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I have only recently completed this game. I am unfortunately not one of those who were lucky enough to grow up with it as it is right up my street however I am lucky enough to have a boyfriend who nagged me for a good few weeks until I finally gave up and bought the game. After about 20 minutes into the first Monkey Island, I was hooked. It didn't take me long at all to get the 3rd Monkey Island, the Curse of Monkey Island.
By this point im sure my boyfriend was regretting introducing me to such an addictive game as most days he'd end up just watching me struggle my way through the tricky story of Guybrush Threepwood on the hunt for some magical ring to turn his gold girlfriend back to life.
I chose to do the extra hard storyline with added mysteries. I was well aware the games were coming to an end so wanted to take it slow. Well taking it slow only lasted a few weeks. I almost wished the painfully frustrating parts where id be stuck for hours lasted longer.
The game is basically a mystery game. Take grim fandango or escape the rooms games for example if you know of them and add GuyBrush Threepwood, a 'mighty pirate'. You will pick things up throughout the game and interact with people and object to move the plot along. Sometimes you can be stuck on parts for a very long time which I think does put some people off but I find the fun comes from when you finally get past them.
It's certainly got the best plot of the all the games and found the mysteries to be much more exciting. If it wasn't for my boyfriend occasionally nudging me into the right direction, I'm sure I'd barely have started the curse of monkey island!
In the days before I bounced happily off to work in the mornings , and afternoons, I used to love playing PC games, especially action adventure ones like ' THE CURSE OF MONKEY ISLAND'. I was given it as a present, it went straight to the computer and off I went into the world of Guybrush Threepwood and his humoristic adventures. This was a good old days game when they came in 2D cartoony graphics.
Now this is a long game, and when it came out was a sequal to its previous adventures where guybrush had a more pixelated look to him, i.e, this was a modernised version of the game. Contrary to what the first impression the cover may give, that of a more simple and childish entertainment game.. this has some excellent graphics together with superb puzzles and an altogether great atmosphere of authentic aargh pirate adventure. This will keep you busy for a while, definitely one for life, and that I would play again just to induldge myself once more in the land of seas that stretch for miles and that lead to sunny coconut voodoo rum filled adventure.
Curse of Monkey Island was the 3rd game in the Monkey island series where you play as Guybrush Threepwood mighty pirate. The game was released in 1997 and hence had a major overhaul from the early 1990 games.
The plot start of with Guybrush in trouble once again as he is LeChucks prisoner aboard his ship which is attacking Elaine's city. Shortly after a rescue Guybrush proposes to Elaine using a diamond ring not knowing that it carries a curse turning her into a giant gold statue which is immediately stolen. So begins his quest to undo the curse and recover his love at the same time dodging attacks from the demonic pirate LeChuck.
First of all the graphics were changed from the 256 bit to a cartoonish display setting the right mood for the comical and hilarious adventures of the pirate. Guybrush and many familiar characters are back and look great in cartoon style with Guybrush suddenly gotten tall and skinny (possibly hormone issues)
This is also the first instance of character voices as each individual character has an audio clip which goes with their dialog which was missing in previous installments. This and a much better music output makes the game one which will keep people happy even with modern games.
The gameplay has still been preserved as point and click but is revamped as your pointer when clicked on any thing would give three options namely pick up, talk to or observe thereby making the game very easy to play.
This is definitely improved on many shortcomings of the previous game to make it a fun and entertaining game
This is my favourite game of all time. If you like games that make you use your brain to solve puzzles then this is the one for you. The graphics are excellent and it is just like watching a cartoon. The game also has a lot of humour. The main character is Guybrush Threepwood who has to find a way of removing a curse from his girlfriend who has been turned into a statue. Walk around the island and speak with people that you come across and use information you hear to solve puzzles, such as picking up items and using them with other things you have found to unlock the story further. There are 8 different areas on the island you must explore and you need to keep returning to each of them each time you have acquired different items or solved certain puzzles. There is definitely at least 25/30 hours of gameplay. This isn't the game for you if you like fast paced action, but if you like to take your time and enjoy a 'cartoon' like experience, this is definitely for you.
To tell you right from the start: I am not a gamer. I never played computer games. I never wanted to play them ;)
but then one day it was my 24th birthday and my boyfriend had this cd-like present for me. I opened it and held in my hands the Monkey Island game for Windows. Part 3, The Curse of Monkey Island. I didnt really know what to say. But his enthusiam and the funny CD cover sparked my interest. Why not try something new?
The cover:
The cover shows the comic illustration of the evil undead pirate LeChuck holding a sword in his hand, fighting against our (anti-)heroe, the untypical pirate Guybrush Threepwood on a ship. In the background you see the golden statue of Elyane, the woman Guybrush and LeChuck are both in love with. The picture makes you suspect what this game is about: pirates, adventures, fights and love. The painting are well done and very detailed. you see from the cover that its not a violent but a pretty funny game to play.
About the game:
Monkey Island was first published in 1990 by Lucasfilm Games and was a big success. The Curse of Monkey Island is the third part of this graphical adventure games series and much more up-to-date regarding it's graphics. You can choose between two levels of difficulty.
The main characters:
Guybrush Threepwood: he wants to become the most famous pirate of the Carribeans. He doesnt seem to realize his funny figure: a small, slim and lank boy who just doesnt fit the typical image of a bold pirate. He has to make up for this with his smartness and cleverness. He is in love with the governour Elaine Marley
LeChuck: the undead pirate, Guybrushs worst enemy. He is also in love with Elaine although she detests him. As the Undead he is powerful and frightening, but he is also quite stupid and funny.
Elaine Marley: she is a strong and tough woman. She is in love with Guybrish and often helps him in dangerous situations.
Story of The Curse of Monkey Island:
When Guybrush proposes to Elaine with a diamond ring he doesn't know that it's cursed and unwillingly turns her into a golden statue. He finds out that to break the spell he needs to find another diamond ring that he can find on Blood Island. To make matters worse Elyane's statue gets stolen by LeChuck!
Now his mission is clear: first he has to find the diamond ring, then he has to find Elyane and beat LeChuck.
But it's not an easy mission at all. He needs a ship and a crew to get to the other island. So many obstacles are to be overcome! The journey is a real adventure: Guybrush has to be astute and clever not to miss a single hint. He talks to everyone on the island, sample useful things and use and combine them in the right situation.
What I really like about this game:
the truth is, I couldn't stop playing! This game is so much fun! I like how detailed the characters are, with how much love they have been developed, and how many different options you have! There's always something new to learn and find. The dialogs are hilarious! The music is great and funny.
I found it easy to navigate. You just click where you want to go and you need to use a few buttons to collect things and use them. But it's really easy and you learn it quickly. I also tried to play part 4 "Escape from Monkey Island" but the navigation with the keyboard was too tricky for me.
Sometimes it is quite tricky to find out what you have to do next. Sometimes I gave up and looked up the solution in the internet (there are some pages where you can read what to do) or I asked my boyfriend. But I am not a patient person ;-)
The Curse of Monkey Isand is a very entertaining and funny adventure game for everyone!
Story: 5 stars *****
Characters: 5 stars *****
Music: 4 stars *****
Graphics: 4 stars ****
Ingenuity: 5 stars *****
Entertainment: 5 stars*****
Navigation: 5 stars *****
Overall rating: 5 stars *****
Yes, still an oldie but i have a little obsession with the Monkey Island series at the moment, and feel that i should give this one a try, considering i enjoyed the memories (of the weekend) of looking back on the Secret of Monkey Island.
First off i'd like to explain the story. Guybrush Threepwood loves Elaine and since the first game has now become a pirate. He has had to stop the evil pirate LeChuck and his cronies twice and is still alive. Aarg! After a bit of a loss in Monkey Island 2: LeChucks Revenge, our character ends up in the middle of the ocean, stranded on a bumper car basically and writing a letter saying he has no food (when a chicken floats past on a barrel), and no other things. He ends up floating through a battle zone between LeChuck and another group. Elaine is there and finds you and is surprised because she thought you were dead and after being captured and escaping, you finally propose to Elaine with a ring you found on an evil zombie-ghost pirate ship (LeChuck). Ooops! That ring has a curse on it and the wearer turns to a gold statue. Back to the old adventure again to stop LeChuck and find out how to lift the curse on Elaine. It is still the same old usual. It works extremely well though, as it always has so why change a perfect game-you don't and that is what is great about this game. The story is still as strong as the humour and it has just changed in graphics and got a lot more illogical. Better get the coffee on then because this game is going to take some time.
As i said-why change a winning game-they haven't really. The graphics have though and i think that it works extremely well. It is a mix between 2D and 3D because it is 3D, but not true 3D because it is just like last time, in that you can walk all ways (up, down, left, right), but you still look 2D-ish. This suits the game excellently because it isn't blurred like the original games, it is just totally carttony and everyone has had a nice new makeover. Here the characters are:
Guybrush Threepwood-our heroes' new make over has him looking extremely cartoony, adding to the gameplay due to his fitting looks. He has a bit of a Jimmy Neutron-quiff (with the ponytail) but in blonde, and cartoony small and round eyes. He has the same clothes but with better detail, and a nice small jacket. Great looking bloke and spot on to fit the graphics.
Elaine-British looking with a bandana and big earrings. Dresses like a pirate too with the green jacket. Brown hair and once again, i think she looks suitable-keeping the looks of a feminine but strong character. Has a sword.
LeChuck-The voodoo pirate that has a greenish look about him. He has a flaming beard and evil eyes. He is pretty big and fat still and looks scary but cartoony enough for the part.
Wally-Looks like a small pirate wimp-child. Just a better look with small eyes.
Murray-a talking skull (no body) who wants to be evil but really isn't.
Altogether they come back for a great game because the looks haven't changes too much-just with better graphics. It still suits the style of gameplay because they keep their friendly looks and funny charm.
Graphics and Environment.
