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Being the screenwriter for the Harry Potter franchise, arguably one of the most successful in Hollywood history, Steve Kloves has a lot of detail to keep in mind--from writing in quips about Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean to how to pen the often lurking, greasy character of Professor Snape.
In an interview in the New York Times on Saturday, Kloves talked about the trials and tribulations of writing screenplays with quick turnaround, often without any indicator from author J.K. Rowling as to how the series would end. That's not to say that Rowling hasn't given him hints.
In the second film, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," Kloves had toned down the character of the often mischievous and fiercely loyal Dobby the House Elf. Rowling addressed Dobby's role in the film, which Kloves had truncated for the screen. "[Rowling] said, 'Dobby's going to be important, and so you want to revisit the scene,' " said Kloves. Adamant readers of the series know that Dobby is crucial to the fate of Harry Potter in "The Deathly Hallows."
Kloves has written the screenplays for all but one of the eight films; he sat out on "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," according to IMDb.
Writing the upcoming "Deathly Hallows" went more smoothly than other scripts, since Kloves finally knew how things ended. There was no more guesswork.
"I had a remarkable ability to anticipate events," Kloves explained to the Times, "because I swam in the narrative for 10 years. His premonitions about Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) being a tortured yet heroic character proved to be true. But you can't be right one hundred percent of the time.
After reading the later novels, Kloves had thought that Hermione (Emma Watson), the bookish Muggle and best friend to Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Ron (Rupert Grint), would be killed.
"If you read the books, you can argue that [Rowling's] setting it up," Kloves said. He was convinced all the way to the end of "The Deathly Hallows," the seventh and final book in the series. "When I read the book," he said, "I thought, 'Bloody hell — how could you do that to me?' "
Through the years, the movies have seen considerable changes—most notably in the director's chair. While "The Sorcerer's Stone" and "The Chamber of Secrets" were directed by Chris Columbus, the rest of the movies have seen a different director nearly each new film, from "Y Tu Mama Tambien's" Alfonso Curon ("The Prisoner of Azkaban").
It has become essential to the flow of the "Harry Potter" movies that they have a consistant tone, the same understanding of over 4,000 pages of the magical world of Hogwarts. Someone get this guy a butterbeer!
Selected Reading: Times, Baltimore Sun, IMDb


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attend or boycott?
Gordon Brown will be attending the closing ceremony, Angela Merkel will be boycotting.
Belgium demands a joint EU-27 policy towards the Games...
Will you attend (hypothetical opinions are allowed too ) or boycott?
and why?
Should sport be separated from politics? is just a divide truly feasible?
are you apathetic? then why are you apathetic?????????

subset: commoncrawl


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Dog owners are being warned to be vigilant as the peak season for the Alabama rot disease sets in.
The Kennel Club highlighted that the disease, also known as Cutaneous and Renal Glomerular Vasculopathy, or CRGV, is most prevalent between November and May.
The first case of the disease occured in the UK in 2012 and appears to affect only dogs.
The diease can be fatal, damaging the lining of blood vessels in the skin and kidney, resulting in ulceration of the skin and kidney damage. The condition can affect any breed or age of dog and a proportion can go on to develop severe, acute kidney failure.
Very rare, but very serious
The Kennel club have pleaded with dog owners to keep an eye out for symptoms.
Kennel Club Secretary, Caroline Kisko, outlined red flags dog owners should be wary of: "we are asking owners to look out for any signs of Alabama rot during the winter months and to remember to take action right away.
"Any dogs with unexplained or concerning skin lesions which typically look like sores, ulcers, or red, swollen, bruised areas, commonly with an infected appearance should be taken to their vet as soon as possible.
"These skin changes are usually found on their paws or lower legs, but may also appear on their head, face or lower body. Dogs who have contracted the disease may also become tired, disinterested in food, or present other signs of illness like vomiting or diarrhoea.
"Although these signs may not necessarily mean your dog has Alabama rot, acting quickly and speaking to a vet to determine what is wrong is the best course of action to protect your pet's health."
Disease may occur in muddy areas
The cause of the disease remains unknown, with no evidence suggesting that Alabama rot is caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, toxins, or radiation.
There is speculation that it is related to mud or water, due to the higher prevalence in winter and spring, and relatively low case numbers seen in the summer.
Kisko recommends taking preventative measures during winter such as keeping your dog away from very muddy areas, washing wet or muddy dogs after a walk and regularly checking your dog's body for anything unusual.
Dog owners who spot symptoms should seek veterinary advice immediately.


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Assuming the systems that store the Gmail database is compromised what is preventing them from reading everyone's emails by looking at the data in the database?
I assume nothing, and in order for this to be prevented the email data would need to be encrypted (something which GMail presumably does not do). Is this a correct assumption?


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Mattresses by Size
- All Mattresses by Size
- Twin / Single
- Double / Full
- Queen
- Split Queen
- King
- California King
- Split California King
Mattresses by Comfort
- All Mattresses by Comfort
- Extra Firm
- Firm
- Medium
- Plush
- Ultra Plush
Bird Of Paradise
A Graphene-Infused Breathable Circular Knit cover has been designed to encapsulate this powerful sleep system. Graphene fibers can help reflect emitted far Infrared rays from the body at night, sending them back to the body for greater recovery during sleep. Inside the cover, layers of Ventilated, Gel-infused REM-Air memory foam and GelCare® Memory Foam team up with Individually-wrapped tempered Coils to deliver the ultimate support technology. Finally, the Hi-Response poly Base Support foam layers above, below, and surrounding the Coil section supports the body at its deepest points, helping support deeper REM sleep.


