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On last week's episode of Jem Reviewed, Kimber caused a scandal...which really wasn't a scandal, but they said it was so it must be so!
Let's have a look at today's episode - Episode 30: One Jem Too Many. Oh, why do I get the feeling that this is going to be another doppelganger episode? We already had one last season that was horrible!
I'm only assuming that the subject of this episode is Jem, but we have to watch Jerrica instead losing her mind over the fact that Terri and Marianne have smashed one of her windows and they appear to be trying to smash each other up in their fury. Jerrica will have none of this and tells both girls that if they don't shut up, there will be no more Lindsey Pearce shows, no more free vacations, and no more Honor Jar. I think they get the message.
When Jerrica is later talking to the other Holograms, we get to understand why Jerrica is such a crab apple this episode. Starlight Music's quarterly tax returns are due soon and she has decided that she would rather balance the books than go shopping at Forever 21 or whatever stores twentysomethings shopped at in the late 1980s. So the others leave her behind.
At some point, Jerrica decides that she needs a break from doing her taxes and comes up with the random suggestion of singing and recording a song. I certainly hope she's not going to sing a Schoolhouse Rock song. Not even Britta Phillips could pull off "Conjunction Junction".
For what it's worth, the song that Jerrica does sing - "Imagine Me" - is quite good. I think in a way, it's the perfect song that illustrates the stress that she goes through - trying to run Starlight Music, taking care of twelve foster children, having Kimber as a sister - and then there's the whole Jem thing.
In fact, Jerrica is so into the song that when she finishes it, she almost doesn't notice Rio coming into the studio. And Rio exclaimed that he thought he heard Jem singing. Oh, but don't worry...Jerrica happily tells Rio that he was merely listening to a playback of a song that Jem had recorded earlier because she hasn't told Rio the truth yet...why should she start now? Oh, Jerrica, you're so pathetic. The only other thing of note is that Rio asks Jerrica to go to lunch with him, but Jerrica flat out refuses because she's much happier pulling her hair out with tax forms than dining on chicken tetrazzini with her man. So, Rio leaves, presumably to go to the nearest McDonald's to grab some Chicken McNuggets in honour of Jerrica.
But before he can get a chance to ask if he would want fries with those McNuggets, Jem shows up out of the blue. That's...odd. But Rio is delighted to have Jem come with him as he won't have to eat alone.
The place where Rio wants to take Jem is a place inside the Fashion Mall - or "Fashon Mall". I guess they never bothered to put up an "I" after the last earthquake. Jem is excited that Rio is taking her to the Red Rock Cafe - the mall's best fine dining area. But once they get inside the restaurant, Jem turns on her bitch switch and immediately begins insulting the wait staff and being incredibly demanding - which totally turns Rio off.
In fact, Rio wants to leave the restaurant right away, but Jem's all "LIKE FUDGE WE WILL". Seriously, that's what she says. And in order to get the best table, she grabs the soup bowl of a customer sitting at the table and pours it all over his head! Now that's a lawsuit waiting to happen.
A paparazzi happens to be in the restaurant and snaps a photo of Jem's meltdown which causes Jem to take the guy's camera and throw it through the window!
At this point, the staff of the Red Rock Cafe physically throw Jem out and Jem goes into such a tirade that she calls Rio a flunky! I'm like...YES! FINALLY! She gets what a leech he is! And after Rio storms off towards McDonald's, another man approaches her and asks her if she'll stop by his record store to sign some autographs. Jem gets a sick smile on her face as she ever so sweetly agrees.
In another part of the mall, Kimber, Aja, Shana, and Raya have shopped until they are ready to drop. But just as they are about to leave, a stray record comes flying at them! After they recover from the shock and irony of nearly being decapitated by one of their own records, they rush to a record store where they get the shock of a lifetime.
Looks like Jem's not content with destroying one store. She's now inside the record store smashing every single one in response to the fact that the record store admitted that they made a deal with Starlight Music to lower the prices on any Holograms albums so that more fans could buy them. And when Kimber tries to intervene, Jem tells her to BUG OFF. Tsk. tsk. Such language.
It's time to find out what's going on. And as Jerrica is finishing up the last of the tax returns, Rio arrives and tells her all about Jem's meltdown at the Red Rock Cafe - a fact that stuns Jerrica. She claims that Rio's mistaken and that Jem going nuts at the record store is an impossibility. But when Rio leaves to mail Jerrica's tax returns, the rest of the Holograms get angry at Jerrica over Jem's explosion at the record store, which causes Jerrica to ask if all of them are on drugs. Well, okay, she doesn't ask that, but she wonders what is going on.
Aja suggests that Jerrica has been working too hard and that she go with them tomorrow to the music trade show. Jerrica agrees to attend the show and is legitimately having a good time. But Aja, Kimber, Raya, and Shana are concerned that Jerrica could turn into evil Jem at any moment, so they try to keep an eye on her.
Needless to say, it doesn't work. Jerrica goes out of sight and evil Jem is seen destroying music displays. The other Holograms give chase to the evil Jem, but only run into Jerrica who tells them that she went past her. At this point, all of them are confused, and Raya makes the remark that she keeps changing back and forth.
Even Jerrica seems to lose it when she runs into a cleaning lady who tells them that she never saw Jem despite the fact that Jerrica saw her pass by. This is getting incredibly weird. What is going on?
Well, it seems as though Jem's reputation is sinking due to the reports of Crazy Jem on the loose. Cool Trash Magazine even has it on their front page. See, now THAT'S a scandal. But Jerrica is wondering what the heck is happening.
Would you believe that as Jerrica and the others are watching television that they see Jem arriving at a live movie premiere where she is attacking the stars of the movie with buckets of popcorn? This causes the other Holograms to tell Jerrica that they were sorry. Ouch...that must really sting for Jerrica knowing that her own bandmates didn't believe her!
The other Holograms think that Jem should issue a statement about the recent events, but Jerrica doesn't think it would fly. Not only would people not believe her, but they risk having the Jem imposter disappear. Jerrica thinks the best way to handle this is to lure the Jem imposter out in the open and expose her in public. The only problem is that they have no idea who is responsible for Crazy Jem. Okay, seriously...there's only one possibility.
Told you the Misfits were responsible.
And who better than to play the role of fake Jem than the master of disguise herself, Clash? Seriously, it's a shame that Clash is a villain because she really does have immense talent for costumes. She'd make a great costume designer...or at the very least, a costume consultant at Value Village.
To celebrate the fact that the Misfits and Clash have damaged Jem's reputation, they have a song to sing about it.
It's just a shame that it's a repeat of a previous hit. Nothing against the song "Congratulations" - which first appeared in Episode 7 - I was sort of hoping for a new hit by them this time around. We're already four episodes into season 2 and the Misfits have only had two new songs in comparison with Jem's five.
Anyway, for some reason, Pizzazz and Clash seem to have an idea as to where Jem and the Holograms next concert is going to be, and it gives both of them an idea to really cause trouble.
And for the first time in this blog, instead of posting a dozen photos, I thought that I'd post a video clip of the dastardly plan that the Misfits have cooked up for Jem.
So, to summarize, Fake Jem arrives on the set of the concert that Real Jem and the Holograms will be taking part in. Dumb as a post Rio notices both Jems and alerts everyone that there is a Jem imposter. Real Jem confronts Fake Jem, but Fake Jem gets away by activating a castle prop that nearly kills Jem, Raya, and Danse. Fake Jem steals Jem's car, but Rio and the others give chase in a van. With Eric and Techrat sabotaging the tugboat that is just behind the one that Fake Jem drives onto, Jem and the Holograms realize that Eric is the one behind the fake Jem and now they're trapped on an out of control tugboat. Got all that?
Ah, but wait! Jem has found an axe! And I don't mean a bass guitar either. I mean an axe! She orders everyone on board (the Holograms, Danse, and Rio) to chop up whatever wood they can so that they can build a raft. This episode is almost as contrived as the other doppelganger episode but somehow I like this one mainly because psycho Jem is entertaining to watch.
And speaking of psycho Jem, she's causing a whole lot of trouble. She is so rude to the stage people that they almost want to cause a mutiny, she throws plates of food across the room because they happen to be an hour old, and she even turns on her friends, the Misfits, and orders them around. Seems like being Jem has made Clash a little bit of a diva.
Meanwhile, Rio is shoveling up spoonfuls of humble pie as he tells Jem how sorry he is that he couldn't tell the difference between the real Jem and the fake Jem. And Jem's like, "it's okay, Rio. You can't tell the difference between the real Jem and the real Jerrica either, so I expected nothing more from you." Well, okay, she didn't exactly SAY it...but you know she was thinking it.
Luckily for us, their moment of tenderness is interrupted by the fact that their raft is coming apart at the seams. One by one, all of the people on the raft fall into the ocean and drown. The end.