The environment has changed too. The graphics have enhanced it and it looks amazing still. The detail of the cartoon is perfect and the 2D look once again suits the game. The environments remain the same in that you access the map and click on an area and you run there, except now the map is a bit more zoomed and the environments are bigger so it is more zoomed in so you can see before it tells you the name of where you are going. The graphics are pretty good here but not as good as they are in the game. I don't believe i am saying this but this great graphiced 2D/3D game is better than the GTA games if you ask me. Everything including the graphics are good and funny. In this place you get to access a restaurant, a barber and a volcano and more. As usual, there is more than one island to explore too. I think the graphics suit this too because there is detail in there but unlike in GTA with the hands of the people (proper dodgy), everything is perfect and pretty. Everything just fits.
The new look may be near-perfection, and so is the gameplay. Having played the third one first, i was enticed to play more due to how illogical it was, an wow, is it illogical. I love it because it is so original and has taken its own style of gameplay to a whole new level. In a previous review i said to play this first to get into it, but i don't really know. Your choice really, but i have to say that if you play the first and second game first, you will get into this game and maybe not need the walkthrough which is kind of cheating. It will take you some time i have to admit, but you're talking about putting aside 3 days full or so (including sleeping of course), instead of the 12 i think it would have taken me were it not for the walkthrough that i now regret using. It still has the same old shine though because it is still the puzzle/adventure that we all love because it challenges our minds at the same time as making us crap ourselves laughing. Let me give you an example of one mission.
You need to find a way to get to a ship that is out of harbour. You finally (and accidentally) discover a boat that has a hole in it and in your inventory alls' you have is a 'biscuit cutter', a 'card' to the beach, a 'mouldy biscuit' a 'pie pan', 'paste', a 'skeleton arm' and a 'button'. You don't plug it up with any of those though. You need to find something else out. You need to use an item on something else which will plug the boat if you do something to it. It is something that will bug you like hell when you get it and you wont find the answer here. This will take you quite a few hours to do alone.
Guess what else is back? The fantastic sword fighting system 'where both your sword and your wit have to be sharp' However, it has changed a little to keep it fresh. It work a lot better because what they've added is rhyming. You'd think that this would make it easier but it doesn't, because there are a lot of rhyms to choose from. Once again you have to fight a lot to figure out what insults to say and their responses. The only one i am going to tell you:
INSULT: You're as repulsive as a monkey in a negligee!
RESPONSE: I look THAT much like your fiancée?
How hilarious and they've not spoilt the fighting system at all. I think that it has been made a lot better. A bit of a risk considering that the fighting system worked before, but it worked. It is hilarious because of the extra effort involved and they still all make sense. This, i have to say, is a reason to buy the game alone.
Sound and Voices.
Now lets get on to the sound of the game. Since this was made in 1997, it works pretty well. The background music is still that cheery sound everyone who plays the game loves, but there are voices too. Remember Mario and the stupid voice that didn't match-that stupid high pitched voice? It hasn't happened here and the voicing is incredible.
Dominic Armato-------Guybrush Threepwood (voice)
Alexandra Boyd-------Gov. Elaine Marley/Son Pirate (voice)
Earl Boen------------LeChuck (voice)
Denny Delk-----------Murray (voice)
They're the main ones i thought that you'd like to know about and they are really good and add to the plot because the voices add to the humour because when it is said aloud it is very funny indeed. And, the voices are so good because they are not eccentric like the stupid Mario voice, but normal. Elaine sounds British, LeChuck sounds evil and Guybrush sounds friendly and normal, not like an Italian on drugs.
Other New Features.
I say that it hasn't changed much but there is another change. Now there isn't the option at the bottom such as 'push' and 'pull' etc. Now you left click on an object on the screen e.g. a biscuit and you can choose 'talk to/eat/blow/push/pull etc.', 'pick up' and 'look at'. This provides a lot more screen viewing so there is even more detail to be added to the page. Right click to get to your inventory now too.
Altogether i think it is a superb game. The graphics only add to the game because they remain so cartoony and friendly, the characters remain hilarious and the voices make the jokes even funnier and the sword fighting has improved drastically, even though i thought that it was magnificent anyway. The quality of the game remains and all's they have done is made it longer. Even the story remains terrific. They even take the mick out of their game. On the start screen it says 'Click here for enhanced 3D SCUMM ENGINE graphics'. Click on it and it says 'Only Joking'.
Extra Information.
Oh yeah, as before i have reviewed the game that was included in the bounty pack (the same) and thought you'd like to know that it boasts to be the 3rd in a series of legendary games, fine animation, voice and sound,high resolution (640x480) graphics, estimated of over 30 hours gameplay, two difficulty settings (Mega Monkey Island) and new insults.
Developer: LucasArts Entertainment Commpany
Age: Doesn't say but i think that it is 11+, although i think everyone will enjoy the humour-you'll either laugh at the jokes and rude puns, or be too innocent or young to understand them.
Made 1997
www.amazon.co.uk used and new from £11.00
My opinion is 'sheer perfection'.
The problem with it on some XP computers is that it forwards cut scenes, so if you buy it i suggest this:
Go on google and type in 'Curse of Monkey Island XP problem' and one of the links to a site sends you to a lucasarts problem page and this is number 45. Click on the last one and then on the new site click on software, and scroll down until a curse of Monkey Island section comes up and download the software. LucasArts suggest it so it must be authentic and i have downloaded it and it has fixed the problem and nt damaged my computer. However, if you do, play full screen because if you play it in a window (which is easier so you can access the walkthrough), problems like it cutting off often occur.
Thanks for the read. Butters
I loved this game and think it's the best one of the Monkey Islad series. Background Once again you take on the role as Guybrush Threepwood who is still desperately in love with Elaine. Yet again, his arch enemy, LeChuck, is brought back from the dead and wants revenge on the young pirate. You start off in LeChuck's grasp with an all too familiar face! Quite a tricky opening puzzle but you'll get there! Once you have escaped, you and Elaine will get engaged, which is when the adventure really starts - she turns into a gold statue! The voodoo lady from the last game is on hand to help you, but Elaine gets stolen and it is down to Guybrush to save her. Your travels will see you reuinting dead lovers and joining the Good Soup family. The cannibals from the first Monkey Island make a cameo appearance but this time meat isn't their favourite food. Gameplay The seafaring section of the game can be a bit repeetitive and this is the only part where I flet like quitting just because after a while I found the sequnce boring. You sail the seas, fighting pirate ships in order to steal their gold and buy better cannons. You do this round about six times and then take on Rottington - who is difficult to defeat. To beat him you must aquire several sword fight insults and use your brain to pair them up with him beacuse his are differnet from the average pirate. However, once this section is complete, it's plain sailing(!) into the next section. Once again the game is divided into parts and offers a save option. You also get to discover what Big Whoop is in this chapter of Guybrush's adventures. I won't give it away. The game as always is very playable and you can have some fun with trying out different objects on various people. it does take a long time to complete and some of the puzzles are devilishly hard. Graphics and Sound For the fisrt time in the Monkey Island series the
graphics are of cartoon quality and all the characters speak with their own individual voices. The graphics really are breath taking and there's so much detail gone into each individual character and scene. There are lots of sections that you just watch as they tell you the story and anyone walking in at that point would think you were watching a film. The voices of some characters can be a tad annoying, but the comments you can make are very funny. I don't know about anyone else, but I think that on eof the pirates sounds like Kelsey grammer from Frasier? LucasArt should be very proud of the effects in this game! It's interesting to hear voices for those characters that have been in all of the Monkey games and quite frankly a relief not to have to read dialoge all the time. Personally, I found the music in this game a lot more tolorable than the last too game as it isn't so repetive. You can also alter the volumes of each individual aspect such as speech and music. Who is it for? The game is recommended for eleven year olds and upwards alough younger children maywell enjoy watching as the game developes into a sort of film. Prepare yourself for a long period of playing the game because if you're anything like me, you will become addicted and will sit and play it for hours at a time.
This is my favourite PC game of all time. Firstly, I recommend you play the also excellent Monkey Island 1 and 2 before this - the game will still be great without them, but it will help to play them in chronologival order. The Graphics - Many people complained that that the graphics were so different from the first two games, but I think this is a good point. They really are beautiful, with great attention to detail. The Sound - This is the first Monkey Island game to feature voice acting, and it's all the better for it. The voices are without exception all fantastic and hilarious. The music is also brilliant, memorable but not too intrusive. The Story - In the intro (which is truly astounding, I watch it sometimes just for fun), Guybrush is sailing in the ocean in a bumper car. He escaped from LeChuck's Carnival Of The Damned, but is now lost at sea. He soon floats into the middle of a battle between his lost love Elaine, and his enemy LeChuck. I won't spoil the rest of the story but let's say it involves a diamond ring, a devil chicken, a cheating little boy and his lemonade stand, a family of soup makers, vegetarian cannibals, pirate barbers, and Dinghy Dog! The Game - The interface is improved so that the game takes up the entire screen. It is slightly different to the previous games but in minutes you will have mastered it. The game's puzzles were, for me, extremely hard, but you never get fed up, it's always great fun! The characters are brilliant, hilarious characters, new and old. My favourites are Murray, Kenny, and the pirate barbers. What I like about the game is the fact that although objects and people are there to help you solve puzzles, you can do all sorts of other things with them just for fun. For example, a ventroloquism book is required to solve one puzzle, but you can also use it in other places, just for a laugh. Characters tell you stories that have nothing to do with the ga
me, but are hilarious! Overall - This game is amazing. I'd recommend it to anyone with a sense of humour - even if you can't solve the puzzles, find a walkthrough and play it anyway, just to make yourself laugh! I got it for £20.00 in a pack of all of the first 3 Monkey Island games, which, as all are fantastic, is great value. Best game I've ever played.
The Curse of Monkey Island is the third of the series and is just as good as 1 and 2, maybe better. The main character is Guybrush Threepwood who is much nicer than your box standard pirate. After escaping from a shipwreck Guybrush manages to turn his fiancée into a solid gold statue who then gets kidnapped by the evil zombie pirate Le Chuck. Throughout the game there are a number of puzzles which you have to complete in order to move on. Depending on the level you choose these puzzles can be very hard or very easy. On the hard level the puzzles seem almost impossible but there is a website that will solve your problems if you get stuck. I do not advise you go on here though because it's much more pleasing to know that you completed it yourself. The graphics are beyond excellent so I suggest you stop monkeying around and buy it!!!
