marijuana. They are not the same but they are similar. They're not like heroin and some of the harder drugs.
And I feel like, you know, this shift kind of towards a more calm approach to marijuana has enabled students to really look at it less as a rebellion and more as a - more as something they have to consider for their future - how they're going to use it, you know, what effects it's going to have on their learning, what effects it's going to have on their life - because it does affect them, they know it.
CONAN: Mm-hmm.
BRIAN: The question - sorry.
CONAN: Go ahead.
BRIAN: The question I have is, is there any part of the laws that allows for use inside the home much the same way that alcohol is considered now, where inside the family, it's, you know, largely unregulated and there's no legal ramifications for that?
CONAN: Jim Pugel, is that your understanding?
PUGEL: Yes. What a person does inside of their home, as long as they're abiding by the amounts, the quantities that are allowed by the initiative, that is fine. Certainly when a police officer enters a residence for whatever reason - a missing person, a domestic violence call, a burglary - if they come across, even before marijuana was legal, if they come across a situation that's harmful or an environment that is dangerous to children, we are required to document that. And that didn't - that really doesn't matter whether it's alcohol, whether it's a chemical or poor food storage or marijuana. We are looking out for the safety of everyone regardless of what the harm could be.
CONAN: Bryan, thanks very much. And just a quick question. Any evidence, well, Jim Pugel, that people are smoking more pot now?
PUGEL: Not from either anecdotal or from the reports of police officers. We regularly kept a log of every single report or incident that marijuana was mentioned in, and to date - it's only been two and a half months - to date, though, we have not seen an increase in complaints about marijuana, coming across illegal grow farms, or anything else that we were previously reporting.
CONAN: Well, early days yet. We will be checking in to see how things continue to evolve. Jack Finlaw, thanks very much for your time today.
FINLAW: You're welcome.
CONAN: Jack Finlaw, chief legal counsel to Governor John Hickenlooper there in Denver, and Assistant Chief Pugel with the Seattle Police Department. Thanks to you too.
PUGEL: Thank you very much. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm David Greene.
And I'm Renee Montagne. American citizen Kenneth Bae has spent nearly 10 months imprisoned in North Korea. That's longer than any other American recently held there. The U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues is in Beijing for talks about his Chinese counterparts, but the State Department says there are no plans to meet with North Korean officials over the detention of Bae. But the family of the Korean-American tour operator says his situation is more urgent than ever, since he fell seriously ill in detention.
Liz Jones of member station KUOW reports from Seattle.
LIZ JONES, BYLINE: Two of the most important women in Kenneth Bae's life sit side by side on the couch, in a suburban home just north of Seattle.
TERRI CHUNG: I'm Terri Chung. I am Kenneth Bae's sister.
MYUNGHEE BAE: Myunghee Bae. I'm his mother.
JONES: They're flipping through some family snapshots.
CHUNG: That's my elementary school graduation.
JONES: That was South Korea also?
CHUNG: Yeah.
BAE: Yeah.
JONES: The family moved from South Korea to the U.S. in the mid-'80s. Now Kenneth and his sister are in their 40s. And Terri says their family's life right now is nothing they could have ever imagined.
CHUNG: You know, for a long time because of the sensitive nature, we couldn't really talk about it publicly. So I felt like I was just leading this double life. Starring in some third-rate spy movie or something. You don't know who to trust, who you should talk to.
JONES: Based out of China, Kenneth Bae travelled frequently to North Korea as a tour operator and Christian missionary. But in November he was arrested, then later convicted of committing hostile acts against the North Korean government. Details about his alleged crimes are still unclear.
CHUNG: All I know is that my brother is a good man. And, you know, he is religious and you know, his religious convictions may have been maybe a little overzealous, and I think that might have been deemed as being hostile against the state.
JONES: Bae's sentence is 15 years of hard labor. Every Wednesday, Terri and Myunghee get together for a call with the U.S. State Department. Officials assure them they're actively working backchannels toward Bae's release. Initially the family kept quiet about his case. They feared saying the wrong thing could worsen an already delicate situation. Their position changed after Kenneth called his mom from prison.