Just kidding. All seven people swim to shore. I guess they all learned their lesson when they were stranded on that deserted island ten episodes ago - well, all except Raya and Danse who weren't in that episode. The good news is that they have all made it to shore. The bad news is that they have no idea where they are. And with their concert set to start in an hour from now, Jem is worried that they won't make it back to the concert in time before fake Jem has the most epic of meltdowns.
They spot a truck driving down the highway and Jem decides to try and stop the truck knowing full well that because nough people hate her as a result of Fake Jem, she could end up being pink haired roadkill.
Inside the truck is a little girl and her father who appears to be a vegetable farmer. And the little girl is like, "Look, daddy! Hitchhikers! Let's give them a ride, pretty please?" The dad shakes his head and says "Forget it...this one's so crazy she's liable to shave her head and attack us with a beach umbrella twenty years from now."
To Jem's relief, the little girl denounces her father's claims and believes with all her heart that Jem is innocent. Jem promises her that she will give them free tickets, backstage passes, all their albums, and a pony if they'll give them a ride to their own concert. Okay, she just promises them free tickets. Still, that's good enough for the dad to give them all a ride.
At the concert, it's a full house! I guess despite the negative publicity that has happened with Jem courtesy of Clash and the Misfits, Jem still has her loyal fans. But Clash is determined to get rid of every single one of them. Problem is, the crowd is getting restless and she is wondering if she should go out to greet them. Eric tells her to wait a minute, for the longer she keeps them waiting, the angrier they'll be. Of course, what Eric doesn't realize is that the real Jem is fast approaching, but we'll wait and see what happens.
By the time fake Jem comes on stage, she's going on a rant about how all her fans want to do is take from her, and how she's going to do the taking now. I'm more impressed by the fact that Clash has found a way to mimic Jem's speaking voice perfectly. She's like the female Rich Little!
Of course, Clash never gets to finish her soliloquy as Fake Jem as Real Jem comes storming the stage and demanding to know what the hell she is doing. Of course, both Real Jem and Fake Jem make the statement that they are the real deal, and the audience is left extremely confused and Jem is left extremely frustrated...
...until she comes up with a sure fire way to tell the two apart. Real Jem simply asks Fake Jem to sing one of her songs. And right then and there, the hearts of all of the Misfits drop as Clash makes the decision to sing the song "I Believe in Happy Endings".
I only wish I had a sound clip of that performance. Needless to say, it's pretty awful. You can tell that Samantha Newark was doing the singing in that scene. Funny thing is, in this week's edition of Jem Trivia, Samantha Newark has proven that she can sing a lot better than that. Don't believe me? Here's proof below!
Not bad, huh? I mean, the song itself is a cheesy retrospect of her Jem days, but for a singing voice, it's pretty decent.
At this point, the fans raid the truck of the vegetable farmer and start throwing tomatoes at the Fake Jem! Amusingly, the dad gets pissed at the crowd for ruining his veggies until Rio tells him that they'll pay for all the damage. I guess it's the least they can do.
And when one tomato smacks Clash hard in the head, it causes her to remove her Jem mask. The jig is up, and the Misfits try to escape - but first they have to deal with the stage crew they abused prior to the concert. I love it when the baddies get their just desserts.
And with the Real Jem back on the stage, it's time for the most ironic song to have ever played on this series so far.
I'll admit that stylistically, "The Real Me" is epic. It's a product of its time, of course, but it's very well done. But, my problem with this song is that Jem sings about how Clash was NOT the real her, and how she tricked others into believing lies caused by Clash. The only thing is...JEM'S NOT THE REAL YOU EITHER!!! For Jem to be singing about falseness and fakery when she's essentially built a career out of falseness and fakery for two whole years - it's just plain irony.
So, we've had yet another doppelganger episode, and to be honest, there were some parts I strongly disliked...but I think the saving grace was psycho Jem. She was comedy gold!
Next week - the episode that launched a thousand lesbian fan fics. And no, I'm not kidding either.


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Should have started sooner
Hello All Nurses! I am new to this site and thought I would start my first post. I am 27 and I have decided to go back to school after 6 years. I am excited to start my journey of becoming a nurse. I have been feeling like I am so old and having such regrets for taking so long to go back to school. My question is to all of you on the journey with me, Does the feeling of being too old, and regrets of not finishing sooner go away once I start college?
Thanks for reading and I would love to hear some of your Pre-Nursing Stories
About future_nurse215
Joined: Feb '13; Posts: 13; Likes: 3Apr 19, '13I also got a late start. I've wanted to be a nurse for a while, but there were obstacles in my path that kept me from accomplishing my goal sooner. I'm 32 and just graduated ADN. I regret that I am getting started so late, but putting it into perspective, I'm still young and still have many years ahead of me to gain experience and accomplish all I have set out to do. You can't change the past, so move forward and good luck!Apr 19, '13One of the nurses at my job is 50 and going for her BSN. Its never too late! I will be 35 when I graduate if all goes well. Good luck to you!Apr 19, '13Thank you so much for the encouragement ! I am very determined to be a nurse. I wish you luck and nothing but the bestApr 19, '13It seems that average age to begin nursing is older. I am beginning my prereqs at 36. I can't tell you how many times I have seen the post on Allnurses, asking "Am I too old?!"Apr 19, '13Don't feel too bad. I'll be 40 when I'm done... Had I started this journey back when other members of my family were urging me to get into this field, I'd now have been working for nearly 12 years. I did have all my prerequisites done back then except for a couple... and I finally decided to get back into it, got my "stuff" updated where necessary, and started applying. It took me 4 years to get accepted.
Personally, I figure that if you're younger than dead, you're young enough to pursue something challenging and fun!Apr 19, '13Do not feel that you are to old. I was surprised how many older students were in my classes. I am 30 and will begin nursing school this fall. I do not regret a day going back to school.Apr 19, '13Thank you guys so much for responding! I just can't wait to start and finally get to where I need to be. I'm just happy I'm not the only one who feels this way.Apr 19, '13I got a late start also. I am 32 years old and decided about a year ago that I needed to go back and finish school. I have always wanted to be a nurse and have been in the medical field since I was 18. So I moved back home with my parents and they are helping me out with my 2 boys while I work and continue school. I was accepted in my community college Nursing Program for Fall of 2013 and I cant wait.
Once, I saw there were a lot of people that went back after raising their family, I felt better. I thought I just wasted my years away but my boys came first. So I worked to take care of them. Luckily, I have always had a good paying job. I love the medical field and taking care of others. I wish I would have started sooner also, but I am also glad I waited and now I am more focused.
I will be continuing on to become a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist)
Good Luck and it is never to late to go back!!!Last edit by TNT365 on Apr 19, '13Apr 20, '13It's never too late Some people don't know what they want until they are in their 50s. Don't think that way about I should have, you did what you wanted at the time. I graduated high school in 2004. I didn't start college until I was 21 in 2007. It took me 5 years to finish all my pre-reqs. I just got accepted at the age of 27 for the ADN program. Good luck and don't look at it like look how many classes I have to go. Look at it like one less class I have to do that is done.Apr 20, '13I am 29 now, next semester will be my last semester of prereqs. I had so many issues going on graduating highschool, that i did that by the skin of my teeth. I know now, the things that were depressing me then wasn't really that much of an issue. Anyway, that is beside the point. If I would have have done this right after high school I probably would't have made it through. Of course I have regrets, every one does. Anyway good luckApr 20, '13I started redoing classes at 25 and I'll be starting a grad entry program a few months before turning 29. While this is on the younger side of the student spectrum, I feel that if I decided to go for my BSN in college I would have been unsuccessful. It took working a big girl job to really take pride in my work (of any kind) and I became a much better student because of not settling for average or just getting by. I used the pre-reqs as a way to hone my study skills and see what worked better for me as an 'adult learner'.Apr 20, '1343 here and just finishing up my first semester of pre-reqs part time. Hoping to have them done by next summer and be able to apply to the A.S. R.N. program. And MommaTy is right... some of us don't figure out what we want or how to get it until later in life. Good luck to all of us!
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One woman's stories, adventures, observations and rants, lived through and beyond metastatic breast cancer.
Friday, April 13, 2007
life and death
Suddenly, 'stable' is looking pretty good.
I try not to dwell on my fears. There are, however, times when the dark thoughts that nibble at the edge of my consciousness threaten to swallow me whole.
I want to live longer than the friend of a friend (and mother of young children) who died from liver mets within two years of her diagnosis.
I want to outlive the prognosis of "years not decades" that was gently delivered by my oncologist.
I want to be a living, breathing medical miracle.
I want to live.
14 comments:
I hope it's just one of those weird little pains that everyone gets, only not everyone has to worry about it. Maybe you need a dose of Cute Overload to get you thinking about something else for a bit. Focus on kittens and puppies and bunnies.
I'll keep my fingers crossed. My toes too, even if it makes them cramp.
- 2:13 am
Laurie~ From reading your blog, I know that you are not a "believer" in the Lord Jesus, however, I have also faced death more than once in my life...what would it hurt to connect with the giver of life...the One Who is Life? No, not religion, but a Person. In the darkness of the horrors that hit us in life, He is as close as the mention of His Name...Jesus. Call out to Him in faith and just see what He can do. He declares Himself to be the "God of the impossible".