This is the third game in the Monkey Island series and goes along much the same lines as the other two. The plot is a continuation from the previous games, but makes perfect sense on its own. In the Curse of Monkey Island Guybrush Threepwood is the unlikely hero who is trying to save fiancee from the evil LeChuck, who was thought to be dead at the end of the last game, but no, like any good villain he has more lives than your average cat. LeChuck has kidnapped Elaine and turned her into a statue. Guybrush has to get back to Monkey Island to defeat LeChuck and free Elaine. The graphics are very cartoon like and colourful, and this style of graphics suits the game very well. And the set scenes are very well animated. They are also much better than those of previous games. The game doesn't take long to load on my pc which is an advantage because there is nothing worse than having to wait ages for a game to load. The interface is no longer point and click, which I found takes a little getting used to because I prefer the point and click to having to select text. However having said that it does narrow down the choice of things to do and so your guaranteed to find the solution to the puzzles. Some of the puzzles are quite tricky and difficult to work out how to solve. If you've never played a Monkey Island game before its probably better to try one of the earlier ones first. The reason that some of the puzzles seem so difficult is because the answers are so inventive and bizarre. After playing the game for a while I did get the hang of the kinds of things to look out for. Its possible to carry quite a few items so when I played the game I picked up everything that I could and then tried to combine items that I thought would make other, more useful items. This game is very enjoyable and the graphics and animation definitely add something to the game. Although it seems a bit difficult to work out puzzles at the beginn
ing it only takes a little while to understand what kind of things to look for, so this should not put anyone off trying the game. There are plenty of good walkthroughs for the game (on the net) if any puzzles are too difficult.
Avast ye scurvy dogs! Swap the decks, shiver me timbers, walk the plank and bone the cabin boy because after a five year gap Guybrush Threepwood pirate wannabee extraordinaire is back for another swashbuckling adventure. Prepare to laugh your butt off. It had been 5 long years before The Monkey Island series gained its 3rd instalment, LucasArts going very quiet after the bizarre ending of the second in the series. Of course, nothing short of bizarre would have been expected of anything in these games, but the closing sequences of part 2 were just about as bizarre as anyone could have imagined. It was with some trepidation that I installed the game because I just couldn't see how they would managed to link that ending into any kind of further storyline...but I shouldn't have worried, because there has always been genius at work behind these games. That genius comes in the form of Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert who sadly doesn't return for this game but you wouldn't know it. All the off the wall humour which made the series the adventure gaming legend that it has become returns here, and it returns with a vengeance thanks to the boost in technology that the five year gap had seen as well. Real voice-overs, digitally rendered cut scenes etc. were now possible(the previous instalments came on a bunch of floppy disks) and have been utilised here for full comedic effect. So... Monkey Island 3 is an adventure game, one which plays on the past stories in Monkey Island 1 and 2 but which by no means totally requires that you have played these first to still enjoy the game. For those who know the originals, you'll get more out of the game but more on that later. The game begins with our anti-hero Guybrush Threepwood floating around the wide blue yonder on a bumper car, dazed, confused and with a half-munched corndog making up the entirety of his rations. Threepwood dumb luck strikes again when he drifts into the middle of a pi
tched canon battle between two rival pirate ships, the first turning out to be that of his lost love real pirate extraordinaire Elaine and the other his arch nemesis Captain LeChuck who doesn't seem to understand the fact that a) he is meant to be dead and b) Elaine really doesn't want the affections of a dead guy - so she politely tells him no yet again with a constant stream of canon fire. Guybrush of course finds himself aboard the wrong boat, captured by LeChuck and set to be put to death when the battle is over, but manages to escape(if you are good enough), sink the ship and escape with a big ol' diamond engagement ring for Elaine. Washed up on the beach he proposes to Elaine, she accepts, wears the ring and...curses! The Guybrush luck strikes again because the ring turns out to be cursed by Voodoo magic and turns her to solid gold...which of course in an island full of pirates means that she soon gets stolen and its up to Guybrush to rescue her once more! The Monkey Island series has always been clever but with the step up in technology this one is simply ingenious. The first thing you'll notice as an old player of the games is the graphics enhancements - yes they are now in (gasp!) SVGA! Nothing get excited about really unless you stumbled across some of the old ones which look distinctly OLD by today's standards. Monkey Island 3 looks very fresh, beautifully drawn cartoon graphics in the style of something like the second Discworld release. There are some situations which require those 3D pre-rendered real-world jobbies and others which do far better with a comical cartoonish interface - Monkey Island games suit the cartoonish style, and when they are drawn this beautifully and with this much attention to detail you can't argue against it. The game's project leader was quoted as saying "if people say it looks like Disney we have failed" when talking about the game design and looking at it you
217;d have to say that they didn't fail. It looks better than Disney, more detailed and with a strange odd-ball slant to everything which suits the more than a little strange oddball feel of the game perfectly. Being a Lucas Arts production you'd also expect more of the same in the cut sequences and naturally Monkey Island 3's do not disappoint, graphically it is faultless all round. Another home run on Curse's part is the musical score, always important in adventure games seeing as sometimes you'll spend more than a few minutes just staring blankly at the screen trying to work out just what the hell to do next. Curse's score is superb, packed with tunes that'll just stick in your head and refuse to go away - OK, maybe NOT a good thing. The Monkey Island theme is back again but this time makes full use of your speakers and there are a few other oldies coming back as well, but enhanced to sound 100 times better, but they are mostly new and very cool. Sound effects in general are great, very comical and cartoonish, fitting the offbeat theme of the game perfectly or simply fitting the action performed well. Character interaction has always been a high priority in these games and it is the vast array of different characters and the conversations between you and them which accounts for most of the real laugh out loud moments. That is true once again here and this time speech plays a very large part, whereas before it was simple text bubbles on the screen. Guybrush passes humorous comment on literally EVERYTHING and the voice over on that character is exactly what you would expect. Other characters include a skull which thinks it is very evil but rather isn't, a singing pirate barber...ummm "Buccaneer Hairstylist" and a whole range of other characters many returning from the older games. The vocal exchanges between you and them are usually funny, more often than not simply hilarious and you may just find
yourself getting quizzical looks from those around you as you suddenly fall about the place laughing. I kid you not, this is a VERY funny game and the reason why this series is widely regarded as such a classic! The voice over actors used for them fit perfectly, all are how you would expect and the lines delivered with expert comic timing. Funny, does not alone a brilliant game make, and of course I wouldn't be recommending it to you so highly if there was no real gameplay to be had here. The fact is that not only is this a very funny, very nice looking, wonderfully sounding game, but it is also a game which has simply oodles of gameplay - it is also somewhat on the large side, offering more than a few hours of entertainment even if you do find some of the puzzles a little easy. The game offers you two modes in which to play, a simple version or a harder version which has more puzzles in it. Personally I've never touched the easier version - why lose out on even more hilarity?!?! The good thing about this game is that LucasArts haven't just made one of those adventures where if you see an object then the chances are it needs to be picked up and used somewhere else to solve a puzzle, nor where if you can examine something then usually its because it'll give you a clue or you'll need to do something to it to progress further into the game. Sure, that is what most of the puzzles consist of - object interaction(although by no means all) but in this game you can pick up, fool around with and generally have fun with just about anything you come across! Useful or not, everything in this game can be interacted with...even if it is just to have some fun! This makes the whole game environment that little bit more realistic but makes the already fiendish puzzles even more difficult. Hence, expect plenty of hours playing to get through to the end, but rest assured no matter how fiendish the puzzles, they DO makes sense if you are twisted
enough to see it! Like the other Monkey Island games this one is split into 6 days, each having a number of tasks to fulfil before you can move onto the next day, chapter or whatever you'd like to call it. Your journey will take you across several islands, meeting up with lots of old faces and revisiting some old haunts such as the SCUMM bar along the way - and some of the old puzzles are back as well, but enhanced! For example the legendary Monkey Island sword fighting is back, where insults and counter-insults win the battle not swashbuckling prowess, but this time packed with far more insults..great fun! Installation is quick and easy and I didn't come across any bugs while playing although apparently there is a sound problem on some systems which can be quickly remedied but will deafen you until you lower the volume which the game whacks up to full during loading! If you like you adventure games tough but fun then this is a title you should be looking out for. Hell, if you have any kind of humorous bone in your body then this is a title you should be looking out for because its damn funny! Its not necessary to have played the other two games in the series to get the jokes although those of us who have will notice more of them, because a number are aimed solely at the fans whilst others are more funny if you know some of the history. You should be able to find this title as part of a game pack with the other two games attached anyway so there is no excuse for missing out on them, just be prepared for damn funny but old looking in their case. I can't recommend this highly enough to players of all ages, it is a very funny, very well crafted pirate romp which personally I can find no faults with at all! Superb!
Would you read this opinion because of the name of the game? Would you buy the game because you thought the name was funny? Or did you simply hear about it and want it? So , what is it? Is it a game where there is an island and whenever you go there Monkeys curse you? Or is it a rubbish game with a stupid name to attract people to it? Well; first you should see who it is made by. Answer: Lucas Arts. Well it cannot be bad can it? When was the last time Lucas Arts made a bad game? Then you read the storyline. It sounds amusing, it intrigues you; maybe you might even buy it? Next, you read the back and it says it is a must play game. After that, you hurriedly take it to the counter and pay the man there and then. Have you just wasted £15? No you have not. The Curse of Monkey Island is a superb game about a man called Guybrush Threepwood (How many strange names does this have? Answer: Many.) who, since this is also Monkey Island 3, is already a pirate. It is set in the pirating age when a man called Captain LeChuck (strange name isn't it?) terrorizes the seven seas. Now, Guybrush loves this women called Elaine. Problem 1, so does LeChuck; but she is quite capable of defending herself. As you might have guessed, LeChuck kidnaps Elaine, actually that is not quite right. First accidentally Guybrush turns her into gold. Then when he goes to get something to save her, Guybrush takes this gold statue of Elaine! So, to help her escape and so that she will love him Guybrush goes on a bold adventure when he encounters many STRANGE people and puzzles to save her. The puzzles have great enjoyment and they include dueling with guitars, combing people's hair, hauling trees around and having cannon fights with ships; and of course sword fighting. Although the game may get a little frustrating for the younger generation it is a very enjoyable; and as one critic once said: This is a must play game.