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Change Section V.B.8. of the LI to the following:
8. In the event that a member holds multiple voting privileges in the Imperial Estates due to elected position, rank, past service or Crown, the member shall be limited to only voting in a single capacity; all others are forfeit.
a. This does not preclude the member from holding another member's proxy.
b. A Sovereign position must be the predominant position and anyone holding multiple votes must forfeit all save the Sovereign Position and vote for the duration of holding the Sovereign Position.
c. If a co-sovereign also holds a Board position, They must exercise the Board Vote and the other Co-Sovereign must exercise the Sovereign vote.
Reason: The kingdom whose ruler is also a board member should not be punished because of it. Also, with our decreased membership it is harder and harder to find people willing to step up to the plate as it were. Since the term of service of sovereigns doesn't coincide with the BOD it is possible and likely with a few example to date of overlap and IMHO the kingdom should take precedence during the IE meetings.
Submitted by: Lassidor Vandolini


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Book Direct with the Owner at Greenacre Australia with Tourism Brisbane Agent Greenacre, for all your adventures and things to do.
Address: Picton Road, Wilton NSW 2571
Address: Darling Street, Abbotsbury NSW 2176
Address: Hangar Camden Aerodrome Macquarie Grove Road, Camden NSW 2570
Address: Macquarie Street, Liverpool NSW 2170
Address: - Hoxton Park Road, Hoxton Park NSW 2171
Address: Aquafit Fitness and Leisure Old Menangle Road, Campbelltown NSW 2560
Address: Epsom Road, Abbotsbury NSW 2176
Address: Burwood Road, Burwood NSW 2134
Address: Macarthur Square Shopping Centre Kellicar Road, Campbelltown NSW 2560
Address: Rooftop Level Westfield shopping Centre Elizabeth Drive, Liverpool NSW 2170
Address: Parramatta Road, Auburn NSW 2144
Address: McFarlane Street, Merrylands NSW 2160
Address: Polding Street, Wetherill Park NSW 2164
Address: Queen Street, Campbelltown NSW 2560
Address: Corner Beech Road Camden Valley Way, Casula NSW 2170
Address: Parramatta Road, Auburn NSW 2144
Address: Bonnyrigg Avenue, Bonnyrigg NSW 2177
Address: Roselands Drive, Roselands NSW 2196
Address: Railway Parade, Burwood NSW 2134
Address: Art Gallery Road, Campbelltown NSW 2560
copyright © 2019 Tourism Brisbane. All rights reserved.


text: Over the past nearly six years, I've witnessed a system of care that is making progress. There are still aspects of the service delivery that I think need continued, focused work; but, much forward momentum has been achieved, and the people served are benefitting. The key point here is that things are moving in the right direction.Read More »


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It's impossible to cast a comic book movie without fans getting up in arms over who is chosen to embody their beloved characters. If recent reactions to the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman in DC's upcoming Batman vs. Superman movie have taught us anything, it's that us comic book fans are seriously hard to please. But we've known that for a while. Remember the chaos over Heath Ledger?
Unfortunate backlash has now caught up with actor Michael B. Jordan, who is confirmed to play Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot. Once the news of his casting hit the web, fans took to Twitter, Facebook, you name it to lash out at the placement of a black actor in an originally white role. Well, now Jordan has a response.
TMZ recently caught up with Jordan on his way to dinner and asked him for a reaction to the criticism. What does he think about the cynics who are upset that Johnny Storm is going to be black? Said Jordan:
"They're still going to go see it anyway."
Jordan appeared unaffected by the suggestion of controversy, and why should he be? He has been having a fantastic year with a powerful performance in the critically praised Fruitvale Station and a role in the romantic comedy That Awkward Moment. Jordan and Trank also have an established working relationship from 2012's Chronicle. We've already argued that Jordan deserves the role. If anything, this is just another sign of the actor's rising star.
Trank's Fantastic Four reboot is already taking a variety of steps in a new direction. Since so many of the actors who tested for these roles were younger than previously considered, we assume that the film will take its cues from the Ultimate Fantastic Four comic book continuity. Now that Jordan's casting has been announced, we don't yet know how screenwriter Simon Kindburg has set up Johnny and Sue Storm's sibling backstory, but the idea of adoption is not farfetched.
Of course, this type of uproar is nothing new. Comic book movies have always had their fair share of casting controversies. For many, Chris Evans was the perfect Johnny Storm, and yet Evans faced his own brand of backlash when it was announced that he would embody Steve Rogers/Captain America. Now that Evans has taken over as another iconic character, The Human Torch is free to be re-envisioned.
But the hostile response to Jordan also touches on the cross-racial casting nerve that many can't seem to get over. There was uproar when Idris Elba was named as Norse god Heimdall in Thor, when Michael Clarke Duncan was announced as Kingpin in Daredevil, when Laurence Fishburne was cast as Perry White for Man of Steel and when Jamie Foxx became Electro for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. And let's not forget Halle Berry as Catwoman. (On second thought, maybe it's better if we all forget about that Catwoman movie).
This pandemonium is getting old. Can we really call this controversial casting in 2014? Unless a character's race or ethnicity is essential to the plot of the film, such as in Fruitvale Station or the upcoming Black Panther film, this shouldn't be such a big deal. When an extremely talented actor is awarded a role in which he could very well be awesome, we shouldn't adhere to an outdated vision that we might have of the character in our heads. Rather, we should be open to new faces of any color looking to make their mark on an iconic role.
What do you think of Jordan's casting and his response? Let us know in the comments.
Fantastic Four is scheduled to hit theaters March 6th, 2015.
Follow Casey on Twitter @CaseyCip
Source: TMZ