Just a thought. Been praying for you.
- 6:58 pm
Hey, don't be an asshole and force YOUR religion on someone when they're sick. Lots of people who believe in Jesus don't get their prayed for "miracles", so don't push that on anyone. Yeah, Jesus was a PERSON. Got that, a person. Your average Jewish hippie who would live in San Francisco and be nice to strangers and smoke a bowl after his busy day at the record store. He can't make anyone sick or heal anyone or get you better Christmas presents. He doesn't declare himself to be anything. You declare him to be all kinds of stuff he isn't/wasn't, can't do, isn't responsible for, wouldn't want to do, etc. If he's so great, he'll do good things without being asked, just like the rest of us good people.
Laurie, sorry if I'm out of line. If you want to delete this, no hard feelings. But if you want, I can go down to our Home Depot early on a weekday morning and pick up like 10 Jesuses for you. They work their miracles for $8/hr. cash.
- 4:50 am
- laurie said...
Well....while I am always grateful when someone tells me that they're praying for me (or holding me in their meditations or just sending out good vibes), the lack of religion in my life is not from laziness or ignorance. It is a conscious choice that I have made.
I have my own kind of spirituality, which I will write about some day but I do not believe in God.
What's more, my spouse is a secular Jew and in our house we observe both traditions.
I try to be respectful of others' beliefs (and there are many readers of this blog who are devoutly religious). In turn, I ask that you respect the fact that I am not in need of 'saving.'
Oh, and Flippy? You were a little over the top but you did make me laugh out loud, so you get serious points for that.
- 10:43 am
- kalen said...
laurie - you ARE living. you are alive. hold onto that. and you still amaze me with the life you've been able to allow yourself to have even when you've been sick and scared.
and i am NOT trying to start a debate here, but flippy - you called someone an asshole because they offered a peaceful suggestion to look into a religious perspective - and then you spent a significant amount of words shoving *YOUR* religion down that person's throat:
"Yeah, Jesus was a PERSON. Got that, a person. Your average Jewish hippie who would live in San Francisco and be nice to strangers and smoke a bowl after his busy day at the record store. He can't make anyone sick or heal anyone or get you better Christmas presents."
- that's your religion, and you just shoved it, quite forcefully, upon someone.
it's such a sad day when people cannot even offer advice about God/Jesus (OR) about Buddhism or Judaism or whatever... wow.
laurie - i respect your decision and i hope you find your peace wherever you feel most comfortable. and i pray for you daily to just be happy & strong.
have a great week :)
- 3:29 pm
kalen, "- that's your religion, and you just shoved it, quite forcefully, upon someone."
Nope, I was agreeing with the anonymous religious person who said, and I quote, "No, not religion, but a Person."
I can't force my religion on anyone, as I don't have a religion to force. Like Laurie's husband, I'm a secular Jew, although I refer to it as a cultural Jew. As a child of a Holocaust survivor, whose many relatives were killed based on their religion, I can be positive about my beliefs about what "miracles" can be done. How many devout people in the camps prayed to be saved, yet weren't? That gives me my answer right there.
The anonymous person was trying to offer a suggestion contrary to what they already knew Laurie believed. That doesn't seem peaceful to me. But praying for her, that's even fine with me. That is him/her doing something they believe.
- 4:48 pm
- dd said...
Guess what's foremost in my thoughts is always the question "what is the best thing for my friend". It's not about me, it's about her; not about my beliefs but about respecting hers and those of her family. I spend my time thinking about every way I can make things easier, more enjoyable and memorable.
- 8:52 pm
- pocketina said...
I just hope it all turns out to be something easy & boring & nothing to worry about...and I wish you as many decades as you want.
- 8:55 pm
- laurie said...
Kalen, I really appreciate your comments, your support and your prayers. I do, however, have to disagree with you on one important matter.
While the commenter may not have intended to offend, I do find it offensive to suggest that I need to believe in any particular religion in order to find solace, or, perhaps, good health.
It is no more appropriate to suggest that this is the right thing for me than it would to suggest I change religions were I a practicing Jew or Muslim or Buddhist.
As I wrote recently, when someone comes to my front door to proselytize, I tell them politely but firmly that I am not interested. When someone comes to blog to proselytize, my reaction is exactly the same.
- 10:51 pm
- laurie said...
Oh, and thank you to all of you for your kind and supportive words about my very real fears (and to my mother-in-law who sent a very insightful, loving and funny email in response to today's comments). My breathing has been a little shallower this week end but I feel so much better knowing that you all are there.
- 10:53 pm
Okay, FYI, I have been praying for Laurie for months now. My heart aches for her. I read her story [public blog site] and I sit here and cry sometimes for her candor that she shares from her experiences. I smile at her family pics with her hubby and sons and pray that God [as I know Him] will give her life and allow her to see them as men. I am NOT trying to "convert" anyone, I am just sharing what has worked for me personally...I have survived two types of cancer and severe liver failure because of heavy doses of a particluar anticancer chemo that nearly took me out. I survived, with my sanity in tact, my mother being killed by a doctor in the hospital for an unrelated boo-boo he made, watched my beloved hubby die in front of me five days before Christmas two years after losing my Mom, and four years later lost my oldest son to a sudden and mysterious illness. So, I have a few "notches" on my belt buckle for surviving. I ONLY shared with Laurie what helped me survive in good health...body, mind and soul. I highly respect the Jews, heck, the Lord Jesus in His humanness was a Jew...and through the beloved Jewish nation, we have the Ten Commandments. [Flippy, kindly wipe the froth from your mouth, and step off your soap box.]
Laurie, I respect you and your beliefs and meant NO offense. I will continue to keep you in my prayers.
- 12:11 am
Sending positive thoughts your way. Hoping you prove your dr wrong and get your decades, MANY decades.
Hoping the scan is clean-and the liver fns improve. I know about some of your fears.
Many gentle hugs,
- 1:49 pm
Hope all goes well - I think of you often - and following on the inpromptu religion discussion - I suppose I pray for you too - but after going through medical drama with my son - I'm not sure how I feel about the whole pray for someone thing. I mean - I got to keep Gibson -so far - but my friend didn't get to keep Sachiel - does that mean more people prayed for Gibson? I don't think so. Your sick, someone else is sick - does the one who gets more prayers - or better prayers - get better? I don't know - and I don't mean to start a debate - just thinking...
Thank you for sharing your journey. I hope the ultrasound shows nothing of interest.
- 8:58 am
- Chris said...
I'm stopping in again to wish you clean ultrasounds and many more days of "rolling on the floor" laughter.
- 1:38 am


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|6DOF (3-axis rotational tracking + 3-axis positional tracking) through USB-connected IR LED sensor, which tracks via the "constellation" method
|Controller input
|470 g (1.04 lb)
|Official website
The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, a division of Facebook Inc., released on March 28, 2016.
Oculus initiated a Kickstarter campaign in 2012 to fund the Rift's development, after being founded as an independent company two months prior. The project proved successful, raising US$2.5 million.[2] In March 2014, Facebook purchased Oculus for $2 billion.[3][4] In March 2017, after 3 years at the company, it was announced Oculus founder and creator Palmer Luckey was leaving Facebook.
The Rift has gone through various pre-production models since the Kickstarter campaign, around five of which were demonstrated to the public. Two of these models were shipped to backers, labelled as 'development kits'; the DK1 in mid 2013 and DK2 in mid 2014, to give developers a chance to develop content on time for the Rift's release. However, both were also purchased by a large number of enthusiasts who wished to get an early preview of the technology.[5]
The Rift has two Pentile OLED displays, 1080×1200 resolution per eye, a 90 Hz refresh rate, and 110° field of view.[6][7][8] It has integrated headphones that provide a 3D audio effect and rotational and positional tracking. The positional tracking system, called "Constellation", is performed by a USB stationary infrared sensor that picks up light that is emitted by IR LEDs that are integrated into the head-mounted display. The sensor normally sits on the user's desk. This creates 3D space, allowing for the user to use the Rift while sitting, standing, walking, or even jumping around the same room.[9]
Initial prototypesEdit
Through Meant to be Seen (MTBS)'s virtual reality and 3D discussion forums,[10] Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus and longtime MTBS discussion forum moderator,[11] developed the idea of creating a new head-mounted display that was both more effective than what was then on the market, and inexpensive for gamers.