The Curse of Monkey Island is a compelling, funny, and intelligent adventure from start to finish. You are Guybrush Threepwood once again and must get together a crew of mighty pirates who are willing to venture off to the dreaded Blood Island in hopes of turning your true love, Elaine, a now golden statue, back to normal, while fending off LeChuck and whatever minions he decides to throw at you. Like most other LucasArts games of the adventure genre, The Curse of Monkey Island uses the excellent point-and-click interface. With it, you can look at objects and pick them up and speak to the many people you will find throughout the game. Players will also have to solve many puzzles. Some are obvious, standard adventure game fare, and some are complexly difficult. You will find yourself warping your brain to 'Lucasarst Logic', and start to see obvious answers to problems in the game. All in all, the puzzles tend to be well-balanced and quite funny, such as turning yourself into Pollo Diablo (Devil Chicken) to scare people. The cast of characters in this game are very clever and quite humorous. Each of them are funny in their own ways and are all voice acted to perfection. There are even some star voice actors, such as Gary Coleman as the hilarious Lenny the Foulmouth. However, nothing can beat the amazing Murraythe talking skull. At certain points in the game, players will have to battle it out using pirate ships. Like the other Monkey Island games, fights are done through insults. There are a multitude of insults to be made, and they are all funny (or stupid, depending on your sense of humor). Whoever comes up with the best or snappiest comeback, wins. The comeback must fit the insult, otherwise, you'll lose. The graphics in Curse are wonderful. All locations and characters are hand drawn, very detailed, and colorful. It has a bit of a cartoonish look that fits in perfectly with the subject matter of t
he game. The voice acting, as stated earlier, is perfect. In fact it's so good, characters are actually given personalities because of the voice acting. The music is also top notch, piratey adventure music. Ooh aar. The only downfall of Curse is that it seems to end abruptly. The game is 2 CD-ROMs; what seems like a very long game gets cut a bit short with an anticlimactic--and somewhat early--ending. This doesn't really affect the enjoyment of the game, but it could have been a little longer. But it isn't like this has never happened in a game like this before. That aside, The Curse of Monkey Island is a magnificent game that pretty mucch any adventure game fan should be able to enjoy. Its great fun and humorous attitude should appeal to most gamers. Those who have been waiting for the third installment of the Monkey Island series are in for a real treat, as this is excellent, if not quite as good as its predecessors. Those who aren't familiar with the series would be wise to purchase Curse and experience the magic that has been captivating fans for years.
Once in a while a game comes out that, whilst still being a game, can take a step back, look at itself and realise that games aren't just about ultra-realistic simulations, picture perfect graphics and serious plotlines. The Curse of Monkey Island is one of those games, and I love it. Humour is the vital element of the Monkey Island quartet, and this is certainly prevalent in this title. One good example of this in the options screen, which features a button reading 'Enable 3D acceleration'. Great, I'm sure my computer can handle it, and I'd certainly appreciate the opportunity to see Monkey Island in 3D. So I, like the gullible fool that I am, clicked it. Up pops a little sign reading 'We were only kidding'. The game is full of neat little touches such as this, including many 'in-jokes' mocking its creators and publishers, as well as the Monkey Island games that have gone before it. Sometimes you have to wonder whether a few too many of these have been put, although it's certainly no problem for me, having played and adored Monkey Island from Amiga to PC! The characters of the game play a large part in making the game the success it is. Rather than Johnny X, who takes on the world with a six-pack and a bazooka, or Sarah Y, who takes on the world with a tight top and a string of sexual noises, we have a hero who isn't mighty, isn't sexy and certainly hasn't got a great pair of breasts. Instead we have Guybrush Threepwood, who has starred in all of the Monkey Island games to date. He's the muscle-restricted pirate with a sharp wit and a big mouth, who runs screaming from danger, yet manages to get himself killed on a regular basis. He's backed by a cast of quirky characters ranging from Murray the disembodied skull who aspires to evil and all that that entails, to Lemonhead, the civilised cannibal who berates the way in which tourism has ruined their quaint lit
tle village. Several old faces make a welcome return to the series, although, as I've said before, new players may find some of their remarks a little confusing. Onto graphics. Hands up, who's seen a Disney animation? Come on, there's no point in denying it; we all have at some point. Well the best way to describe the graphics in The Curse of Monkey Island is to compare them with a Disney cartoon, probably on a par with Beauty and the Beast, which is, ironically, the main story behind the game. They certainly haven't gone for realism, which probably would have limited the game quite a lot, and it looks all the better for it. The music in it is sublime, with a different sound for every island, and a different score for every region of the island. There are some really hummable tunes in here, particularly Stan the insurance man's theme tune. The voices of the characters are all unique, and all apt to the appearance and personality of the person. Salty sea pirates have gruff and surly manners, while pirate captains have educated airs, and are all politeness. Technically speaking, this game will cause any PC built post-1995 no problems whatsoever, with it's system requirements being so low. Just in case you're worried about it, there's a list of minimum requirements below (ah, how thoughtful of me)… CPU: 90mhz+ Memory: 16mb CD-ROM: 2X Sound: 16-bit soundcard So what about the gameplay? What good would any of the afore mentioned items be without decent gameplay? They would be worth nothing, although EA Sports seem to be doing pretty well without it. Thankfully the gameplay is the best part, and that's saying something when you consider the other qualities of The Curse of Monkey Island. You basically have to solve the puzzles, which lead one to another, with the items you find along the way. You will meet characters along the way to barter with, steal from an
d talk to. Each of these is individually voiced and has plenty to say, as do you. You talk to them by clicking on them with the cursor and selecting the talk button, after this a list of 4 or 5 phrases will pop up for you to choose from. This will then gain a response that will open up a new list of phrases to choose from. This is certainly an improvement on the way other games seem to be going, where the character will speak for you and respond the way the developers want you to. You can also combine items to create brand new, sparkly items. The trouble is, only items that are meant to be combined can be combined. Do you understand? No? I obviously didn't explain it very well, the thing is that even if two items could, in real life, be combined, they won't be unless it will further the game. This leads onto my biggest, but still minor, gripe with The Curse of Monkey Island. The gameplay is very laid out, with no room for experimentation, you will move forward in the game through a set path, with no room for divergence from it. This means that the game will always end up the same, no matter how many times you play it, limiting its repeat value, and also making the game a little bit harder than it probably should be. However, just look past that last sentence, as this game is an absolute star, and it's a cheap star as well. I absolutely love the game, everyone I know who's played it loves it, so just go and buy it. Now!
I don't know how to describe this game let me start with I don't know brilliant. This game is as good even better than the first two (which I have also written reviews on). It features the same main character, I say main character because this game runs like a cartoon, Guybrush Threepwood what a name. The basic story line behind this game is saving Guybrush's new Wife Elaine who has also stared in the other games. He basically put a cursed ring that he found on LeChuck's ship on her finger, which turned her gold and ruined their honeymoon and then to make the situation even worse some retched fowl smelling pirate stole the golden statue of Elaine. Guybrush now knows he's in trouble with the misses. There is a new twist to this game two new modes, Mega Monkey for those extra hard puzzles and Normal Monkey for those of you who have trouble remembering your own name. Some of the Puzzles are very logical and requires just thought to work them out, but others can have your mind reeling for hours. It can get very frustrating. The graphics have had a major overhaul it looks like a very smooth, crisp cartoon and I know all my friends love it. Guybrush is much taller this time and kind of lanky. He still doesn't look like a pirate but I suppose he is getting there. In the opening scenes LeChuck's fiery beard looks very cool. Monkey Island games have a reputation for being very funny this game lives up to that reputation and even more. Guybrush throughs in some very humours one liners and a new character that pops up every now and then is Murry The Demonic Skull who as you guessed it just a skull who is nor fearsome or demonic. Another new feature is Guybrush actually speaks this time, but you still have the choice of him speaking, text speech or both. The music and sound effects are very good and suit the environment very well. I think this is the best version of Monkey Island as it is mo
dern in sound but not too modern like the fourth in the serries. The format of this game has changed it is still point and click but to access options like pick up, use, look at etc you click the left mouse button, a little graphic comes up on the screen and you can choose your poison. I believe this is a much better system in you can fit more of the game on the screen. This is a very good game; I admire Lucas Arts ability to through in a great one liner at exactly the right time. The humour isn't the only good feature of the game the graphics are good, the game play is good and even the music in this game is good. I recommend this to anybody that likes a good laugh or has had experience with the other Monkey Island Games.


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Woman's 'Rowr, I'm a Cougar' Prank Results in Gunfire
Early Monday, Vilas County, Wisconsin sheriff's deputy Ty Peterson spotted a cougar—no, not a mythical, middle-aged, sex-seeking ladyhuman, but a large pouncey cat—prowling around in his backyard. Using this information, a relative of Peterson's decided to play a practical joke on him. It succeeded—in a way.
Reports leave several key questions unanswered, but apparently the relative went over to Peterson's house on Monday evening and pretended to be the cougar. Now, whether she dressed up in a cougar costume or simply pulled off an incredibly convincing pantomime job isn't clear, but in any case, she definitely fooled Peterson enough so that he mistook her for the cougar he'd spotted earlier that day, thought he was being attacked, and shot her. Man, I bet he was surprised to discover what was really going on! Though the relative was probably even more surprised, to be shot.
Luckily, the gunshot wound wasn't life-threatening, but the relationship between Peterson and his relative might now be a bit strained. It's not even like cougars attack humans all that often.

subset: commoncrawl


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Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia
Sung by Jerry Garcia on Workingman's Dead and in almost all Grateful Dead live shows. But in at least a couple of the early performances of the song (21 June and 4 July 1969) it was sung by Bob Weir (thanks to Mike Scheier for pointing this out).