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Ferrari Store: in Johannesburg the new location dedicated to passionate and fans
Johannesburg, June 8th – Ferrari Store doubles its presence in South Africa, with a new store located in Sandton City on the Nelson Mandela Mall, joining the successful Ferrari Store at the Johannesburg airport. The store embodies the history and spirit of Ferrari itself: each area of the Ferrari Store is carefully designed as a special, one-off space in which passionate and fans can truly embrace the Ferrari experience. It represents more then a pure shopping experience. It is a mean to communicate the Ferrari history and values, a tribute to its dual soul made of racing and lifestyle. The over 100 square metre Ferrari Store Johannesburg concept is developed entirely by the Studio Iosa Ghini. It offers a wide selection of products from the Prancing Horse ranges for owners and enthusiasts, to those dedicated to Ferrari fans. An important selection of memorabilia, unique and original parts of Ferrari F1 cars, enriches the offer: in particular the full front wing from the 2005 F1 single-seater 1997 F1 single-seater nosecone.
The Johannesburg Ferrari Store joins the other prestige Prancing Horse retail locations around the world, including those in Milan, Rome and Venice (Italy), London (UK), Barcelona (Spain), San Francisco and Miami (USA), Kiev (Ucraine) and Dubai (UAE), the largest in the world. Ferrari Store Johannesburg will be managed by Celcom Group, retail company and already retail partner of Ferrari with the Ferrari Store in Johannesburg airport opened in 2008. The Ferrari Store development programme includes plans to bring the number of openings to more than 60 over the next two years in Europe, America, and the Middle and Far East.


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Hoya is to Disband Pentax by this Financial Year End
According to the latest announcement by Hoya Japan on October 29, Hoya has planned to completely disband Pentax, which is currently a whole subsidiary of the Hoya, by March 31 of 2008, i.e., by this financial year end:-
(Note: The announcement document is in Japanese)
Update (Nov. 1): An English version of the announcement can be found here, at the Pentax Japanese home site.
The planned schedule for the disbandment is outlined as follows:-
1. The Pentax Corporation will be de-listed from the Japanese stock market on November 30, 2007;
2. Hoya will offer Pentax's stockholders 770 Japanese Yen per Share for the Pentax Corporation's old stocks;
3. The Pentax Corporation will be disbanded on March 31, 2008;
4. After the disbandment, the company name "Hoya Corporation" will completely replace the previous (name of the) "Pentax Corporation" as it has already been disbanded and dissolved within Hoya. Afterall, there will be no "Hoya Pentax HD Corporation" as previously proposed in the last Merger Agreement and the original Merger Proposal.
This will finally mark a full stop of the 88-year old Asahi / Pentax company which was first established in the November of the Year 1919.
Last Story: Hoya Has Completed Acquiring Pentax


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Australian Rugby
ARU unveil 2011 Wallabies Statesmen
ESPNscrum Staff
July 14, 2011
Wallabies Elton Flatley (l), Tim Gavin (c) and Simon Poidevin (r) at the unveiling of the 2011 ARU Classic Wallabies Statesmen © Getty Images
The Australian Rugby Union have announced the seven former internationals who will serve as the 2011 Classic Wallabies Statesmen.
The chosen seven, one from each decade since the Second World War, will each carry out various roles throughout the year including pre-Test jersey presentations to the current crop of Wallabies, addressing club and schoolboy players and representing the other statesmen. The chosen statesmen for 2011 are: Eric Tweedle (1946-1949), Terry Curley (1957-58), Rob Heming (1961-1967), Geoff Shaw (1969-1979), Simon Poidevin (1980-1991), Tim Gavin (1988-1996) and Elton Flatley (1996-2005).
Both Shaw and Poidevin have captained their country with Poidevin representing the Wallabies at the victorious 1991 World Cup. Flatley nearly kicked Australia to victory in the 2003 World Cup but the Wallabies were undone by the boot of Jonny Wilkinson.
The scheme has run since 2008 with the inaugural group being Sir Nicholas Shehadie, Dr John Solomon, Ken Catchpole, Mark Loane, Andrew Slack, Nick Farr-Jones and John Eales. They were replaced by the 2009 vintage of Arthur Buchanan, John Thornett, Jim Lenehan, John Hipwell, Mark Ella, Tim Horan and Matthew Burke while the 2010 selection were David Brockhoff, Peter Johnson, John Brass, Greg Cornelsen, Roger Gould, Jason Little and David Wilson.
John O'Neill, ARU managing director and CEO, lauded the current crop of statesmen and referred to them as "touchstones to a wonderful and diverse history. "We must never forget our past and the wonderful men who have contributed so much," O'Neill said. "We want the Rugby culture to remain strong and vibrant, and we want our past heroes as well as our current stars to help us carry those traditions forward.
"Our statesmen are touchstones to a wonderful and diverse history. This is a rugby nation that has won two World Cups, hosted another, is about to embark on the challenging journey of securing a record third William Webb Ellis cup and all of this is underlined by a compelling Test history that stretches all the way back to 1899.
"So as we continue to build our game and look forward to more success in the future we must never forget our past and we have to embrace our history and the men who helped create it."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Communication error please reload the page.