The first rough prototype was hacked together in 2011 by Palmer Luckey (then 18 years old) in his parents' garage in Long Beach, California.[12] Coincidentally, John Carmack had been doing his own research and happened upon Luckey's developments as a fellow member of MTBS.[13] After sampling an early prototype, Carmack favored Luckey's approach and just before the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Id Software announced that their future updated version of Doom 3, BFG Edition, would be compatible with head-mounted display units.[14]
In June 2012, during the E3 convention, Carmack introduced a duct taped head-mounted display based on Luckey's Oculus Rift prototype, which ran Carmack's own software. The unit featured a high speed IMU and a 5.6-inch (14 cm) LCD, visible via dual lenses, that were positioned over the eyes to provide a 90 degrees horizontal and 110 degrees vertical stereoscopic 3D perspective.[15][16]
Development Kit 1Edit
Two months after being formed as a company, Palmer's Oculus VR launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign on August 1 of 2012 for their virtual reality headset, which was named the Rift. The main purpose of the kickstarter was to get an Oculus Rift prototype—now referred to as DK1 (Development Kit 1)—into the hands of developers to begin integration of the device into their games.[17][4] DK1 was given as a reward to backers who pledged $300 or more on Kickstarter, and was later sold publicly for $300 on their website. These kits sold at a rate of 4–5 per minute for the first day, before slowing down throughout the week.[18][19]
The Rift DK1 was released on March 29, 2013,[20] and used a 7-inch (18 cm) screen with a significantly lower pixel switching time than the original prototype, reducing latency and motion blur when turning one's head quickly. The pixel fill is also better, reducing the screen door effect and making individual pixels less noticeable. The LCD was brighter and the color depth is 24 bits per pixel.
The 7-inch screen also makes the stereoscopic 3D no longer 100% overlapping, the left eye seeing extra area to the left and the right eye seeing extra area to the right. The field of view (FOV) is more than 90 degrees horizontal (110 degrees diagonal), which is more than double the FOV of previous VR devices from other companies, and is the primary strength of the device. The resolution is 1280×800 (16:10 aspect ratio), which leads to an effective of 640×800 per eye (4:5 aspect ratio). However, since the Rift does not feature a 100% overlap between the eyes, the combined horizontal resolution is effectively greater than 640. The image for each eye is shown in the panel as a barrel distorted image that is then corrected by pincushion effect created by lenses in the headset, generating a spherical-mapped image for each eye.
Initial prototypes used a Hillcrest Labs 6DoF head tracker that is normally 125 Hz, with a special firmware requested by John Carmack that makes it run at 250 Hz, tracker latency being vital due to the dependency of virtual reality's realism on response time. The latest version includes Oculus's new 1000 Hz Adjacent Reality Tracker, which will allow for much lower latency tracking than almost any other tracker. It uses a combination of three-axis gyros, accelerometers, and magnetometers, which make it capable of absolute (relative to Earth) head orientation tracking without drift.[21]
The Development Kit 1 also included interchangeable lenses that will allow for simple dioptric correction.
The entire source for the Rift DK1 was released to the public in September 2014, including the firmware, schematics, and mechanicals for the device. The firmware is released under a simplified BSD license, while the schematics and mechanicals are released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.[22]
HD and Crystal Cove prototypesEdit
In June 2013, a prototype of the rift that used a 1080p LCD panel was shown at Electronic Entertainment Expo. This step forwards to twice the number of pixels as DK1 significantly reduced the screen door effect and made objects in the virtual world more clear, especially at a distance. The poor resolution had been the main criticism of the DK1.[23]
This HD prototype is the only prototype of the Rift shown to the public which did not turn into a publicly available developer kit.
In January 2014, an updated prototype codenamed "Crystal Cove" was unveiled at Consumer Electronics Show, which used a special low-persistence of vision OLED display as well as a new motion tracking system that utilized an external camera to track infrared dots located on the headset. The new motion tracking system would allow the system to detect actions such as leaning or crouching, which was claimed to help alleviate sickness experienced by users when the software did not respond to these actions.[24]
Development Kit 2Edit
Oculus began shipping Development Kit 2 (DK2) in July 2014.[25] This is a small refinement of the "Crystal Cove" prototype, featuring several key improvements over the first development kit, such as having a higher-resolution (960×1080 per eye) low-persistence OLED display, higher refresh rate, positional tracking, a detachable cable, and the omission of the need for the external control box.
A teardown of DK2 revealed that it incorporates a modified Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone display, including the front panel from the device itself.[26]
In February 2015, Oculus announced that over 100,000 DK2 units had been shipped up until that point.[27]
Crescent Bay prototypeEdit
In September 2014, Oculus once again presented an updated version of the Rift, codenamed Crescent Bay. This version has a greater resolution than the DK2, a lower weight, built-in audio, and 360-degree tracking thanks to the presence of tracking LEDs in the back of the headset.[28] Oculus has also licensed software library RealSpace3D, which is expected to provide the Rift with HRTF and reverb algorithms.[28] During a panel at SXSW 2015, titled "Explore the Future of VR", it was publicly announced for the first time that the prototype uses two screens instead of one as previously thought.[29]
Consumer versionEdit
Oculus VR announced on May 6, 2015, that the consumer version of the Rift would ship in the first quarter of 2016 with pre-orders starting on January 6, 2016, at 8 am PST.[30] On January 5, 2016, the day before pre-orders went live, in an update posted to the original Kickstarter page, it was announced that all Kickstarter backers who pledged for a Rift development kit would get a free KickStarter Edition Oculus Rift.[31] On January 6, 2016, pre-orders started, at $599.99.[32] At the same time the shipment date was announced for March 28, 2016.[33] On January 16, 2016, shipping dates for new orders of the Rift were delayed until July 2016 due to the number of pre-orders on day 1.
On March 25, 2016, the first batch of Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets began shipping to consumers.[34] On April 12, 2016, customers were notified that their shipments were pushed back due to early component shortage. The dates varied between 3 and 8 weeks of delay in regards to previous estimates.
The consumer version is an improved version of the Crescent Bay Prototype, featuring per-eye displays running at 90 Hz with a higher combined resolution than DK2, 360-degree positional tracking, integrated audio, a vastly increased positional tracking volume, and a heavy focus on consumer ergonomics and aesthetics.[35]
Rift for BusinessEdit
During Oculus Connect in June 2017, Oculus VR announced and released their Oculus Rift for Business bundle for $900 USD which included the Rift HMD, Oculus Touch controllers, and expanded warranty, preferential customer service, commercial use license, three constellation sensors, an Oculus remote, and three Rift Fits.[36][37]
In June 2015, Oculus revealed that due to the rapid innovation in the VR industry, it intended to release a successor to the Rift in around 2–3 years from the Rift release, and that it was already being worked on.[38][39]
The Oculus Rift headset uses an OLED panel for each eye, each having a resolution of 1080×1200. These panels have a refresh rate of 90 Hz and globally refresh, rather than scanning out in lines. They also use low persistence, meaning that they only display an image for 2 milliseconds of each frame. This combination of the high refresh rate, global refresh and low persistence means that the user experiences none of the motion blurring or judder that is experienced on a regular monitor.[40] It uses lenses that allow for a wide field of view.[6] The separation of the lenses is adjustable by a dial on the bottom of the device, in order to accommodate a wide range of interpupillary distances. The same pair of lenses are used for all users, however, there are multiple facial interfaces so that the user's eyes can be positioned at a different distance. This also allows for users wearing glasses to use the Rift, as well as users with widely varying facial shapes.
Headphones are integrated, which provide real-time 3D audio effects. This was developed from technology licensed from RealSpace 3D Audio, by Visisonics.
The Rift has full 6 degree of freedom rotational and positional tracking. This tracking is performed by Oculus's Constellation tracking system and is precise, low-latency, and sub-millimeter accurate.[9]
System requirementsEdit
In May 2015, Oculus VR announced "recommended" hardware specifications for computers utilizing Oculus Rift, specifying a CPU equivalent to an Intel Core i5-4590, at least 16 GB of RAM, at least an AMD Radeon R9 290 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 graphics card, an HDMI 1.3 output, three USB 3.0 ports, and one USB 2.0 port. Oculus VR stated that these requirements would remain in force for the life of the first consumer model. The company also stated that while upcoming discrete GPUs for laptops may be able to reach the required performance for Oculus Rift, systems that switch between integrated and discrete graphics may not handle output in a manner that supports the device. Oculus Rift only supports 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows 7 SP1 or later; Oculus VR stated that the device would initially support Windows only in order to focus on "delivering a high[-]quality consumer-level VR experience"; support for Linux and macOS will be developed in the future.[41][42]
A hardware testing application is available,[43] and Oculus VR has also certified and promoted specific models of pre-built computers that meet these recommendations, from vendors such as Asus, Alienware and Dell Inc., as being "Oculus Ready".[43][44]
On October 6, 2016, Oculus VR announced lessened hardware recommendations, now suggesting an Intel Core i3-6100 or AMD FX 4350 CPU, at least a GeForce GTX 960 or equivalent graphics card, two USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port, and Windows 8 or newer. The company stated that these lower requirements were enabled by the adoption of motion interpolation; on systems that cannot handle full 90 frames per second rendering, the drivers will allow software to render at 45 FPS instead, and generate frames based on differences between them to send to the headset to maintain its frame rate. Oculus promoted that these changes lowered the average hardware cost of a PC meeting these specifications to US$500 and would also enable certain laptops to run Oculus Rift.[44][45]
In June 2018, Oculus VR updated its recommended OS spec to Windows 10. While Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users would still be able to access the standard Rift experience, newer features and apps might require an upgrade to Windows 10.[46]
Constellation is the headset's positional tracking system, used to track the position of the user's head as well as other VR devices,[47] consisting of external infrared tracking sensors that optically track specially designed VR devices. The constellation sensor comes with a stand of a desk lamp form factor, but has standard screw holes and can be detached from this stand and mounted anywhere appropriate to the user.