In the timbers of Fennario the wolves are running round (note 1)Notes
The winter was so hard and cold, froze ten feet 'neath the ground
Don't murder me, I beg of you don't murder me
Please don't murder me
I sat down to supper, 'twas a bottle of red whiskey
I said my prayers and went to bed, that's the last they saw of me
When I awoke, the dire wolf, six hundred pounds of sin
Was grinning at my window, all I said was "Come on in"
The wolf came in, I got my cards, we sat down for a game
I cut my deck to the queen of spades but the cards were all the same (note 2)
In the back-wash of Fennario, the black and bloody mire
The dire wolf collects his due while the boys sing round the fire
|Grateful Dead Recordings
|27 Jun 1969
|Workingman's Dead (note a)
|8 Nov 1969
|Dick's Picks Vol 16
|12 Dec 1969
|Dave's Picks Volume 10
|21 Dec 1969
|Dave's Picks Volume 6 (Bonus disc)
|studio 1970
|Workingman's Dead
|23 Jan 1970/TD>
|Dave's Picks Volume 19
|14 Feb 1970
|Dick's Picks Vol 4
|2 May 1970
|Dick's Picks Vol 8
|15 May 1970
|Road Trips Vol 3 No 3 (late show)
|16 Apr 1972
|Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
|26 Apr 1972
|Europe '72: Vol. 2 (note c)
|24 May 1972
|Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
|26 May 1972
|Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
|21 Nov 1973
|Road Trips Volume 4, Number 3
|30 Nov 1973
|Dick's Picks Vol 14
|5 Nov 1977
|Dick's Picks Vol 34
|6 Nov 1977
|Dave's Picks Volume 25
|22 Jan 1978
|Dave's Picks Volume 23
|5 Jul 1978
|July 1978: The Complete Recordings
|8 Jul 1978
|July 1978: The Complete Recordings
|26 Dec 1979
|Dick's Picks Vol 5
|11 Oct 1980
|Reckoning (note b)
|6 May 1981
|Dick's Picks Vol 13
|7 May 1981
|The Tomorrow Show (DVD)
|2 Apr 1989
|Download Series Vol 9
|30 Mar 1990
|Spring 1990
|25 Sep 1991
|Dick's Picks Vol 17
|27 May 1993
|Road Trips Vol 2, No 4
|Other Recordings
|Recorded By
|3 Jun 1984
|Best Of Jerry Garcia
|Jerry Garcia and John Kahn
|28 Feb 1986
|Pure Jerry: Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium
|Jerry Garcia/John Kahn
|Aug 1993
|Live In Japan
|New Riders Of The Purple Sage
|Relix Magazine 20th Anniversary Concert
|Dead Ringers
|Dead Grass
|Vassar Clements
|Pickin' On The Grateful Dead Vol 2
|David West et al
|The Road To California
|The Cyrus Clarke Expedition
|Snake Oil
|Stiff Dead Cat
|Shouting Thomas!
|At Fine Arts Center, UMass
|The American Beauty Project
|U Liners
|U Liners
|Something In The Water
|Scattered Smothered And Covered
|Punk Is Dead
|Punk Is Dead
|Songs Of Their Own
|Connie West & The Bandits
|Day Of The Dead
|The Lone Bellow & Friends


text:
Its going to be a gradual upgrade since I'm going to have limited funds. I should have it all within 5 months hopefully. My only question is if the cpu cooler will fit inside the case.
Any opinions on cheaper items that work just as nice or better would be greatly appreciated.
Going to be playing mainly WoW, D3, and some Steam/Origin games.


text:
USA County Highpoints > U.S. State Highpoints > Climber's Log
U.S. State Highpoints Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
Date Climbed: Sep 16, 2017
|after 7 summits, next goal!
|Posted Oct 8, 2017 11:56 pm
Date Climbed: Aug 24, 2017
|Headed to Denver for a wedding. Took a little side trip.
|Posted Oct 4, 2017 6:01 pm
|Started with Kings Peak in 2005 and have been hooked since. I try to get to at least one highpoint a year if possible.
|Posted Apr 26, 2017 11:56 am
|Tim De Jong
|more to come
Date Climbed: Jul 14, 2014
|Swung by and bagged Mt. Sunflower in Kansas on the way to see my daughter in C. Springs-hoping to reach a couple of more this year.
|Posted Jul 19, 2015 11:29 pm
|Puma concolor
|Project = Done
Date Climbed: Jun 21, 2015
|Something about this page seems real familiar. Hmmm. Anyway, on June 21, 2015, I summited Denali (my 50th State Highpoint), nearly 22 years after attaining my first highpoint on New York's Mount Marcy on July 20, 1993. Lots of miles, lots of memories and lots of defending my hobby to those who didn't get it.
|Posted Jul 3, 2015 7:43 am
|10 down, 40 to go
|I have so far Completed,
NH, MA, VT, MO, AR, KS, CO, IN, OH, and TN.
I am starting to write about my highpoints on my blog, feel free to stop by and read about it!
|Posted Mar 25, 2015 6:57 pm
|Steve Gruhn
|50-State Completer
Date Climbed: Jun 28, 2013
|I finished all 50 atop Mount McKinley on June 28, 2013. my partner on the final climb was Tom Choate.
|Posted Jul 13, 2014 7:38 pm
|49 and Finished
|See my Trip Report of that title describing nearly 24 years of state highpointing.
|Posted Sep 2, 2013 4:12 pm
|Just getting started
|Only Guadalupe so far. All 50 would be quite a feat!
|Posted Feb 18, 2013 5:36 pm
|25 or so...
Date Climbed: Nov 30, 2012
|hopefully try for some more next year...
|Posted Nov 30, 2012 4:28 pm
|5 So Far
Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2005
|Rainier, Hood, Whitney, Elbert, Borah
I don't plan to finish this list, only want the good ones.
|Posted Nov 15, 2012 12:43 am
|Highpoints in progress:
Date Climbed: Jul 9, 2012
|Climbed my first 14,'er and Colorado highpoint for my 40th birthday. Definitely a beautiful and confidence building hike.
Mt. Greylock in MA was my first highpoint, followed by RI and CT. Attempted Mt. Katahdin in ME but thunderstorms and torrential rain forced us to turn around a mile from the peak.
|Posted Jul 31, 2012 4:02 pm
|U.S. State Highpoints
Date Climbed: Aug 18, 2010
|Only bagged 3 state highpoints thus far:
California: Mount Whitney
Massachusetts: Mount Greylock
South Dakota: Harney Peak
|Posted Oct 3, 2011 11:24 pm
|Started with my home state of RI in 2008 and will hopefully someday finish.
|Posted Aug 31, 2011 3:05 pm
|working on them
Date Climbed: Jul 10, 1997
|I have been working on them for years and hope to get them all done before I die.
|Posted May 19, 2011 7:59 pm
|Boriss Andean
|Four so far...
Date Climbed: Mar 6, 2005
|I got Mauna Kea (Hawaii), Elbert (Colorado), Wheeler Peak (New Mexico) and Guadalupe Peak (Texas).
|Posted Jan 30, 2011 8:56 pm


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Yelich tempers expectations as games begin
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
JUPITER, Fla. -- If history could repeat itself, Christian Yelich would have no complaints. He isn't banking on it, or worried about it.
What Yelich did last Spring Training was the stuff of video games. He paced the Marlins with five home runs and 14 RBIs in 22 games. He added three doubles and a triple, while batting .364 with a .451 on-base percentage and an .818 slugging percentage. His OPS was an eye-popping 1.269, compared to Giancarlo Stanton's 1.153.
Stanton also had a remarkable spring, batting .359 with three homers and eight RBIs in 39 at-bats.
Basically, Yelich had a Spring Training career year.
"I don't know if that will happen again," the 22-year-old left fielder said. "You can have a good spring, but that was literally one of those where you step on a baseball field, and you couldn't do a single thing wrong. Everything just went right -- homers, doubles. It was stupid. I don't know how to describe that."
For Yelich, the difference now is that he isn't a long shot prospect simply looking to impress in camp. Now, he is the everyday left fielder, who projects to bat second in the lineup.
Last year at this time, Yelich was in big league camp basically to get a taste of what the experience was like. He knew no matter how impressive he was, he was destined to start the year at Double-A Jacksonville.
This spring, he is striving to launch his career and become an impact regular. Even though he didn't make his MLB debut until after the All-Star Break last July, he had enough at-bats to qualify as a rookie. In 62 big league games, he batted .288 with four home runs and 16 RBIs.
Finally healthy, Furcal excited for Marlins debut
JUPITER, Fla. -- Rafael Furcal may be one of the oldest players in Marlins' camp, but he has the enthusiasm of a rookie when it comes to playing in Grapefruit League games.
"I'm very excited to get back on the field," Furcal said. "I'm so excited, I feel like a kid. To come back, it's very special for me."
The Marlins opened their Grapefruit League schedule on Friday, but Furcal has to wait until Saturday before he gets on the field.
Furcal, 36, will lead off and play second base for Miami against the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium.
After missing all of last year because of Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, Furcal is being eased back into action.
With the Cardinals a year ago, Furcal dealt with arm discomfort, and he only played in one Grapefruit League game. It was against the Red Sox, and he had two at-bats against lefty Jon Lester.
"Now, I'm ready to go," Furcal said.
That wasn't the case last spring. A switch-hitter, Furcal only felt comfortable batting from the right side.
"Now, I'm glad that both sides are good," Furcal said.
A career shortstop, Furcal is making the transition to second, where he is picking up pointers daily from infield coach Perry Hill.
"I worked at second base a long time ago," said Furcal, who last played the position in the big leagues in 2002. "It's the big leagues, everything changes. The way people slide, everything. To make a double play, it's different. I'm glad I'm working with one of the best infield coaches. He will help me out a lot."
Marlins learning to adjust to collision rule
JUPITER, Fla. -- The first example of how MLB's new home plate collision rule may impact games came into play for the Marlins on Thursday, in their 9-5 win over Florida International University.
Derek Dietrich was thrown out at the plate while trying to score of a medium-range fly ball to left field.
Marcell Ozuna lifted the soft fly to left, and the decision was made to send Dietrich, who slid into home plate, rather than attempt to dislodge the ball from the catcher. He was out easily.
"That's a situation where he probably would have run the catcher over because he was out by a ways," manager Mike Redmond said. "It's different for guys. Get used to sliding in a situation where they'd probably say, 'You know what? I'm just going to try to run this guy over.'