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COLUMBUS – With the status of starting midfielder Eddie Gaven in doubt because of a sprained right ankle, it's possible Columbus Crew head coach Robert Warzycha might once again turn to Ben Speas to man the left flank for Saturday's home opener in Crew Stadium (5:30 pm ET, watch on MLS Live).
"Eddie trained with us today and will be a match-day decision for tomorrow's game against San Jose," Warzycha told MLSsoccer.com on Friday.
Speas made his second career appearance in the first XI last week at Vancouver and credited his pro debut in the 2012 season finale against Toronto FC for helping the Homegrown product prepare for their game against the Whitecaps, a 2-1 loss.
"It was nice to get that one last year just to see what it feels like," Speas said. "I think I was better prepared to play at Vancouver because of it. You always want to be ready when the coach calls on you so I kind of knew what to expect."
While Speas earned his first assist on Jairo Arrieta's goal in the 2-1 loss at Vancouver, Warzycha might also replace Gaven, if necessary, with Justin Meram. The third-year midfielder/forward did not travel to Chivas USA and Warzycha instead used rookie Ryan Finley twice for a total of 15 minutes.
Warzycha also made an unusual double switch in the center midfield in the 70th minute against the Whitecaps when he subbed Tony Tchani and Matías Sánchez, in his MLS debut, for Danny O'Rourke and Agustín Viana. "It wasn't planned before. It was part of the game," Warzycha said.
He felt O'Rourke and Viana were tiring. "All the players are good so I didn't risk anything," Warzycha said.
"They can only help. There was a lot of running in the middle. [Vancouver] overloaded the middle of the field. We needed fresh guys to keep pushing and pushing."
The coach has given no indication whether he would disrupt the O'Rourke-Viana combo that has started the first two games.


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I looked to the dash, 4:43 pm. In another hour Los Angeles would switch places. The freeways, already congested with the exchange, would be jammed in both directions as gardeners, housekeepers, pool boys, and handymen keeping up the homes on the Westside made their way east to Downey, Inglewood, El Monte and Echo Park while lawyers, bankers, producers, executives and industry types, working downtown, made their way west to Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Westwood and Malibu. Aspiring actors would stop circulating their headshots and start passing out menus. Musicians would climb down from billboards and arrange drum sets in someone's cramped studio apartment. It was a slow parade of poorly documented domestics making the long walk to the neighborhood limits, because public transportation is restricted from entering designer drives (see decrease in property values) and chic canyons (see smog, see noise ordinances, see intentionally narrow roads that curve and chicane).
According to my navigation system, downtown L.A. is exactly 12.62 miles from Rodeo Drive (Start out going Southeast on N RODEO DR toward ELEVADO AVE. Turn LEFT onto S SANTA MONICA BLVD/LITTLE SANTA MONICA BLVD. Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto BURTON WAY. Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto N SAN VICENTE BLVD. Turn RIGHT onto S LA BREA AVE. Merge onto I-10 E. Merge onto CA-110 N via the exit—on the left—toward PASADENA. Take the 4TH ST/3RD ST exit—exit number 22B. Take the 6TH ST ramp). On a good day, say on a Sunday at 3 am, you might get there in the twenty-three minutes, Google Maps suggests. On most other days it will take you anywhere from forty-seven minutes, not including parking, to an hour and a half.
An hour and a half, without parking, to go 12.62 miles seems extraordinary in most instances, but it's one of the only things in L.A. that actually make any sense; it's one of those collegiate conundrums of place and space that can actually be solved, QED. My sociology professor would go nuts over it: income times quality of life divided by a quotient of perceived happiness, expressed or otherwise, minus assets, including but not limited to green cards, 401Ks, IRAs and dental insurance, and it takes a hell of a lot longer than twenty-three minutes to navigate from Olvera Street to Rodeo Drive. In fact, I've heard it said that, although it's walkable in less than an afternoon, it can sometimes take upwards of five generations to make the trip.
Ricky, I suppose you could say made the trip in two generations and some change—which beats my fifth-generation white-ethnic slide down from Pollack Hill by quite a mean feat. The traffic must have been particularly light. Maybe he took the surface streets or maybe, oh the genius, he took the carpool and didn't get caught!
Copyright 2012-Bridget Hoida- So L.A., a novel


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Published at Friday, April 26th, 2019 - 12:33:50 PM. Storage Cabinet. By Henriette Loiseau.
Cabinets that are assembled still need their locking handles assembled post delivery, due to concerns with damage during transport. Remember that even though unassembled storage cabinets are cheaper in price, they also have a lower load capacity per shelf and will typically take 30 to 45 minutes to assemble. If time is more important than money, we would definitely stay away from unassembled unless you have a staff to help.
When it comes to elegant storage cabinets, you simply cannot do better than choosing wooden storage cabinets. These cabinets fit easily into kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms and basically any place you choose to put them. It gives you a warm feeling and sets it apart from all other materials; it enhances the aesthetics of the room and can be carved and painted to look very decorative.
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Any content, trademark's, or other material that might be found on the Mastmalang website that is not Mastmalang's property remains the copyright of its respective owner/s. In no way does Mastmalang claim ownership or responsibility for such items, and you should seek legal consent for any use of such materials from its owner.