BAE: I had to fight with the tears but I had to ask him, what do you want me to do?
JONES: Kenneth told her he needed help from the U.S. government. The family says that's been the consistent message in his few phone calls and letters home.
JONES: Myunghee delicately unfolds a recent letter, postmarked June 22. Her son's handwriting in Korean goes on for two pages.
BAE: (foreign language spoken)
CHUNG: My beloved mother. I thank you for the letter that you sent yesterday. And, you know, don't worry too much about me.
JONES: He tells her about his life at the prison labor camp.
BAE: (foreign language spoken)
CHUNG: I know you were worried about the sunscreen. So when I go outside I have my hat on and I have a towel around my neck for working.
JONES: Myunghee now worries about her son's deteriorating health. Kenneth suffers from diabetes, an enlarged heart and kidney problems. It appears he's lost more than 50 pounds. Kenneth's frail condition, shown in a recent prison video, still haunts his mother.
BAE: He's not my son I remember. He looks totally broken.
JONES: In recent years North Korea freed Americans imprisoned there only after a visit from a prominent U.S. dignitary. For Kenneth Bae's family, life is on hold until he comes home. Myunghee spends more time alone in prayer, or on her laptop scouring Asian news sites. Terri took a leave from her job as a college instructor to raise awareness about her brother's plight.
CHUNG: I believe that the U.S. government wants to see this American home, but when it's your family member, you know, just nothing is enough until he's home.
JONES: Terri says the longer her brother's imprisonment stretches on, the harder it is to hold on to hope. For NPR News, I'm Liz Jones in Seattle. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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It can scan zombies, replace a TV remote, open a window into virtual worlds and shoot ninja stars across a living room. It's the Wii U GamePad, the 10-by-5-inch touchscreen controller for the successor to the Wii, out Sunday, and if you ask the brains behind the "Super Mario Bros." about it, they say it's going to change the way video games are made and played.
"You can't manufacture buzz," said Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. "You can't manufacture word of mouth. All we can do is to provide the product and the games to foster some sparks that hopefully enable that to happen. We think we have that with Wii U."
An attendee plays a video game using Nintendo's Wii U controller at E3 2012 in Los Angeles. Nintendo unleashed 23 games for its upcoming console featuring a touchscreen controller at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, the gaming industry's annual trade show. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
Much like the iPad, the curvaceous GamePad features a touchscreen that can be manipulated with the simple tap or swipe of a finger, but it's surrounded by the kinds of buttons, bumpers, thumbsticks and triggers that are traditionally found on a modern-day game controller. There's also a camera, stylus, microphone, headphone jack and speakers. While the Wii U can employ its predecessor's motion-control remotes with a sensor bar that similarly detects them in front of the TV, the console's focus on two-screen experiences makes it feel more like a high-definition, living-room rendition of the Nintendo DS and 3DS, the Japanese gaming giant's dual-screen hand-held devices, than the original Wii. "It's a second screen like a tablet or a cellphone, but it's different," said Mark Bolas, professor of interactive media at the University of Southern California. "In addition to providing more information, the GamePad is also a second viewpoint into a virtual world. Nintendo is letting you turn away from the TV screen to see what's happening with the GamePad." The touchscreen controller can also serve as a makeshift TV remote control and online video aggregator for services like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. (Nintendo cheekily calls it TVii and announced Friday that it won't be available until December.) Some games have the ability to flip-flop between the TV screen and the GamePad screen, allowing for non-gaming use of the TV.