"Mindset-wise for baserunners, it's going to be an adjustment for guys, especially on those bang-bang plays."
Had it been a meaningful game, and the catcher is holding the ball, instincts may call for the runner to run over the catcher.
Medium-depth fly balls may become times a team decides to not gamble, and hold the runner.
"In those situations where a sac fly may be medium depth, it's going to be a challenge," Redmond said. "So many things go into it -- the strength of the outfielder's arm. You bank on that guy not making an accurate throw.
"But sure, those medium fly balls or soft fly balls, you definitely have to think twice because you don't have that weapon to be able to run over the catcher any more. That's gone. It's definitely going to be an adjustment."
Third base coach Brett Butler, who also is the baserunning coach, is telling the players to slide feet-first.
"It's simple. Just slide," Butler said. "I don't want them to go head-first, because a catcher still has the lane. For the most part, just slide. Either hook slide into the plate or use your hand. It's going to be as simple as that."
Worth noting
• Henry Rodriguez's visa issue has been resolved, and the hard-throwing reliever has been cleared to leave Venezuela to travel to South Florida for Spring Training. A non-roster invitee, Rodriguez is scheduled to report on Saturday night. He still must take his physical. If all goes according to plans, he could be on the field Sunday.
• Henderson Alvarez, dealing with a right shin infection, played catch on Friday and is moving around much better. Two days ago, he had trouble walking. So the Marlins are encouraged that the right-hander will be back on the mound in a few days. Alvarez projects as the No. 3 starter.
• Friday's game was televised by the Cardinals crew, which gave the Marlins a trial run with potential instant replay scenarios. Miami will use every spring game that is on TV as a replay test. Video coordinator Cullen McRae will be watching the TV feed in the clubhouse. He will be in communication with the dugout on what could be borderline plays. In two Grapefruit League games on March 13 and 16, replay will be available for challenges.
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. He writes a blog, called The Fish Pond. Follow him on Twitter @JoeFrisaro. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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High traffic and movement began last week at the new Target Distribution Center in Denton.
April 12 was the first day the center shipped produce to local stores.
The staff at the 360,000-square-foot building had been shipping only meat since March 8, the center's official first day of operation.
The Denton location at 3255 Airport Road is one of four food distribution centers for Minnesota-based Target Corp. It is the first robotic food and perishable distribution center dedicated to organize and deliver better and fresher produce, as well as other grocery products to approximately 235 stores throughout Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
"It is the busiest we have been since we opened," said Steve Dembowski, the general manager.
The center is a state-of-the art, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly ammonia refrigeration system composed of four chambers that at different temperatures will accommodate more than 5,500 different food products. It is the company's most automated distribution center to date, Dembowski said.
Before going on a tour of the new facility, employee Rodney Wilson spent a couple of minutes providing a short ammonia safety presentation, which he said was standard procedure for all guests and needed for safety reasons.
The reception area contains art pieces displayed across different hallways. The pieces with vibrant colors were designed by art students from the College of Visual Arts and Design at the University of North Texas. The artwork was professionally framed and installed by American Fine Art, a company based in Dallas.
"We partner with local universities whenever we put in a facility and have an artist from the area produce artwork we purchase," Dembowski said.
Next to the reception area is a training room to one side and a cafeteria on the other. Guests are asked to wear an insulated jacket and gloves before they walk into the center's coldest areas.
"It seems to be pretty complicated, but it is a pretty simple process," Dembowski said. "We induct everything to what we call our automation. Induction means we take it from a pallet rider and we put the pallet on a conveyor. It [a product] is stored, put away, pulled, palletized and wrapped all by automation."
The distribution center is divided into three chambers. The first, called the ambiance chamber, is 54 degrees and it houses produce like bananas, potatoes and other perishable items. It is the part of the process that does not need to be automated.
"Anything that does not need to be chilled goes here," he said.
The ambiance chamber also contains 20 rooms that will ripen approximately 850,000 pounds of bananas each week.
"Bananas are huge drivers of sales in the stores. If you mess up the bananas, you can lose a person," Dembowski said. "After we receive bananas in, the team members store them into the yellow banana ripening rooms."
This is also where 25-year-old Justin Evans, the center's full-time banana ripener, spends his workday.
Evans said the bananas stored in the rooms come mostly from Guatemala and Mexico. On April 12, the bananas mostly came from Honduras.
"There is never a dull moment," he said. "It is produce, so it is always changing. There is never a consistency with how things ripen or how things work. So there is always a new challenge."
Dembowski said the bananas are fragile and that the goal is to keep them from graying or changing their color.
"They will arrive at the store covered in a blanket," Dembowski said. "The store will take the blanket off and place them in the area where the bananas will be sold."
After the ambiance chamber there is a wet produce location that houses produce like beans and carrots. Another chamber kept at 28 degrees contains chicken, turkey and ground beef.
The automation process begins in a chamber kept at 34 degrees.
"This is what we call a high bay warehouse," Dembowski said. "All they [the employees] have to do is tell the system what they inducted; a conveyor takes it and puts it away into a nine-story-like building that has thousands of locations."
There is an automated cooler for items like apples, oranges and some precooked meat and another automated freezer for products needed to be stored at minus 15 degrees.
The next step is called delayering, where full pallets are broken down to individual cartons that can be shipped to the stores.
"Imagine thousands of pingpong balls creating the perfect suction to pick up one layer at a time off the pallet," Dembowski said. "Think about it; there would normally be a person breaking down a pallet all by himself."
Before most grocery items get to a Target store, products are labeled and placed on pallets, then placed on an assembly line. Through computers managed by at least two technicians, pallets are organized according to stores' needs.
The automation in the facility includes seven nine-story pallet cranes for storage, 10 carton cranes, 10 machines for loading pallets and two pallet wrappers.
For the automated product, aside from receivers and shippers in a dock area, the only people touching the cartons are associates with WITRON Logistik + Informatik GmbH, a German-based company that designed the distribution center's automation system.
The system is so precise that Dembowski said products seldom get crushed or broken. They can get to the stores at the right time and in the right sequence.
"We have automation for accuracy and speed," he said. "We can react to something going out of stock in the store that day if we need to. If there is product that ran out, we can reshelf it quickly."
Dembowski said that in 28 years of working at distribution centers, he had never seen such an automation system.
Dembowski said there are three generators that can deliver full building backup power in case of electrical failure.
The center employs 140 people — 35 to 40 are WITRON employees who help with maintenance and operation.
There are a total of 37 distribution centers nationally catering to general merchandise, Internet shopping and food distribution, Dembowski said.
Target officials are preparing a grand opening event June 3.
KARINA RAMÍREZ can be reached at 940-566-6878 and via Twitter at @KarinaFRamirez.


text:
Fire Coral Sting Treatment
Treatment for a coral cut focuses on removing pieces of coral from the wound, in order to prevent infection. Careful wound cleansing and rinsing is important. Wounds that sting may contain small amounts of toxin. Additional wound rinsing with vinegar may help neutralize the toxin. Severe cuts, or cuts that contain parts of coral, require care in an emergency room or urgent care center. Most coral cuts heal within 2 weeks, but healing takes much longer if the wound becomes infected.
Treatment for coral cuts may include:
- Wound irrigation
- Rinsing the wound
- Wound cleansing
- Wound exploration:
- Searching for the presence of coral in the wound
- Wound debridement:
- Removal of foreign bodies in the wound
- Tetanus vaccination
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications for pain
- Antibiotics for infected wounds
Fire Coral Sting Specialist
Physicians from the following specialties evaluate and treat coral cuts:
Continue to Fire Coral Sting Home Care
Last Updated: Jun 7, 2011 References
Authors: Stephen J. Schueler, MD; John H. Beckett, MD; D. Scott Gettings, MD
Copyright DSHI Systems, Inc. Powered by: FreeMD - Your Virtual Doctor
- Reed KC, Crowell MC, Castro MD, Sloan ML. Skin and soft-tissue infections after injury in the ocean: culture methods and antibiotic therapy for marine bacteria. Mil Med. 1999 Mar;164(3):198-201. [10091493]


text:
please can someone tell me what this bird is - seen flying above sea cliffs, dark grey plumage (but then saw another one with brown/red plumage) and wings which taper to a point making half moon shape together
Any info on size? Else I suggest a sparrowhawk. Actually I strongly suggest that...
I would say Sparrowhawk has broad wings and doesn't really belong above sea cliffs (more of a forest bird).
The habitat would better fit a Peregrine, which like other falcons, including the Kestrel, have tapering wings that may look like a half moon. This kind of wings suggests more a falcon than a hawk.
But if you really want to see crescent-shaped wings (or sickle I would say), take a look at the Common Swift.
I'm not sure they are still around, but it's worth considering.
I hope this helps.
Yours truly,
i suggest a petrel
I would suggest you check out Hobby,they often stay around coastal cliffs for a few days before returning to Africa in order to catch migrating Hirundines. They have slate grey backs and from the underneath have red/brown trousers. The timing would also be correct they were all leaving around the end of Sept. Hope this helps.
this absolutely describes the bird i saw - thank you


text: Just finished reading part two of "Haunted" and while not a great deal happened, I swear that Miller was teasing the possible appearance of Electric Superman The art continues to improve as well. They've finally started to capture Tom's likeness in the book (as opposed to just on the covers) . I can see him as Superman. I have come to the conclusion that this season would be almost nothing like what we're getting from Miller. If this was realized on television a hefty portion of it would most likely be cut down and even dumbed down to a degree. A lot of the issues that I had with the show in it's latter seasons have been sliced out by Miller. Just completely different writing and focus compared to Brian and Kelly, while still retaining all that "Smallville" quirkiness and uniqueness the show had.


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Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, March 21, 2013, 9:50 AM
Town Square
East Palo Alto schools seek new superintendent
Original post made on Mar 23, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, March 21, 2013, 9:50 AM
a resident of Crescent Park
on Mar 23, 2013 at 5:27 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Mar 24, 2013 at 12:00 am
Given that De La Vega admits that Charter schools "have shown great success" she preferred saving a failing school district rather EDUCATING CHILDREN. What a poor priority! She systematically blocked educational opportunities for our children. It's about educating children, NOT saving friends' jobs. Good teachers are employable.It seems to me that she hindered all more than helped- good riddance!