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Sign Up for E-mail Updates on WHIP and other NRCS Programs
The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is a voluntary program for people who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat on private agricultural land and non-industrial private forestland. Through WHIP, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service provides technical and financial assistance to establish and improve fish and wildlife habitat. Most WHIP contracts are completed within 1 to 3 years. Longer term agreements (15 years) can be developed to improve essential habitat for targeted species.
Promote the restoration of declining or important native fish and wildlife habitats.
WHIP funds are being targeted to the Working Lands For Wildlife partnership between NRCS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Nationwide, seven species in priority habitat areas are being targeted, whose decline can be reversed and will benefit other species with similar habitat needs. Two of the species, the Bog Turtle and Golden-Winged Warbler, are found in Pennsylvania. Landowners in areas known to support these two species can apply for WHIP financial assistance to establish or improve habitat for the Bog Turtle or Golden-Winged Warbler.
Applications are accepted on a continuous basis throughout the year with periodic pooling dates to evaluate, rank, prioritize and select applicants. See Program Application Dates and Deadlines.
The Conservation Program Application (NRCS-CPA-1200) is used to apply.
Other documents that may need to be filed are listed in Part 1 of the contract Appendix (Appendix to Form NRCS-CPA-1200 Conservation Program Contract). These documents, if not already filed, include verification of compliance with Highly Erodible Land/Wetland Conservation provisions (AD-1026); self-certification with compliance with Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) provisions (current version, if determined to be needed); and for applicants applying as a legal entity or joint operation, listing of members associated with the business using either a current Members Information form (CCC901) or Farm Operating Plan for an Entity (CCC902).
Applicants who wish to designate a Power of Attorney to act on their behalf can use the joint FSA/NRCS Power of Attorney form (FSA-211) to identify people who can sign application and contract documents on their behalf.
Applicants are asked to identify the practice(s) for which they are requesting assistance and the farm(s) on which the proposed practices would be installed.
Forms are available online at USDA Service Center Agencies eforms or at a local USDA Service Center.
A screening and ranking process is used to evaluate each application to determine which applications provide the most benefits and can be offered funding assistance. Applicants with existing conservation program contracts that are out of compliance or behind schedule are assigned a low priority and not further ranked until other eligible applications are considered.
The review of applications will begin with applications received by the end of current signup cycle and will continue as long as funds are available. Because of the large demand for assistance, funds are sometimes expended after a few ranking cycles.
Contracts will be awarded to applicants with the highest rankings until funds are depleted. Applications that cannot be funded can be retained for consideration in the following year.
People interested in wildlife habitat improvement practices, but whose applications cannot be funded in the current year, are encouraged to develop a conservation plan that includes a wildlife habitat development and management component.
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NRCS-CPA-1200 WHIP Application (PDF, 201KB)
Ranking Worksheet - 2014 Bog Turtle Habitat (Coming Soon)
Ranking Worksheet - 2014 Golden-Winged Warbler (Coming Soon)
Ed Sanders
Incentives Program Manager
(717) 237-2201
Barry Frantz
Assistant State Conservationist for Programs
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Screen Reader
Being in the business of supplying clean energy to the nation, BPCL is very conscious of its energy conservation activities. Energy conservation has a direct impact on environmental emissions.
Despite increase in the complexity of operations, the Mumbai refinery has achieved significant reduction in fuel and loss in the last few years by incorporation of various energy conservation measures, constant monitoring / tighter control of plant operations & good housekeeping. Energy conservation efforts received continuous focus both in terms of improvement in operation / maintenance as well as development of new projects. Continuous monitoring of fuel consumption and hydrocarbon loss is undertaken using sophisticated instruments and data acquisition system. An elaborate energy accounting system and Management Information System are important features in BPCL Refinery operations.
The following energy conservation and loss control measures has been implemented which has resulted in significant fuel savings.
Environment, Energy, Safety and Health are given utmost priority at our Mumbai Refinery. Bharat Petroleum's Mumbai Refinery is certified under ISO 14001 (Environment Management System) since May 1998. It was among the first refineries in the country to form an independent Energy & Environmental Cell in the year 1962. It is our endeavour to achieve excellence in the above critical areas while carrying out the day-to-day business operation.
We have taken various green environmental initiatives to minimise the impact of refinery operations on emissions, effluents and solid waste generation. BPCL meticulously follows the limits /norms set at refinery. BPCL ensures incorporation of modern / clean technologies for proper monitoring and abating the pollutants through Stack Monitoring Instrument; Ambient Monitoring Stations at various locations in the Refinery, Online Emission Display Boards in the refinery.formation System are important features in BPCL Refinery operations.
Some of major green initiatives taken by Mumbai Refinery are as follow:
2019 Copyright Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited All Rights Reserved. Site by L & K | Saatchi & Saatchi