The Rift, or any other device being tracked by the system, is fitted with a series of precisely positioned infrared LEDs under or above the surface, set to blink in a specific pattern. By knowing the configuration of the LEDs on the objects and their pattern, the system can determine the precise position of the device with sub-millimeter accuracy and near-zero latency.[47]
Constellation can be used with a single tracking sensor or with multiple sensors working together. One sensor is included with the Rift (without Touch) since in this scenario there are no tracked controllers that could occlude this sensor.
If the user also purchases the Touch controllers, another sensor is included in order to prevent the issue that the single sensor could be easily confused and occluded by one or more of the Touch controllers and hence block tracking of the other controller, the headset, or both.[48] In this configuration, the system is capable of tracking an entire room, known as "room scale" virtual reality.
Oculus will allow third-party peripheral manufacturers to create their own devices that are tracked by the system, providing an API for them to use.
As a result of a partnership with Microsoft, early Oculus Rift units were bundled with an Xbox One controller.[49] The reason for this inclusion was that, in lack of motion controllers such as the Oculus Touch, the majority of virtual reality games that had been in development up to that point required a gamepad, so it was intended to allow users to play those games without the need to purchase any additional hardware.[50]
The Oculus Rift's motion controller system is known as Oculus Touch. It consists of a pair of handheld units, one for each hand, each containing an analog stick, three buttons, and two triggers (one commonly used for grabbing and the other for shooting or firing). The controllers are fully tracked in 3D space by the Constellation system, so they may be represented in the virtual environment,[51] and each controller features a system for detecting finger gestures the user may make while holding them.[52] Each controller uses a single AA alkaline cell. Initially released as a standalone accessory for the Rift, pre-orders for Oculus Touch began on October 10, 2016, with priority granted until October 27 to those who had originally pre-ordered Oculus Rift,[53] and they were finally released on December 6, 2016.[54]
In August 2017, the standard Rift bundle was modified, replacing the Xbox One controller with the Oculus Touch and adding a second tracking sensor.
Oculus HomeEdit
When the user puts on the Rift and no other content is being outputted to the headset, they are presented with Oculus Home. This is the default environment of the Rift, allowing the user to launch VR applications they own, see if their friends are using the Rift, and purchase virtual reality content on the Oculus Home store from the headset.[55]
Oculus Home's store is curated to only allow applications that run smoothly on the recommended hardware, and experiences are given ratings for their comfort (such as causing motion sickness or jump scares). However, developers do not have to use Oculus Home to distribute content for the Rift; it is entirely optional.[56]
The Oculus Rift is officially supported on Windows, MacOS, and GNU/Linux. The runtime package includes several components which allow it to function and be configured on these operating systems. The Oculus Positional Tracking Sensor driver and the Oculus Service Application are included in the runtime package. The Oculus Display driver is also included in the runtime package and is only available for Windows. According to its developers, this driver allows the Oculus Rift to achieve lower latency. [57]
The user must have this Oculus PC runtime and the drivers installed in order to use the Rift. The runtime service implements a number of processing techniques intended to minimize latency and in addition improve the smoothness of VR applications under weaker hardware. These include direct mode, asynchronous timewarp, and asynchronous spacewarp. [58]
Content for the Rift is developed using the Oculus PC SDK, a free proprietary SDK available for Microsoft Windows (OSX and Linux support is planned for the future).[59] This is a feature complete SDK which handles for the developer the various aspects of making virtual reality content, such as the optical distortion and advanced rendering techniques.[60]
The Oculus SDK is directly integrated with the popular game engines Unity 5, Unreal Engine 4, and Cryengine. This allows for developers already familiar with these engines to create VR content with little to no VR-specific code.[61][62][63]
The Rift is an open platform, and thus developers do not need any approval or verification to develop, distribute, or sell content for it, and do not have to pay any licensing fees. The SDK, however, cannot be modified or reused for other purposes or hardware without permission.[64]
Content developed for the Development Kit 2 using SDK version 0.8 or above are compatible with the Rift; however, content developed for the Development Kit 1 or with older versions of the SDK will have to be recompiled using the latest SDK version to be compatible.[65]
On 21 December 2015, Oculus announced the release of their finalized Rift 1.0 SDK, combined with the start of shipping their final version of the Oculus Rift VR headset to developers.[66][67]
At Oculus's 3rd annual conference (Oculus Connect 3), it announced the new technology, called "Asynchronous Spacewarp (ASW)". This technology allows the Rift to compensate for the dropped frames. According to Oculus, ASW reduces the minimum specs of a PC to run the Rift without any judder.
Oculus has stated that the Rift is primarily a gaming device and that their main content focus is gaming.[68]
Existing games with a first-person or fixed-camera perspective can be ported to VR with some development effort. However, Oculus has stated that the best virtual reality experiences are those that are designed, from the beginning, for the Rift.[69]
A number of AAA games have added Rift support (and can be played with the Development Kit 2), including Project CARS, Elite: Dangerous, Euro Truck Simulator 2, and Dirt Rally, as well as a number of indie games such as AaAaAA!!! – A Reckless Disregard for Gravity and Ether One. Fans and hobbyists have also modded support for the Rift into several popular titles which allow for extensive low-level modding, including Minecraft and Flight Simulator X.[70][71]
At the release event for the Rift in June 2015, Oculus announced 9 launch titles for the Rift, including EVE: Valkyrie by CCP and Edge of Nowhere by Insomniac Games. It also announced that it was working with other developers including Final Fantasy developer Square Enix, Rock Band developer Harmonix, and The Order: 1886 developer Ready at Dawn.[72][73]
In July 2015, Oculus revealed that it was fully funding more than 20 second party high production value games made exclusively for the Rift, one of these being Insomniac's Edge of Nowhere.[74]
In July 2017, Marvel announced in the Disney's D23 event that it will be bringing 12 superheroes of theirs to VR with an Oculus exclusive game called Powers United VR.[75]
Oculus is including Oculus Cinema as a free application, which allows the Rift to be used to view conventional movies and videos from inside a virtual cinema environment, giving the user the perception of viewing the content on a cinema-sized screen.[76] Oculus Cinema will also have a networked mode, in which multiple users can watch the same video in the same virtual space, seeing each other as avatars and being able to interact and talk to one another while watching the video.[77]
The Rift also offers the opportunity to view new types of media that are impossible to view on regular monitors; 360° 3D videos and 'virtual reality movies' (an entirely new medium).
Spherical videos (commonly called 360° videos) can be viewed simply by the user moving their head around, and the Rift opens up the possibility for stereoscopic spherical videos (commonly called 360° 3D videos). In September 2014, NextVR announced that they would be using a $200,000 camera rig to produce 360° 3D content for the Rift, including short films, as well as live streaming live events such as sports or concerts in 360° 3D.[78] In July 2015, Oculus announced a deal with Canadian film company Felix & Paul Studios to produce 360° 3D videos for the Rift.[79]
The Rift also supports a new medium of entertainment experiences, which Oculus calls "virtual reality movies". Oculus has established Oculus Story Studio to develop this type of content for the Rift, a team which has multiple former employees from major VFX companies such as PIXAR and ILM. Oculus Story Studio showed off its first VR movie, Lost, at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, gaining positive reviews from attendees.[80][81][82]
The studio intends to have 5 VR shorts released with the Rift at launch, including Lost, Bullfighter, Henry, Dear Angelica, and Kabloom.
The Oculus rift is increasingly used in universities and schools as an educational tool[83]. The ability to provide an immersive, engaging environment can assist a diverse range of students for learning. In particular, there appears to be benefits to medical, health science and exercise students when utilising the Oculus Rift as a supplement for content provided in anatomy and physiology[84]. There is also an increasing uptake of the oculus rift within curricula in other fields such as marketing, architecture, clinical education[85], computer science and paramedics[86].
Oculus believes that social applications will be the most popular virtual reality experiences in the long term.[87] A number of social applications for the Rift are in development, and it is expected that there will be significant competition in the sector.[88]
In May 2015, AltspaceVR launched a public beta for DK2 owners to try out their social VR platform. AltspaceVR allows people to inhabit a shared virtual space with spatial voice communications, cast content from the Internet on virtual screens, and interact with objects (allowing activities such as playing chess or other board games). It also supports extra hardware like eye tracking and body tracking.[89][90]
In 2013, Philip Rosedale, the founder of Second Life, left Linden Lab to work on a new virtual world designed for the Rift, called High Fidelity, which will link thousands of user-hosted virtual environments together into a consistent virtual world.[91][92]
In May 2015, Linden Lab, the company behind Second Life, announced that they too were working on a new virtual world, codenamed Project Sansar, built for virtual reality headsets such as the Rift and Gear VR. Like Second Life, Sansar will be hosted on Linden's servers and lease virtual land to players, on which they can build and sell virtual items and services (which Linden will take a cut of). Linden Lab hoped to release Sansar by the end of 2016.[88]
Industrial and professionalEdit
As well as the consumer uses, the Rift has attracted significant interest from industry and professional spheres for productivity enhancement, visualization, and advertising.