Hopefully the next Superintendent will have educating our CHILDREN as a TOP priority by advocating the implementation of a sound,relevant,successful approach to education -whether business, academic,etc.and making sure that teachers & administrators care about children & parents and are more than competent at accomplishing their jobs.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Mar 24, 2013 at 8:40 pm
PAUSD needs a new superintendent, too, but no one seems to know how we go about getting rid of the old, defective one. One would think he would resign out of a sense of pride, as he has made PAUSD a tainted product with his recent behaviors and inactions and indifferences, to say nothing of his cold insincerity.
There have been so many calls for his termination, and the rest of the Bay Area is wondering what is wrong with the PA school board that they have not done so months ago, lest we become a laughingstock.
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Menlo Park
on Apr 5, 2013 at 9:36 am
I agree with the first comment...that is the reason why I took my children out of the Ravenswood District.


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As I stated in a previous post I agree about the new players needing some time, however I also off set that by saying that we can't possibly get a worse QB performance than we did last year. I just don't see it.
With that said, great. Ranked deal last is fine by me.
I assure you, we won't be the worst team in the NFL in 2013.
We might have the worst QB in the NFL in 2013, but we most certainly will not have the worst record or worst team.
As I stated in a previous post I agree about the new players needing some time, however I also off set that by saying that we can't possibly get a worse QB performance than we did last year. I just don't see it.
i dont get how the jets are any worse than last year. i think people forget they were 6-10 (if i remember correctly).
Most important acquisition the Jets have made is the hiring of Marty Mornhinweg.
Love it. 6 and 10 with our best offensive and defensive player injured, with the 34th best qb play in the league.
Obtain three first round talents in the draft. No major FA losses, except for maybe Landry (and we got his brother).
Two pro bowl offensive linemen. Two new above average RBs. Frmr super bowl MVP wideout, along with a physical freak and a reliable slot guy. Improved qb play by default.
Expansion team, folks.
This will only Play into Ryan's Hands... he is a Motivator and he will preach the old "us against the world" to his Players...
It's absurd that we are ranked #32. You can't even convince me that a team, ranked, let's say #15 (the Rams), is even objectively clearly better than us. Our D is way too good to be the worst team in the league. There's a chance we significantly upgraded our weakest position (QB). Our skill players are not nearly as bad as people make them out to be. How is the comment to the ranking we added to the QB drama? Wouldn't any sane person say... the Jets had the worst QB play of basically any team in football last year and added the #1 QB prospect in the draft. How can that possibly be viewed as a bad thing?
This team with good QB play (a big if) will surprise.
New York Jets are 32nd in ESPNs 5 months before they actually play a real game Power Rankings but of course we know that means nothing. The Jets have steadily improved arguably the leagues worst 2012 roster over the course of the off-season. You can make a very sensible argument that they are a bottom ten team on paper but fortunately the games arent played on paper. The Jets managed 6 wins last season with Mark Sanchez playing the worst football in the NFL at the quarterback position, Shonn Greene plodding around and Mardy Gilyard running routes on offense, while Bryan Thomas, Bart Scott and a severely banged up Sione Pouha took major reps on defense.
The roster is a work in progress but the progress is being made. Yet, there are still some depth charts holes that jump out in particular.
Tight End - Jeff Cumberland isnt a starting tight end, John Idzik knows this. He wouldnt have tried to trade for Jermichael Finley or sign Fred Davis if he thought he was. The Jets board didnt match up to take a tight end early so they didnt draft one, as they stuck to taking the best value and didnt let need dictate their decisions. But what to do now?
Keep an eye on Brent Celek, who thrived in Marty Mornhinwegs offense in Philadelphia and is suddenly part of a crowded tight end room with Zach Ertz and James Casey. The Jets may be able to swing a trade


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This year has been a strong indication that air pollution is no longer just our wintertime problem. If you have taken your blood pressure lately, it is likely higher than usual. Mine is. It's one of many side effects of breathing pollution. Even small elevations in blood pressure have long-term health consequences, so you may not want to read the rest of this column.
The Utah Division of Air Quality, or DAQ, is soliciting public comment on a long list of initiatives to avoid costly sanctions for exceeding federal pollution standards. That list even includes reducing emissions from restaurants and phasing out residential pilot-lighted gas appliances.
Rightly so, the little people, you and I, will be sacrificing to improve air quality. But the largest polluters, Rio Tinto/Kennecott and the oil refineries won't be joining the "sacrificers." The DAQ continues giving them permission to expand and make things worse.
At first glance, you might think more copper and oil is a good thing, but more pollution is definitely not. So a fair, common-sense reconciliation of these conflicting objectives might be regulatory constraints requiring both industries to adhere to the highest pollution standards possible. But fairness and common sense are too often in short supply.
The Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment had the application for the Tesoro refinery expansion reviewed by three refinery engineers who, putting it simply, concluded that the application allowed Tesoro to expand on the cheap. There are two different regulatory templates that Tesoro could have been required to conform to. Both would allow the same increase in production but are much different in how much pollution control would be required. With the help of these engineers, UPHE submitted highly technical, expert testimony that Tesoro's application used the template that was the cheapest for them but emitted the most pollution and would violate the Clean Air Act.
Nonetheless, the outcome was what we have come to expect. The DAQ issued yet another blank check to industry to do what it wants, and no, it does not require the pollution controls that these engineers said are feasible and readily available. The DAQ/Tesoro claim that it won't increase our pollution much is self-serving distortion of the data. For example, it completely ignores the fact that this expansion will increase Tesoro's annual emissions of HAPs, or Hazardous Air Pollutants, by more than 9,000 pounds. Compounds designated by the EPA as "HAPs" — like benzene, xylene, dioxins, lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium — are labeled as such because they are the most deadly component of air pollution.
Many HAPs are extremely potent in causing cancer, reproductive and birth defects and fall into the broad category of "endocrine disruptors." In 2009, the Endocrine Society, physicians who specialize in endocrinology, issued a special scientific statement on the toxicity of endocrine disruptors: "Even infinitesimally low levels of exposure, indeed, any level of exposure at all, may cause endocrine or reproductive abnormalities, particularly if exposure occurs during a critical developmental window. Surprisingly, low doses may even exert more potent effects than higher doses."
The Associated Press reported, and internal EPA memos confirm, that nationwide real pollution from refineries is between three and 100 times greater than what is admitted by the refineries. Tesoro's expansion permit from the DAQ ignores and aggravates this outrage. Disgust among the local residents is mounting. Two former refinery managers have since contacted UPHE with more offers to help stop the expansions.
The Utah Legislature has never been accused of conspiring with environmentalists. But three weeks ago, Utah Senate President Michael Waddoups publicly excoriated the Department of Environmental Quality for what he saw as an illicit relationship with EnergySolutions. It was a breath of fresh air, and no one saw that coming. If Waddoups would like more breaths of fresh air he would next scrutinize the DAQ's relationship with industrial polluters. And if he examined the Legislature's role in this, like passing Sen. Margaret Dayton's two bills this year, he would see that subordinating environmental and public health protection to industry is the exact outcome his fellow legislators intended.
And if he feels his blood pressure rising, it may be what he's seeing, and also what he's breathing.
Brian Moench is president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment.


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6.0224 Appeal to challenge ruling-Failure of election officer to act.Cite as [A.S.C.A. § 6.0224 ]
(a) In cases where the election officer or the district officials ruled on a challenge or the election officer refuses to register an applicant, or, refuses to change the register under section 6.0220, the person ruled against may appeal from the ruling to the Board of Registration.
(b) The Board of Registration shall sit on election day. The Board shall also sit at other times as the election officer determines to hear appeals, provided there are any, from the qualified electors registered. The board shall continue its sitting until all appeals have been heard.
(c) Reasonable notices of the sitting of the Board shall be given by publication in any newspaper or bulletin of general circulation or other news media. If the appeal is sustained, the Board shall immediately certify that finding to the election officer who shall thereupon alter the register to correspond to the findings of the Board, and when necessary, the election officer shall notify the district officials of the change in the register.History: 1977, PL 15-42 § 1.
Case Notes:
Where statute provided for appeal to Board of Registration from a denial of voter registration by election officer, and for judicial review of an adverse decision of the Board of Registration, court would not issue writ of mandamus to election officer ordering him to register prospective voter who had not yet appealed to Board of Registration, A.S.C.A. §§ 6.0224, 6.0230. Siofele v. Shimasaki, 8 A.S.R.2d 81 (1988).


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Australian coach Darren Lehmann takes aim at top-order
Darren Lehmann says Australia must stop relying on its middle and lower order after South Africa's fast-bowlers made a bigger impact in 25 overs than Australia's made in 152.
The Proteas' ability to coast to 423 after choosing to bat first in Port Elizabeth was made to look even more impressive after Australia slumped to 4-81 in reply. Both of its not-out batsmen, David Warner (65) and nightwatchman Nathan Lyon (12 not out), survived dropped catches late in the day, while Lyon also benefited from an umpiring blunder when Kumar Dharmasena failed to see him clearly edging Dale Steyn behind in the second-last over of the day.
"It could have been worse if they took a couple of chances. They bowled very well, give them some credit there," coach Lehmann said. "I think the wicket is still very good . . . we probably helped with a couple of dismissals."
Australia's stumble in the last session of day two at St George's Park was the sixth time in the past year, and fourth in a first innings, where it had slumped to 4-100 or worse, a record the coach admitted needed to be remedied.
"We've got to be better in those tough situations. I know it was a long day in the field with 150-odd overs . . . [but] we've got to be better at restricting the wicket column," Lehmann said.
"We've been in this situation in a few Test matches. We know what to do and we need to do it better than we did tonight.
"We'd love more first-innings runs, I've spoken to everyone in the [press] room about that at various stages. That's what we need to do to get better as a cricket side. That's probably the issue we've had in Test matches and got out of trouble with someone like Brad Haddin in a couple and obviously Shaun Marsh and Steve Smith last Test match. We've got to get better from our top-order. We know that."