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Job Information
Cummins Inc. Diesel Engine Technician, In Shop in Dedham, Massachusetts
Diesel Engine Technician, In Shop
No, this isn't one of those ordinary jobs.
Cummins is a team of dependable, innovative thinkers, who are empowered to generate and deliver solutions for customers, community, and environment. Our employees develop their careers through the challenges only a diverse, global innovator can promise. This is a collaborative culture where thinking beyond your desk is more than part of the job. It is the job.
This is what we call Working Right.
As part of Cummins, we will add to your current skills by providing training, encouragement and growth within a teamwork environment. We invest in your professional growth by providing you with education and training opportunities to keep current on industry standards and products. You will gain valuable knowledge of the diesel engine industry and skills that will last a lifetime.
A commitment to excellence is deeply rooted in Cummins tradition of exceptional service. Our employees are dedicated to delivering the "Best Every Time, Every Day" with the goal of earning customers for life!
We take pride in providing an unmatched high caliber of service and support for Cummins engines, generators, filters, and related products that serve the varied needs of our customers. Crucial to accomplishing this is the energy and commitment of Cummins employees to the company.
Your responsibilities may include:
Completing diagnostics, repairs and rebuilds on engine products in a service workshop under limited supervision.
Applying documented procedures and policies to complete complex repairs, including identifying and preparing required parts and tools. Completing required documentation, such as work completed documents, time sheets, warranty claims, quality documents via handwritten forms or business system input screens.
Disassemble, clean and reassemble engines and /or engine components.
Performing preventative maintenance based on your diagnosis of our engines.
Bringing your knowledge to assist our lead technicians with diagnostics and development of repair plans for the engines in the workshop.
You will be expected to adhere to all our relevant Health, Safety & Environmental policies, procedures and legislation and reports any issues / incidents to their supervisor.
Ability to carry out basic diagnostics using Cummins diagnostic tools on different product types with minimal supervision.
Ideally you will come to us with knowledge of Cummins service tools including Insite and Quick Serve and assisting us in repairing fuel system components without supervision.
You will enjoy developing collaborative working relationships within your branch and across your region.
Your focus may include helping us to identify and communicate opportunities for work process improvements.
You will have a real passion for resolving common technical engine problems
Ability to develop and maintain productive customer relationships
Education, Licenses, Certifications
Apprentice Trained Engine Technician (Preferred)
Vocational diploma from relevant technical institution
Locally valid driving permit (Preferred)
- Intermediate (2-5 years experience) with engine products
Additional Information:
This is a 2nd shift union position. Employee will be required to join the union.
Cummins and E-verify
At Cummins, we are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer dedicated to diversity in the workplace. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, gender, color, disability, national origin, age, religion, union affiliation, sexual orientation, veteran status, citizenship, gender identity and/or expression, or other status protected by law. Cummins validates right to work using E-Verify.
Cummins will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visitwww.dhs.gov/E-Verify.
Ready to think beyond your desk? Apply for this opportunity and start your career with Cummins today.
Not ready to apply but want to learn more? Join our Talent Community to get the inside track on great jobs and confidentially connect to our recruiting team: https://www.cumminstalentcommunity.com/profile/join/
This is a 2nd shift union position. Employee will be required to join the union.
Job SERVICE
Primary Location United States-Massachusetts-Boston-US, MA, Dedham, Cummins Northeast
Job Type Shop
Recruitment Job Type Technician
Job Posting Nov 26, 2019, 10:56:03 PM
Unposting Date Ongoing
Req ID: 190001UC


text:
A fantastic Aubusson design in great colours for fine furnishing!
Country of Origin
How its Made
Backing Material
A fantastic Aubusson design in great colours for fine furnishing!
Your tapestry is 100% wool and handmade and as such will last a very long time – about two centuries or more! However, do not hang directly above a radiator as this will dry the wool out and make it brittle. I recommend placing a moth trap from Jeikner – https://www.jeikner.de/teppich-und-polsterreinigung/mottenschutz/tapifalle-mottenfalle.html
– nearby. These are sold in batches of five but are the best on the market! Once your tapestry arrives please contact me to ask about hanging it correctly. Very lightly vacuum every month or so. This will remove dust and disturb and moth that have evaded the trap.
Every rug I sell is exactly as I have described on the invoice. I will have explained all the options open to you- including the bespoke rug making. The rug will be the very best rug you can buy within your budget and be the best suited to your room colours, light and usage. The way it is made, the materials, the age, the size and the all-round suitability for you and your room will be made completely transparent. Please feel free to ask for a second opinion if you are unsure.
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65 Waterloo Road
United Kingdom
To arrange a tour of our showroom, call me on
+44 (0)203 9584146


text:
Encompassing impending environmental disaster, issues of political responsibility vs. private complacency, and the failures of a generation, Mike Bartlett's vast, time-traveling "Earthquakes in London" is not short on big ideas. An epic depicted in theatrical mosaics, it's like a British environmental version of "Angels in America" as written by Caryl Churchill. But despite the often astonishing verve of Rupert Goold's production, the play itself promises more than it delivers.
Sarah (Lia Williams), a present-day government minister at the department of the environment, is married to the unemployed Colin (Tom Goodman-Hill). Freya (Anna Madeley), the distracted and heavily pregnant wife of Steve (Geoffrey Streatfeild), is having her life taken over by a strange teenage boy, Peter (Bryony Hannah), while Jasmine (Jessica Raine) is a noisily disaffected 19 year old with little sense of responsibility. Only gradually do we realize the three women are sisters.
Popular on Variety
That's only half of it. Not even counting the collections of unnamed students, swimmers, passersby and mothers with strollers, Bartlett creates suspense via a remarkable 33 characters — from smooth-talking airline executive Carter (Michael Gould) to Jasmine's equally suspicious latest sexual conquest, Tom (Gary Carr). And who is that couple in flashback in 1968? What is the research on airline pollution that's undertaken in 1973?
Bartlett initially withholds the interconnections. Instead, he draws audiences into a game of guessing what holds everyone — and everything — together, a technique that adds suspense to his presentation of a wealth of perspectives on contemporary attitudes to selfish individualism and selfless concern. It's a tribute to his construction that the 95-minute first half pretty much flies by.
Once almost all the links have been made clear, however, the more explanatory second half runs out of steam.
Having been so bracingly unsentimental in the portrayal of a family wrecked by a father's ruthless dedication to scientific ideology (embodied by a marvelously focused, relaxed Bill Paterson), it's disappointing to watch the underwritten, visionary section set in 2525 tip over into surprising sentimentality.
Faced with a play stronger on apt metaphor and vivid juxtaposition of ideas than overall dramatic trajectory, helmer Goold goes for broke, not least in his marshaling of the production design.
Set designer Miriam Buether strips out the seating and turns the floor of the rectangular Cottesloe theater into an acting space dominated by a four-foot-high serpentine catwalk edged by audience members. Seated on swivel bar stools, audiences swing round to watch scenes flowing across the space with letter-box-shaped inner stages at either end of the auditorium. The rest of the audience looks down on the action from galleries on either side; the fronts of these galleries act as projection screens.
Goold's handling of the video is enhanced by Scott Ambler's choreography, which supplies surprising, witty dance numbers and a fluidity to the staging, a necessity in a show that survives by keeping so many theatrical plates spinning.
Given the blasts of song and dance, surging and plummeting switches of mood — theater for the attention-deficit generation? — it's all the more impressive that many performances register strongly. Anne Lacey is deliciously dour as housekeeper Mrs. Andrews, and Maggie Service is hilarious pulling rank as a shop assistant with attitude.
Bartlett's previous plays, especially the Olivier-winning "Cock," revealed him as a fiercely concentrated, resonant miniaturist. His more expansive skewering of attitudes to the environment — "Bad things are happening. Let's stick our heads in the sand" — is undeniably urgent and given heft by Goold's audacious production. Rarely, one feels, has a dystopia been so entertaining.
Ultimately, however, it's clear that the evening is less than the sum of its parts. Having commissioned Bartlett, Goold might have achieved a stronger result had he instigated a tougher edit and curbed his own directorial enthusiasm.