Thomas Criswell tries out the new Wii U game on display at a Target store in Glenview, Illinois, USA, 18 November 2012. The latest offering from Nintendo comes in two models, 8GB and 32GB and both models offer a hand held console with a 6.2 inch (15.75cm) touchscreen and an HDMI cable for connecting to a HD Television. EPA/TANNEN MAURY
There are limitations to the GamePad: it won't work after it's been moved 25 feet away from the Wii U console; it lasts about three to five hours after charging; and while its touchscreen is intuitive as those that have come before it, the GamePad is not quite as simple to use as the Wii controllers that had everyone bowling in their living rooms. "Is the GamePad more complex than the Wii Remote was six years ago? Certainly," said Fils-Aime. "On the other hand, I believe consumers will easily grasp the GamePad and what we're trying to do with the varied experiences we'll have not only at launch but over the next number of years in this system's life." The abilities of the GamePad are most notably showcased by Nintendo Co. in the amusement park-themed mini-game collection "Nintendo Land," which comes with the deluxe edition of the console. "Nintendo Land" turns the GamePad into several different tools, such as the dashboard of a spaceship or the ultimate advantage in a game of hide-and-seek. In other titles, the controller mostly eliminates the need to pause the action to study a map in order to figure out where to go next or scour an inventory for just the right weapon. That can all be achieved simultaneously on the GamePad screen, which is best illustrated among the launch titles in Ubisoft's survival action game "ZombiU." The GamePad acts as a high-tech scanner in "ZombiU" that can analyze a player's surroundings in a version of London overrun by zombies. It pumps up the terror by drawing players' attention away from the horrors lurking around them. Will gamers who've grown up with their eyes glued to the TV and hands gripped on a controller adapt to glimpsing at another screen? The Wii U edition of "Call of Duty: Black Ops II," for example, invites players to customize their arsenal on the fly on the GamePad, as well as engage in multiplayer matches without needing to split the TV in half. Nintendo expects 50 games will be available for the Wii U by March 2013. There will be 23 games released alongside the console when it debuts Sunday, including the platformer "New Super Mario Bros. U," karaoke game "Sing Party," an "armored edition" of "Batman: Arkham City" and the Mickey Mouse adventure "Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two." "New consoles come along and nobody exploits their full capabilities for the first two to three years," said Warren Spector, creative director at "Epic Mickey 2" developer Junction Point Studios. "It's only after you've had two or three projects that you fully understand what the hardware is capable of doing. We're going to be experimenting with it more." Fils-Aime said he's already envisioning ways that developers will innovate with future games. He pointed to some of the console's features that aren't on display in the launch line-up, such as the ability to play with two GamePads at once or utilize the console's near-field communication technology to interact with other gadgets in the room. "I think that developers and consumers are ready for new experiences," said Fils-Aime. "More than anything else, I think that's what is driving excitement for Wii U. They've experienced what this generation has to offer. They're ready for something new." - Derrik J. Lang, AP
More for details: http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu


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Double-Dip Recession Catches Britain Off Guard
Britain is a nation in shock, following Wednesday's announcement that its economy has slipped back into recession. It's the second time since the 2008 financial crisis, and it's raising new questions about the government's unpopular austerity measures.
Britain is a nation in shock, following yesterday's announcement that its economy has slipped back into recession. The bad news is raising new questions about the government's unpopular austerity measures.
Vicki Barker has more from London.
VICKI BARKER, BYLINE: The news that Britain's economy has fallen into the dreaded double-dip recession caught everyone off guard - including Prime Minister David Cameron, who was immediately hit by a wave of criticism from parliament.
PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON: These are very, very disappointing figures. I don't seek to excuse them. I don't seek to explain them away...
BARKER: The euro crisis and the global debt crisis all weighing down the UK economy, the prime minister said. But that's not the whole story, says David Bailey. he's a business professor in Coventry, in England's manufacturing heartland.
DAVID BAILEY: Clearly, Europe is our biggest export market, that does have a big drag on growth. But we've also seen the biggest squeeze on real incomes in decades. That has affected consumer confidence and spending in the UK.
BARKER: And that is the conundrum: Cameron desperately needs growth, to slash Britain's massive budget deficit. So he needs to get British consumers spending again. But they're being squeezed by the steepest budget cuts in a generation; by record-low interest rates on their savings; and by creeping inflation.
The recession also poses a dilemma to Britain's central bank, the Bank of England: it was anticipating a recovery. With interest rates close to zero, it can only encourage spending with more monetary easing. The risk - that could send inflation even higher, further endangering any recovery.
For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London.