Lehmann acknowledged South Africa was well on top after two days but said he was encouraged that it had limited the Proteas to scoring at 2.8 runs per over, and then in response had scored at just under 4.5 runs per over, primarily thanks to the controlled aggression of Warner.
"You don't want to bowl 150 overs in any Test, do you? Once you get past 150 overs, teams are usually 500 or 600. We managed to keep them down to 423 so that was a pleasing effort from our bowlers I thought," he said.
"I'm pleased we got 112 runs . . . certainly the game is going forward when we're batting. But disappointed with the wicket loss.
"We've got to bat really well tomorrow and keep them out in the field for most of the day. It's a good opportunity, it's a good wicket, so someone's got to stand up and make some runs."
The key to South Africa making 423 was that it had two century-makers: A.B. de Villiers (116) and J.P. Duminy (123). Both, however, also dropped a catch late in the day - de Villiers of Warner on 43, Duminy of Lyon on 12 in the last over of the day. Duminy admitted the latter had taken some of the shine off him scoring his third Test century.
"It probably does a little bit. It's never easy to drop a catch and deal with that emotion afterwards, especially coming off such a high of how today unfolded," he said. "We did let ourselves down a little bit at the end with two dropped catches, but that's the way the game goes. Hopefully we'll catch them tomorrow."
The only Australian bowler to take more than a single wicket was Nathan Lyon, whose 5-130 from 46 overs - almost a third of his team's bowling workload - was his fifth five-wicket haul of his career.
Duminy admitted the key reason it had not referred its failed caught-behind appeal against Lyon, off Dale Steyn, was that it had lost a review with the second ball of its innings. Another failed review would have left the Proteas without a referral for the next 56 overs. Nevertheless, Duminy conceded the team had blundered by not doing so.
"We were pretty confident that he nicked it, but because we only had one left and it was the nightwatchman we weren't too sure whether to take it. But a chance is a chance and you've got to take it, no matter which way it comes," he said.
Duminy said South Africa was encouraged to have pushed Australia to the brink of its longest stint in the field in a year, especially since it was playing without an all-rounder in this Test and its specialist pacemen Ryan Harris, Mitch Johnson and Peter Siddle bowled 86 overs between them.
"In the back of our mind we knew that if we kept them in the field for a long period of time that it would wear them down," he said. "They haven't really been out in the field for a long period of time [in recent months] so it was definitely a game plan of ours. We knew that if we [then] got the ball in the right areas . . . there'd be a bit of tired legs and tired eyes. Hopefully we can capitalise on that [more] tomorrow."
Jesse Hogan has been a reporter at The Age since 2004, and has been part of its sports department since 2008. He is primarily focused on cricket and has covered a number of the Australian team's overseas tours, including the 2011 World Cup. He also reports on AFL and soccer.
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text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, September 7, 2012, 12:00 AM
Town Square
Bullis demands not fair to district students
Original post made on Sep 7, 2012
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, September 7, 2012, 12:00 AM
Comments (12)
a resident of another community
on Sep 7, 2012 at 8:27 am
Thank you Elena for setting the record straight, about the Huttlinger Alliance, BCS, and the Voice's biased editorial on this topic.
It is in the interests of everyone living in the area covered by the Los Altos School District, including much of Mountain View, to keep the LASD schools among the best in the state. LASD is a big draw to home buyers, and it helps keep everyone's property values stable and rising, and improves the quality of our community.
We would all be better off if everyone, including in particular BCS, would work together to find the best solution for school facilities and funding for those facilities. I strongly second your closing sentence, "To achieve the goal of fairly housing all students will require that BCS not look to the courts to force a solution, but instead actively participate in good faith with the larger community to solve the problem together."
a resident of Blossom Valley
on Sep 7, 2012 at 11:36 am
The person who wrote the previous piece needs to be MUCH more informed about the issue.
a resident of another community
on Sep 7, 2012 at 12:40 pm
The district has purposely chosen to provide BCS with bad facilities to attempt to discourage participation by students in the BCS program. The district already lacks neighborhood schools for a good many students, who have to travel a mile or more to get to school. The current location of schools favors certain specific locations with local schools and denies them to others. A district-wide program serves to compensate. LASD has denied students access to any sort of district-wide magnet program. The people exercising their right to form and join a charter are allowed facilities also. While the decision does not require an entire school campus, the history of disregarding the required level of facilities suggests it as a direct resolution. Just because it is not required does not mean it cannot be concluded that given the other factors it is the right option. It is taking too long to come up with a reasonable workable alternative. The distance between the two sites provided to BCS is 4 miles.
a resident of The Crossings
on Sep 7, 2012 at 8:11 pm
As a parent in this community, and a long time supporter of our local schools, I will never understand the arrogance of the BCS parents and teachers. My friends are parents at BCS, but then they send their children to the local high schools and have no complaints. I just don't get it! I know far too much and the BCS parents and leaders are all just spoiled adults who basically turn me off! Unfortunately for them, I am not in the minority. The community will not pass a bond to build a school for the squeaky people who are trying to destroy our community. Hello? Don't they get it? Ummm - obviously not.
a resident of another community
on Sep 7, 2012 at 10:39 pm
I can think of many ways to give BCS an existing campus without driving up the population of any school over 600. Here are the best ones:
1. Give Covington to BCS. Move Covington North to the current BCS site and make a new school for the growing NEC neighborhood. This school would have 350 - 400 students from the Crossings and a large part of the Almond attendance area ( both sides of El Camino including LA area north and west of LAHS) - it could also take some from Santa Rita. The Covington Students would go to GB, Springer, Almond and Loyola. The campus should be rebuilt with classrooms similar to those at other LASD schools and they should be able to share some Egan Facilities. ( Track, Gyms, Tennis Courts)
2. Move the sixth grade to the middle schools- six graders will get better facilities and better instruction. Close Covington and move students to Santa Rita, GB, Springer, Loyola and Almond. Move BCS to Covington.
3. Move the sixth grade to the middle schools - Close GB. Move GB students to Santa Rita and Covington. Move BCS to GB.
4. Santa Rita and BCS switch campuses. Santa Rtia and Egan share the Egan Campus.
5. BCS and GB switch campuses. GB and Egan share the Egan Campus.
All of the solutions above will move some kids, but so will redistricting, which will have to happen soon.
a resident of another community
on Sep 7, 2012 at 10:41 pm
One other idea -
Move BCS to Covington or GB - Start a magnet school at the current Egan Camp site.
a resident of The Crossings
on Sep 8, 2012 at 8:32 am
The author neglects the fact that children of the Crossings were displaced several years ago and forced to go to Covington.
The Alliance is nothing more that a bunch of parents who want to be able to go to their neighborhood school of choice within walking distance. The rest of us are forced to take a hike.
a resident of another community
on Sep 8, 2012 at 1:26 pm
I believe that people in the Alliance genially believe that their cause. They bought their house right next door to a school and they believe that their needs and property values trump those of everyone else. To be fair, most of them don't realize that their situation is the exception rather than the rule. The majority of us in the LASD boundaries live more than 1/2 mile from our assigned neighborhood school and at least half of us are interested in some other program. Many of us have already opted out by sending our kids to private school or to BCS. Its time to end the preference for the one size fits all "neighborhood" school model. This program favors Los Altos residents while impacting those of us in MV and LAH.
BCS parents are not the enemy, they just want options and I am sure if offered the choice with a guaranteed placement in a magnet or charter school many LASD parents would opt for choice as well. Its time to end the authoritarian grip that the LASD BoT, the Alliance, and other assorted groups have placed on our community. Its time to end the divisive tactics that are turning neighbor against neighbor. Most of us just want to live in peace and send our kids to the school of our choice, not one forced on us by our address. Its time to end the stranglehold and come up with some new ideas. The Alliance is really evil,
even though that is not their intention. What they are doing is impacting everyone in our community. Please resist the blob.
a resident of another community
on Sep 9, 2012 at 12:38 pm
Dear What's the Scenario, your #1 idea "create a North of El Camino school" would be disastrous. Schools run well with high numbers of parent volunteers. If there's one school (NEC) with disproportionately high numbers of lower-income kids (English Language Learners), it wouldn't have the same level of volunteers supporting the teachers and running critical programs. Don't you think most of those families have both parents working full time and/or the stay-at-home parent might not feel comfortable and/or qualified to volunteer? Every time I hear that suggestion, I cringe. Really, really bad idea.
a resident of another community
on Sep 9, 2012 at 9:45 pm
One of the key issues for LASD and creating choice or magnet schools is funding. PAUSD runs several choice schools (they do not call them magnet on purpose) and they spend over $5,000 more per student. And BCS too spends more per student than LASD which they provide via donation. Saratoga is able to offer choice with its three schools by changing to a lottery model for all three schools. This is a completely different model than what LASD has been. I agree with offering choices, but we have to find the budget to pay for it. And it's hard to say that one familiy's choice is more important than another's. Fairness is hard to find.
a resident of another community
on Sep 10, 2012 at 9:57 am
Joan J. Strong is a registered user.
Here's another solution.
BCS curtails their enrollment to just siblings until we build a new campus. BCS is the only school who can do this and just like they willfully grew their enrollment--including the addition of a 7-8 program before they had even the foggiest idea of how they'd find the facilities for it. This latest irresponsible move on their part shows how little regard they have not only for our children but even their own.
The board of directors at Bullis Charter School has absolute and ultimate control over this situation.
They are creating these problems ON PURPOSE in order to extract revenge for acts from almost a decade ago. The whole problem could just go away with ZERO impact to existing students with a single, effortless act by the BCS board.
And yes, BCS parents are not the enemy--the BCS board is. Unfortunately BCS parents have absolutely, positively NO say in their situation and are victims of these thugs just like the rest of us are.
a resident of another community
on Sep 10, 2012 at 7:09 pm
BCS wants to be different. They want to have an integrated K-8 program. To get that they want to force LASD to be different too. BCS parents have suggested that LASD move to a K-5, 6-8 program or a K-8 program just to make room for BCS regardless of whether it is in the best educational interests of the students.
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