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Veteran Designation:
New Identification Card
- The new name(s) must match the name(s) that the SSA has on record.
- The ID card will not be issued if the new name change does not match the SSA records.
- It may take a minimum of 48 hours or longer for the SSA to update their records with your name change.
Duplicate Identification Card:
- You may request a duplicate identification card online by clicking here.
- If your identification card has been stolen, please contact the MDOT MVA's Customer Ombudsman's office at 410-787-7856 or via email at [email protected].
Corrected Identification Card:
Please refer to the Online Document Guide for required identity and residency documentation.
- If you are changing your name, you must bring the document(s) that initiated the change of name, such as a certified copy from the issuing agency, of the marriage certificate, divorce decree or court name change order.
- You may request an address change online by clicking here.
- There is a fee.
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text:
Infographic: The New Normal for Experienced Workers
By Becky Gillan , February 28, 2013 11:28 AM
More older Americans are in the workforce today than in 2007 when the recession started. And while experienced workers are faring better in the overall employment numbers compared to their younger counterparts, they still face many challenges in the current job market. Find out more about the current worker landscape below and what AARP is doing to help.
Find out more about AARP's research around employment and experienced workers:
- Staying Ahead of the Curve: The AARP Work and Career Study
- AARP Workforce Profiles Tool
- AARP Public Policy Institute's Monthly Employment Situation Fact Sheet
- AARP Work Reimagined
More on Becky: Becky is AARP's Senior Vice President of Research & Strategic Analysis, and is focused on fostering understanding of the interests and concerns of people age 50+ and their families. Before coming to AARP, Becky served as the Vice President of Global Market Research & Guest Satisfaction for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In her spare time, she likes visiting her niece in Ohio, gardening, and collecting American art and antiques.