Copyright © 2012 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


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The always androgynous, sexually ambiguous Prince has come out with his anti-gay sentiments. In an interview with a Christian businessman he made an inference to the biblical cities "Sodom & Gomorrah" indicating that God wiped out those cities due to widespread homosexuality.
"He pointed to a Bible. But there's the problem of interpretation, and you've got some churches, some people, basically doing things and saying it comes from here, but it doesn't. And then on the opposite end of the spectrum you've got blue, you've got the Democrats, and they're, like, 'You can do whatever you want.' Gay marriage, whatever. But neither of them is right." When asked about his perspective on social issues—gay marriage, abortion—Prince tapped his Bible and said, "God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, 'Enough." (JMG)Prince may be androgynous and helps breaking down label barriers, but he is far from royal when it comes to issues of diversity, boycott Prince!


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When I walked the leadoff guy [in the ninth], I had to step back and tell myself I don't have to be too fine. Let them hit the ball, let them put it in play. Let the guys behind me make the plays. ...Warming up before the game, Lester was a bit worried about the start:
The last at-bat? To be honest, I don't even remember. I do know that early in the at-bat he fouled off a good curveball and a good cutter. We'd be doing that all night, throwing the four-seam cutter in, then try to go with the four-seam fastball away.
Usually when you're in the bullpen you can figure out what you're going to have. You have a good curveball, a good changeup or whatever. Today I didn't have any. I didn't know what was going to happen.John Farrell, who came within three outs of no-hitting the Royals on May 4, 1989, agreed: "It was probably the most erratic he was of any bullpen throughout this season."
Jason Varitek is the first catcher to be behind the plate for four no-hitters:
Hideo Nomo (April 4, 2001, at Orioles)Ray Schalk's Hall of Fame plaque says he caught four no-hit games, but MLB changed its definition of a no-hitter in 1991 and Schalk's total dropped to three.
Derek Lowe (April 27, 2002 vs Devil Rays)
Clay Buchholz (September 1, 2007 vs Orioles)
Jon Lester (May 19, 2008 vs Royals)
Varitek had no idea the Royals were hitless until the eighth inning:
I looked up after the seventh and saw that he was around 100 pitches [97] and I was like, "He did his job". And then I glanced in the bullpen and saw nobody warming up and I said, "That's kind of weird". I looked back [at the scoreboard] and said, "Uh-oh!"The Globe has pictures and post-game video. Red Sox Monster has video of the final out.
I often think about a possible no-hitter after a pitcher gets through the first two innings. Yet for some reason last night -- too much attention to game thread comments? -- but I didn't even notice that Kansas City had no hits until the end of the fifth inning.


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I'm sure it's legal. It's his practice. He can do what he wants.
But I don't think it's professional.
Part of being a doctor means treating people equally. Regardless of who they are. White or black, men or women, gay or straight, Republican or Democrat, Coke or Pepsi.
I don't discuss politics with patients. They ask me what I think of the new health care bill, and I give them a generic "We'll see what happens." Divisive discussions aren't good for a doctor-patient relationship.
Some people can be quite outspoken in their beliefs. I've taken care of a variety of ideologies. White supremacists. American neo-nazis. Socialists. Communists. Right, left, and in-between.
Sometimes it's hard to separate personal dislike from clinical judgment. But I do it, and try my best to treat all equally. And I never discuss my opinions with them.
"Dammit, Jim! I'm a Doctor!"
I am a person. With my own political beliefs. But there's no room for them in medicine. My job is to take care of people, and try to make them better, regardless of what I may think of them.
When President Reagan was shot, he famously quipped "I hope you guys are Republicans" to the surgical team as they were getting ready to operate on him, and the surgeon replied "We're all Republicans today."
Dr. Samuel Mudd went to jail for setting John Booth's broken leg after Booth shot President Lincoln.
The same trauma hospital in Dallas that frantically tried to save President Kennedy after he was shot, worked to save the life of his assassin, Lee Oswald, a few days later.
Caring for people equally, regardless of our personal thoughts about them, is what we do.
And if you don't think you can live up to that, then maybe you should find another profession.