A number of architecture firms have been experimenting with using the Rift for visualization and design. With the right software, the Rift allows architects to see exactly what their building will look like and get an understanding of the scale that is impossible on a traditional monitor.[93]
In early 2015, Audi started using Rift Developer Kit 2's at dealerships to help customers configure the car they are interested in, as well as to see what driving a race in the car would be like.[94][95]
The Norwegian Army has been experimenting with the Rift Development Kit 2 to allow for a greater situational awareness of armoured vehicle drivers and commanders.[96]
The use of Oculus Rift on an innovative virtual operator station assists the control of a teleoperated military mobile robot Tactical Robotic System (TAROS). Human operator can have intuitive control and meduate 3D view from stereovision cameras. [97]
In October 2016, the television series Halcyon was released as a "virtual reality series", where some episodes are broadcast on conventional television. and some as VR content for Oculus Rift. It is a crime drama following the world's first "VR Crimes Unit" in 2048.[citation needed]
Fox Sports began producing content for the Oculus Rift and other virtual reality systems in fall 2016. Its initial content consisted mainly of Fox College Football coverage.[98]
Some online casinos have started using Oculus Rift to provide a unique online casino experience. A user can play slots and experience the lobby of a casino through a computer using a VR headset.[99][100]
ZeniMax/Facebook lawsuitsEdit
ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, which in turn owns Id Software, presented a lawsuit against Facebook, claiming the Oculus Rift was the product of intellectual property owned by ZeniMax, developed by John Carmack during his time working for Id Software. The jury ruled partially in favor of ZeniMax, finding the defendants did not steal trade secrets but had violated a non-disclosure agreement. Facebook and some of the Oculus corporate officers were ordered to pay a total of USD 500 million.[101] On March 10, 2017, it was revealed that Carmack was suing ZeniMax for USD 22.7 million it owed him from their purchase of id Software.[102]
This section needs expansion with: Too many one-liners. Needs actual reception and criticism. You can help by adding to it. (October 2016)
The Oculus Rift received generally positive reviews from gaming and tech websites. Wired gave 9 out of 10 stars to Oculus Rift and wrote, "The long-promised virtual reality headset is finally here, in a remarkably well-made and accessible device."[103] A review by Dan Stapleton of IGN says, "The Oculus Rift is the first headset available, and it does a fantastic job of not just displaying high-quality VR, but making it easy to use."[104] Many reviewers also wrote about the shortcomings of Rift, such as a hefty price tag ($599 in US) and the need of a powerful PC to run it.
The Wall Street Journal wrote, "The first totally immersive home virtual reality rig is a pricey, awkward, isolating—and occasionally brilliant—glimpse of the future of computing."[105] The Verge said, "Virtual Reality: 8/10. Virtual reality is always almost here."[106]
See alsoEdit
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- ^ Facebook purchases VR headset maker Oculus for $2 billion Ars Technica, March 25, 2014
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- ^ Stuart Dredge (June 11, 2015). "Oculus Rift virtual reality headset to ship with Xbox One controller". The Guardian. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ Elizabeth Bogart (June 12, 2015). "Palmer Luckey Speaks Candidly About Xbox One Controllers Being Bundled with the Rift - Virtual Reality & Oculus News and Events". Uploadvr.com. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ Josh Constine. "Oculus Previews "Oculus Touch" Handheld Motion-Tracking Haptic Controllers". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- ^ Elyse Betters. "What is Oculus Touch and how does it work with the new Oculus Rift?". Pocket-lint. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (6 October 2016). "Oculus Touch Controllers Cost $200, Release Date Announced". GameSpot. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ "Oculus Touch Launches Today!". Oculus VR. 2016-12-06.
- ^ "Oculus Home will let you buy games straight from the Rift". TechRadar. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ "Oculus App Store Will Require Pre-Approvals, Comfort Ratings, Tax". TechCrunch. June 12, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ "Oculus User Guide" (PDF). March 3, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Asynchronous Spacewarp". developer.oculus.com. November 10, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Blog — Powering the Rift - Oculus VR". Oculus.com. May 15, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "Creators — Home | Oculus". Developer.oculus.com. February 2, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ "Unity 5.1 is here! – Unity Blog". Blogs.unity3d.com. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ "VR". Unrealengine.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
- ^ "CryENGINE Gets Oculus Support". VRFocus. June 19, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ Jarvis, Matthew (June 23, 2015). "Oculus Rift 'will be an open platform', avoid 'console tactics', insists founder | Games industry news | MCV". Mcvuk.com. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ "Blog — Upcoming Oculus PC SDK 0.7 Compatibility Changes | Oculus". Developer.oculus.com. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "Oculus shipping final Rift hardware to developers starting this week". Arstechnica.com. December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Rift SDK 1.0 shipping to developers with final rift hardware". developer.oculus.com. December 21, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ Dan Kedmey (June 11, 2015). "Oculus Rift Headset Available Early 2016, Xbox Controller Included". Time.com. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ "Connect: Developing VR Experiences with the Oculus Rift". YouTube. October 29, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ "Meant to be Seen - View topic - Minecrift release archive". Mtbs3d.com. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ "FlyInside - Virtual Reality Flight Simulation". Flyinside-fsx.com. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ Webster, Andrew (June 11, 2015). "These are the first Oculus Rift games". The Verge. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ O'Brien, Lucy (June 11, 2015). "E3 2015: Square Enix, Harmonix Among Oculus' Publisher Partnerships - IGN". Uk.ign.com. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ Parfitt, Ben. "Oculus Studios funding 20+ games | Latest news from the game development industry | Develop". Develop-online.net. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ Matney, Lucas. "Marvel is bringing its superheroes to VR with a new Oculus-exclusive game".
- ^ Westaway, Luke (October 13, 2014). "Virtual reality and the silver screen: A match made in heaven". CNET. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "Oculus Cinema to bring 'online multiplayer' experience to movie watching". SlashGear. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "NextVR aims to transform sports entertainment forever". SlashGear. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ Clark, Liat (July 17, 2015). "Oculus joins with VR filmmakers Felix & Paul (Wired UK)". Wired.co.uk. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ Volpe, Joseph (January 27, 2015). "Oculus Story Studio is the Pixar of virtual reality". Engadget.com. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "Introducing Oculus Story Studio on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. January 26, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ Dormehl, Luke (January 27, 2015). "Oculus Debuts Pixar-Quality Virtual Reality Short At Sundance Film Festival | Fast Company | Business + Innovation". Fast Company. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ Moro, Christian; Štromberga, Zane; Stirling, Allan (2017-11-29). "Virtualisation devices for student learning: Comparison between desktop-based (Oculus Rift) and mobile-based (Gear VR) virtual reality in medical and health science education". Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. 33 (6). doi:10.14742/ajet.3840. ISSN 1449-5554.
- ^ Moro, Christian; Štromberga, Zane; Raikos, Athanasios; Stirling, Allan (2017-11-01). "The effectiveness of virtual and augmented reality in health sciences and medical anatomy". Anatomical Sciences Education. 10 (6): 549–559. doi:10.1002/ase.1696. ISSN 1935-9780.
- ^ Kuehn, Bridget M. "Virtual and Augmented Reality Put a Twist on Medical Education". JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.20800.
- ^ Birt, James; Stromberga, Zane; Cowling, Michael; Moro, Christian (2018-01-31). "Mobile Mixed Reality for Experiential Learning and Simulation in Medical and Health Sciences Education". Information. 9 (2): 31. doi:10.3390/info9020031.
- ^ "Oculus Rift Inventor Palmer Luckey: Virtual Reality Will Make Distance Irrelevant (Q&A)". Recode.net. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Second Life Creator Linden Lab Prepares To Test Parallel VR Universe". Xconomy. June 25, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "Eric Romo's AltspaceVR launches first VR social platform". Fortune. May 20, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "Getting 'Physical' And Emotional In Virtual Reality : All Tech Considered". NPR. June 1, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "New World Notes: SL Creator Philip Rosedale No Longer on Linden Lab's Board". Nwn.blogs.com. October 23, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ Robertson, Adi. "Inside High Fidelity, the virtual reality successor to 'Second Life'". The Verge. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "Oculus Rift - Will be released". WillBeReleased.com. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ "Audi reveals virtual reality 'dealership in a briefcase'". Autoblog.com. January 19, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "Audi partners with Somo to create fan experiences using Google Glass and Oculus Rift at Goodwood Festival of Speed". The Drum. June 26, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ Brandom, Russell (May 5, 2014). "The Norwegian Army is using the Oculus Rift to drive tanks". The Verge. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ Tomas, Kot; Petr, Novak (2018). "Application of virtual reality in teleoperation of the military mobile robotic system TAROS". Journal. International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems. 15 (1): 1–6. doi:10.1177/1729881417751545.
- ^ Rœttgers, Janko (September 13, 2016). "Fox Sports Streams College Football Match in Virtual Reality". Variety. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
- ^ "Gambling on virtual reality: the online casinos of the future". VentureBeat. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
- ^ "Online slots and the Oculus Rift VR glasses". Retrieved 14 February 2017.
- ^ "Facebook just lost a $500 million lawsuit — here's what's going on". Business Insider. 2017-02-07.
- ^ "John Carmack is suing ZeniMax for $22.5 million and I just want everyone to be friends". The Verge. 2017-03-10.
- ^ Rubin, Peter. "Oculus Rift Review: Rejoice, for the Age of [:] ) Has Begun". WIRED. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ^ "Oculus Rift Review". IGN India. 2016-04-05. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ^ Dormehl, Luke (March 28, 2016). "Oculus Rift Review: VR's Rising Star Isn't Ready for the Mainstream". Retrieved March 28, 2016.
- ^ Dormehl, Luke (March 28, 2016). "VIRTUAL REALITY IS ALWAYS ALMOST HERE". Retrieved March 28, 2016.
External linksEdit
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oculus Rift.


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What a yack-a-holic. I can't believe this is my 400th post. I started this blog to enter giveaways and here I am 400 posts later. Thank you to everyone who reads my blabberings and especially those who comment. I love interacting with all of you. And if you just stumbled across my blog, there's a giveaway here.
Greek Meatloaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, diced
1 cup packed fresh spinach leaves, chopped
fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
oregano, salt and pepper
white wine
Saute onion, garlic and peppers in olive oil until onions soften. Add spinach, parsley, lemon and spices. Deglaze pan with a splash of white wine or water and let everything cool a bit.
1-1/2 lbs. ground turkey
3/4 cup oats
1 egg
Gently mix vegetables with turkey, oats and egg. Loosely pack meat mixture in a greased loaf pan. Top with slices of tomato and lemon if desired. Bake 45 minutes at 350. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with tzatziki.
Simple Tzatziki
small container of plain yogurt
lemon juice
grated cucumber
minced garlic
Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate to let all flavors combine.
Yeah, the kids still wouldn't eat it. I think a meatloaf sandwich is in order for today's breakfast.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
5 comments:
Congratulations on your 400th post!!!!! I, for one (though I'm sure I'm not alone), am so glad for that giveaway that got you blogging! Great quilt you are working on there.ReplyDelete
sardines??? eeew. glad I don't work next to you! (actually, I think you'd be a hoot to work with!). oooh, that meatloaf recipe looks excellent and I love tzaziki, so I am gonna have to try it!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 10, 2011 at 2:17 PM
Congrats on your 400th post! Love you blog!ReplyDelete
Congrats on 400! And many more!ReplyDelete
I'm going to have to try this, I love traditional meatloaf (and I'm sure I'd like your's) but this sounds intriquing...ReplyDelete
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I think this is an unsigned Vogue or Bergere, based on design and the clasp. In any event, this is one of my favorites, as I love rondels or as I sometimes call them rhinestone disco balls. The necklace is a nice 24 inches and there are 28 rondelles in a nice medium size. The pink AB glass is closer to a bright magenta color, which is so flattering. The necklace is in excellent condition and I know you will be very pleased.
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Thursday, September 5, 2013
The Mark Sanchez Apologist
One rule I have about sports betting is that I can't bet for or against my favorite teams. Winning money on my team losing doesn't lessen the blow of the loss and I'm just superstitious enough to believe that maybe if I didn't bet on my favorite team to win that they wouldn't have lost. I'm aware it's irrational, yet I still don't want to feel those feelings.
So yesterday was "big" news from Jets camp. Although it's been unofficial for over a week, Geno Smith was officially named the starter for Week 1. The reason I brought up the sports betting is that the Jets Win Total in Vegas right now is 6. If I was capable of betting on this, I think the under is a pretty solid bet with Geno Smith playing. He's not ready. If Sanchez was starting the season I would have been more inclined to take the over. Don't get me wrong, the Jets are not a playoff caliber team but if I'm putting a number to it, I believe Sanchez is worth at least 2-3 wins more than Geno Smith right now.
So after everything I've seen during the Mark Sanchez era, how can I justify a statement like that? Easier than you think:
2009-2010 - These years are easy. Two AFC Championships games and beat Tom Brady and Peyton Manning on the road in the playoffs. Also overlooked is his 9:3 TD to INT ratio in the postseason.
2011 - Sure he turned the ball over 22 times but it wasn't all negative. He also accounted for 32 touchdowns (26 passing, 6 rushing). He was only one of seven QBs to reach that amount that year. Also take in to account that they chose Santonio Holmes over Braylon Edwards(whom Sanchez obviously had a better re pore with) after the 2010 season and replaced him with a fresh from prison Plaxico Burress. They also let one of his favorite security blankets get away in Jerricho Cotchery and replaced him with a finished Derrick Mason. If you watched that year you saw Plaxico and Mason weren't able to get any separation. He was routinely throwing to covered receivers. The Jets missed the playoffs and took a step back as a team, but Mark Sanchez actually showed me the ability to put TDs on the board.
2012 - Of course Sanchez takes a lot of blame for last year. It was a terrible year. But I also put a lot of it on Tony Sparano. Brian Schottenheimer wasn't a great offensive coordinator, but at least he was an offensive coordinator. Rex Ryan has made a lot of decisions that people question over the years, but for me the worst decision he made was bringing in Sparano to run the offense. Week to week it looked like the team didn't even have a game plan. I don't know if any quarterback could have succeeded in that "system" last year.
I'm not saying that Mark Sanchez's leash should have been infinite; I just really wanted to give him one more year under an actual offensive coordinator. I'm not saying Marty Mornhinweg is some offensive wizard who could have saved Sanchez's career or anything but like Brian Schottenheimer, he's a guy who at least has a plan week to week. If Sanchez fell on his head this year then I was fine going with Geno Smith at some point. But as an organization it was always going to be harder to go from Geno Smith back to Mark Sanchez then it was going to be going from Mark Sanchez to Geno Smith. So now that it is Geno Smith from Week 1, I imagine we'll never see Mark Sanchez throw another pass in a Jets uniform.
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Saturday, August 13, 2011
so you spend your time in vague regret or vaguer hope
"Everything is more complicated than you think. You only see a tenth of what is true. There are a million little strings attached to every choice you make. You can destroy your life every time you choose. But maybe you won't know for twenty years! And you may never ever trace it to its source. And you only get one chance to play it out. Just try and figure out your own divorce. And they say there's no fate, but there is, it's what you create. And even though the world goes on for eons and eons, you are only here for a fraction of a fraction of a second. Most of your time is spent being dead, or not yet born. But while alive, you wait in vain wasting years for a phone call or a letter or a look from someone or something to make it all right, but it never comes. Or it seems to, but it doesn't really. So you spend your time in vague regret or vaguer hope that something good will come along, something to make you feel connected, something to make you feel cherished, something to make you feel loved. And the truth is is, I feel so angry! And the truth is, I feel so fucking sad! And the truth is, I've felt so fucking hurt for so fucking long and for just as long, I've been pretending I'm okay, just to get along! I don't know why. Maybe because... no one wants to hear about my misery... because they have their own. Fuck everybody. Amen."
The priest's monologue, "Synecdoche, New York," Charlie Kaufman
[Chicago Avenue east of Winchester Street]
Posted by Ray Pride at 8/13/2011 09:53:00 PM
About Me
- Ray Pride
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
Blog Archive
- a man with a fin-tailed car
- a frenchman in chicago
- so you spend your time in vague regret or vaguer h...
- slow as a cloud
- the hand holds no chalk
- a bicycle that glitters like the wind
- some specific something that's no longer required
- sentence
- every time you watch a movie
- a perpetual setting forth
- days before the injury was expected
- a minor light, a cooling star
- constantly lapsing into oblivion
- figureless landscapes drenched in the light worked...
- no moon and the stars sparse
- ▼ August (15)
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Missing hiker Luis Lim spent one unexpected night in the backcountry after failing to return from a day hike on the Autumn Creek Trail near Marias Pass in the southern section of Glacier National Park. Park rangers successfully located the man near the trail at approximately 10:30 a.m. (MST) yesterday morning, and found him safe with no serious injuries.
Glacier National Park Dispatch received a phone call from Lim at approximately 5:40 p.m. stating himself and Vickery were lost on the trail and concerned they would not make it out before dark. Glacier County Sheriff's Office pinged Lim's cell phone several times in order to pinpoint their location. Glacier County deputies responded to the area and located Vickery on U.S. Highway 2 at approximately 2 a.m.
Vickery told park rangers that Lim was still in the backcountry and was physically unable to continue with him due to exhaustion. The hikers carried water and food for the day, but were not prepared to stay overnight. On Wednesday, June 11th, at approximately 6 a.m., five crews of Glacier National Park employees began a search for Lim on foot and horseback. The hiker was located approximately 3.75 miles from the Marias Pass Trailhead, off the Autumn Creek Trail around 10:30 a.m.
Lim was not injured, but he was cold, tired, wet, and hungry when found. He arrived safely at the Marias Pass Trailhead with rescuers at approximately 2 p.m. yesterday. Flathead County Search and Rescue and Two Bear Air were en route to the search when the hiker was located.
Visitors are strongly encouraged to plan for and enjoy all that Glacier National Park has to offer. This includes learning about the area you plan to visit, especially when traveling in the backcountry, and having the items you may need if the situation changes. Hikers should carry up-to-date maps, compass, first aid kit, flashlight, rain gear, matches, fire starter, whistle, extra food, and extra clothing (click here for a more comprehensive list of gear items to bring with you on any hike). Without planning and awareness of an individual's surroundings, accidents can happen.
If a hiker becomes lost, stay on a designated trail and do not move from your location. Try to contact emergency services if possible, and follow all directions from park rangers for your own safety. Park rangers recommend all visitors utilize the Glacier National Park Day Trip Plan, available at any backcountry permit office in the park or online. This valuable tool provides details of your intended route to search and rescue personnel, narrowing search locations and potentially saving lives.
Hiking in Glacier National Park


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FEMA is a division of DHS, and their mission is, "to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards (www.fema.gov)."
This has caused me to wonder, "how secure have Americans been feeling since DHS was established in 2003?" This brief post will consider some of the highlights.
Natural Disasters
Since we're on the subject of FEMA, we can be optimistic and suppose that they've improved on their performance since the epic fail that was hurricane Katrina. But the American people might be feeling less secure -- despite the presence of DHS and FEMA -- because they are noticing that something's going on with the climate, and it's either an evil genius with a weather machine or global warming. FEMA is there to address the symptoms, but not very much is being done about the underlying cause.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
TSA employees operate metal detectors and engage in various other activities that are said to improve airline safety. But it is worth mentioning that, from the standpoint of basic psychology, seeing a metal detector or being scrutinized by a security officer may remind people of terrorism (see a study on this topic). So, instead of making people feel safer, these measures may make many people feel less safe.
If you believe the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the largest threat to national security is the national debt, and low confidence in the U.S. government may have something to do with concerns about the debt. The government spent $222.8 billion in 2013 just to cover the interest owed.
Similarly, U.S. General Carter Ham has declared, "I believe ever more firmly about this very strong connection between sound economic policy and our national security," he added that... [countries] where people feel they have opportunities — for themselves and their children — have more stability and security. Those areas also have the best governments, least amount of conflict and increasing respect for human rights (source).
|Income-strapped Americans are unable to save for retirement.
"From the end of 2000 to the end of 2013, the gold value of the dollar fell by 77%," according to this source. This is because both G.W. Bush and President Obama have been pursuing a weak dollar policy. If current trends continue, an increasing number of elderly will seek relief (Social Security and Medicare) from a relatively small proportion of working-age Americans. American jobs will continue to be exported, thus downward wage pressure will also continue.


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Washington has the tattered remnants of his "army" on the western bank of the Delaware River opposite Trenton. Philadelphia, the capitol, has been evacuated.
...Washington now had an army of about 7,500, but that was a paper figure only. Possibly 6,000 were fit for duty. Hundreds were sick and suffering from the cold... more and more of the local citizenry were signing the British Proclamation [a pardon in exchange for an oath of loyalty to the crown]. Congress had fled. Two former members of Congress, Joseph Galloway and Andrew Allen, had gone over to the enemy.
The Continental Army has been humiliated in New York and suffered defeat after defeat. Ft. Washington and Fort Lee, prepared with such daunting effort, are lost. They have fled, ill clothed and fed, across New Jersey with Lord General Howe baying at their heels. It is during this retreat that Thomas Paine writes The Crisis.
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country... What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.
I have read a fair bit about Washington and The Revolution but I was unaware of, or had long forgotten, William Tudor.
On December 24, the day before Christmas, Washington's judge advocate, Colonel William Tudor, who had been with him from the beginning, wrote again, as he often had during the campaign, to tell his fiancée in Boston of his continuing love for her, and to explain why his hopes of returning soon to Boston had vanished. "I cannot desert a man (and it would certainly be desertion in a court of honor) who has deserted everything to defend his country, and whose chief misfortune, among ten thousand others, is that large part of it wants spirit to defend itself."
A man, of whom I had taken no lasting notice, has reached across 230 years to cuff me upside the head. I am grateful to him.


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Until the discovery of kerosene in the mid-19th century, Americans had burned whale oil for heat and for light for many years. Native Americans on the east coast had routinely butchered beach whales for centuries before white settlers arrived in Massachusetts. English colonists developed a thriving whaling industry, and New Englanders set sail on voyages to the north Pacific that took them away from home and family for years. The city of New Bedford was a center of the industry.
The place to start is the New Bedford National Whaling Historic Park. There are a couple of small exhibits and extremely helpful people there who can answer your questions.
From there, go to the New Bedford Whaling Museum. At the museum, you can see everything from whale skeletons to an actual whaling ship. The museum has great exhibits showcasing the whaling industry and the lives of the sailors, their families, and the men who profited most from the trade and made New Bedford one of the wealthiest communities in the country.
Across the street from the museum, take a short walk to the Seaman's Bethel, a small church that was attended by sailors and captains before and after their long, dangerous voyages. The dangers of whaling are highlighted by the many memorial plaques marking the deaths and disappearances of crewmen over the years. Herman Melville attended this chapel (You can sit in his pew.) and set a famous chapter of Moby Dick in this very chapel. Very friendly volunteers are on hand to answer questions.
New Bedford was important in antebellum American history for another reason; it was a center of the abolitionist movement. It was one of the major final destinations of the Underground Railroad, and Frederick Douglass lived there for years. In fact, Douglass met abolitionist firebrand William Lloyd Garrison in New Bedford, and the famed 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the black regiment immortalized in the movie "Glory", recruited there. A recently completed mural near the museum honors this history. The National Park office has information as well.
New Bedford also boasts museums dedicated to glass, firefighting, art, and the Portuguese immigrants who settled in the area.


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The arrest of state Sen. Leland Yee Wednesday on federal charges raises many questions. Chief among them: What is going on with the California Senate?
This makes the third senator to have been indicted or convicted of crimes this calendar year, though the latest charges are the most serious by far.
The affidavit implicating Yee outlines an intricate web that includes Chinatown organized crime figures; large-scale marijuana growing; Eastern European arms dealers engaged in money laundering; firearm, cigarette and liquor trafficking; murder for hire; and bookmaking, among other things. Yee, called "Uncle Leland" by conspirators, allegedly used his office to help the criminal enterprise.
San Franciscans must be relieved that they didn't elect Yee as mayor in 2011. It's fair to say, no matter the outcome of the case, Yee's campaign for secretary of state is dead. That he was seeking the office that oversees elections and fundraising would be laughable, except there is nothing funny about the conspiracy described by the FBI and U.S. attorney's office in San Francisco. Yee's work on gun control legislation is ironic, too, given that he is implicated in gun running.
The charges facing Yee aren't related to those of Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, who was indicted last month on charges of accepting bribes, which suggests that, rather than one or two aberrant senators, there's a culture of corruption in the Capitol.
That at least was been the tone of public discourse. News of the arrest Wednesday morning set social media afire with comments that indicate deep mistrust of elected officials. This tweet by @CaliNorte650 exemplifies the cynicism: "The fact that you can't be a decent human being & a politician at the same time shouldn't be a surprise to anyone anymore."
It's disappointing, though not surprising, that many people assume all politicians are dirty. They aren't. But it is important for authorities to throw the book hard at those who are.
In Yee's case, the U.S. attorney is taking the lead because these are federal charges. But all prosecuting agencies ought to be keeping watch on public officials, including the state attorney general and the capital city's own district attorney.
The Sacramento County District Attorney doesn't have a public integrity division. It does have a special investigations unit that includes white collar crime as well as public corruption and other crimes. Anne Marie Schubert, Maggy Krell and Todd Leras are running in the June election to replace current DA Jan Scully. All three should be looking carefully at how they would take a prominent role in public corruption matters.
It certainly would not be out of the ordinary to do so. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, for example, has had a very active public integrity division for more than a decade. It was the agency that prosecuted one of Yee's disgraced colleagues, Sen. Rod Wright, D-Baldwin Hills. Wright was found guilty by a jury in January of voter fraud, for living outside of his district, and of perjury, for lying about it.
Charges don't automatically mean Yee is guilty. But the allegations underscore the need for the people's prosecutors to be on watch.