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ConnecThing.io is an IOT Platform sold through the Solution Provider and IT/OT Channel only.
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Dell cuts through the hype with a pragmatic approach to the Internet of Things and helps its customers leverage existing equipment and data to make the most of current technology investments. Dell customers can take advantage of analytics scenarios that span gateways, datacenter and cloud, leading to analytics-driven action. The Dell portfolio, combined with a rich partner ecosystem, deep vertical and domain expertise, and a collaborative approach enables Dell to provide end-to-end IoT solutions.
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Intraregional trade in South Asia could be worth $67 billion rather than $23 billion. This gap between potential and actual trade leads to a signficiant loss to consumers, firms and exporters, in…
Labor market effects of social transfers help the poor cope with risk : Evidence from India's Public Distribution System: Guest post by Aditya Shrinivas
Today's job market post looks at the labor market impacts of India's Public Distribution system.
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A standard ArchLinux desktop installation provides an excellent font support, with the latest stable versions of the X.org X server, freetype2 (with bytecode interpreter enabled) and fontconfig. For more information on font configuration please see: Font Configuration
Different Kinds of Fonts
There exists different kinds of fonts for Linux.
- bitmap fonts (.pcf .bdf .pcf.gz .bdf.gz)
- PostScript fonts (.pfa .pfb)
(pfa: ascii format; pfb: binary format)
- TrueType/OpenType fonts (.ttf)
(OpenType fonts with quadratic outlines have also .ttf suffix)
- PostScript flavored OpenType fonts (.otf)
- TeX bitmap fonts (.pk)
(usually automatically generated from the METAFONT source .mf)
- TeX virtual fonts (.vf)
Installing fonts
Template:I18n links start Template:I18n entry Template:I18n entry Template:I18n entry Template:I18n links end
Adding fonts in modern Linux system is much easier than before. Here I try to post a short tip aiming to make it more understanding by average users. First thing must be where I should put fonts inside. Usually you should put them under:
- /usr/share/fonts
- /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts
This will make everybody on the system to be able to use them, however it requires root privileges. Copying them into:
- ~/.fonts
folder is a good idea too.
Some font collections have been prepackaged for use in Arch Linux, search them by:
pacman -Ss fonts
Among the packages available you will see
extra/artwiz-fonts 1.3-1 This is set of (improved) artwiz fonts. extra/ttf-ms-fonts 1.3-6 Un-extracted TTF Fonts from Microsoft
Then if you want to install these two packages, do:
pacman -S artwiz-fonts ttf-ms-fonts
This will install the fonts into
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts dir.
CJK (Chinese/Japanese/Korean) users are encouraged to install also ttf-arphic-uming, ttf-arphic-ukai and ttf-fireflysung for a proper display.
Another option is to use KDE Font Installer in the KDE Control Center. This seems to work flawlessly if you use KDE.
You can also manually copy fonts into above three directories, but don't forget to run as root:
fc-cache -vf
Mostly you are lucky to use them in your X windows environment like gnome, xfce4 or kde. However, some GTK1 or old applications don't support fontconfig. (Really? someone should check this and then fix it) You have run following commands in your fonts directory (in the terminal of course):
mkfontscale mkfontdir ln -s /usr/share/fonts/encodings/encodings.dir yourfontdirectory/encodings.dir
ex: if you-re using kde
ln -s /usr/share/fonts/encodings/encodings.dir ~/.fonts/
then usually you need restart X.
If you want to share such fonts or keep from above manual operation, you can make an Arch package. Save the fonts you wish to install as a tar.bz2 and use a variation of the following PKGBUILD and .install to install them via ABS:
# PKGBUILD pkgname=fonts-extra pkgver=1.0 pkgrel=1 depends=('xfree86') pkgdesc=\"Fonts extra\" source=(fonts-extra.tar.bz2) install=fonts-extra.install build() { mkdir -p $startdir/pkg/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local mv $startdir/src/*.ttf $startdir/pkg/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local }
# fonts-extra.install: # arg 1: the new package version post_install() { echo -n \"updating font cache... \" /usr/bin/fc-cache cd /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local /usr/X11R6/bin/mkfontscale /usr/X11R6/bin/mkfontdir ln -s /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/encodings/encodings.dir /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local/encodings.dir echo \"done.\" } # arg 1: the new package version # arg 2: the old package version post_upgrade() { post_install $1 } # arg 1: the old package version pre_remove() { /bin/true } op=$1 shift $op $*
Font Packages in Archlinux
NB: This is a selective list, but it does also include most font packages from AUR.
- Latin
- font-bh-ttf - X.org Luxi fonts
- ttf-cheapskate - font collection from dustimo.com
- ttf-isabella - Historic Isabella font
- ttf-junicode - Junius font containing almost complete medieval latin script glyphs
- ttf-ms-fonts - Un-extracted Fonts from Microsoft
- unsupported/ttf-ms-fonts-lic - Alternative to the above
- Unicode (multiscript)
- ttf-dejavu - DejaVu fonts, extension of Bitstream Vera
- ttf-mph-2b-damase - Covers full plane 1 and several scripts
- unsupported/ttf-sil-fonts - Gentium, Charis, Doulos, Andika and Abyssinica from SIL
- unsupported/ttf-linux-libertine - Replacement for Times New Roman
- unsupported/ttf-freefont - freefont (clones of Times, Helvetica and Courier with large Unicode support but unequal quality)
- Cyrillic
- See category 'Unicode' above
- unsupported/ttf-arhangai - Mongolian Cyrillic
- Chinese + Japanese + Korean
- ttf-arphic-ukai - Kaiti (brush stroke) unicode font (enabling anti-aliasing suggested)
- ttf-arphic-uming - Mingti (printed) unicode font
- ttf-fireflysung - New Sung font
- unsupported/acrofont-cht - Traditional Chinese font packs for Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0.8
- unsupported/acrofont-cjk - CJK font packs for Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0.8
- unsupported/acroread7-chs - Simplified Chinese font for Adobe Acrobat Reader 7
- usupported/ttf-kochi-substitute - High quality Japanese TrueType fonts
- usupported/ttf-sazanami - Another set of high quality Japanese fonts
- usupported/ttf-baekmuk - collection of Korean TrueType fonts
- unsupported/ttf-alee - Set of free Hangul truetype fonts
- Arabic
- unsupported/ttf-sil-arabic - two excellent Unicode Arabic fonts from SIL
- unsupported/arabeyes-fonts - collection of free Arabic fonts
- Hebrew
- culmus - nice collection of free Hebrew fonts
- Indic
- ttf-freebanglafont - font for Bangla
- ttf-indic-otf - Indic Opentype Fonts collection (containing ttf-freebanglafont)
- Thai
- ttf-thai - font covering glyphs for thai
- Khmer
- ttf-khmer - font covering glyphs for khmer language
- Braille
- ttf-ubraille - font containing symbols for braille (unicode)
- Handwritten
- unsupported/aquafont - Handwritten fixed-width TrueType font
- Math fonts
- "Programmer's fonts" (for coding and terminal display)
- terminus-font
- Try also DejaVu Sans Mono (from package ttf-dejavu), Lucida Typewriter (included in package jre) or the beautiful Inconsolata.
Best fonts for terminal
The best fonts for a terminal depends on what terminal emulator you are using and what features it supports. For example, it even depends on how your fonts.dir looks, as sometimes fonts get installed incorrectly. It also depends on how you have configured your X Server, if you use freetype2 or freetype1, if you use the autohinter with the bytecode interpreter compiled into freetypeN, if you have compiled in the BI but doesn't use the autohinter, if you have not compiled in the BI and use the autohinter, if you have not compiled in the BI but uses the autohinter, etc.
A top favorite of some Arch Linux users is Terminus (in community as "terminus-font").
Some other fonts to try out:
- Lucida Typewriter
- Andale Mono
- Bitstream Vera Mono
- Courier
- Terminal
- Test
- Gamov
- default8x16
- monospace
Example how to use Terminus:
xterm -bg black -fg gray -fn -xos4-terminus-medium-r-normal--14-140-72-72-c-80-iso8859-1 xterm -bg black -fg gray -fn -xos4-terminus-bold-r-normal--14-140-72-72-c-80-iso8859-1
Fonts in virtual console
Default font in virtual console can display only ASCII characters. If you use other characters you can change the CONSOLEFONT and CONSOLEMAP settings in your /etc/rc.conf file. Different fonts can be found in /usr/share/kbd/consolefonts directory and key maps can be found in the subdirectories of /usr/share/kbd/keymaps.
For displaying characters like "č ć ž đ š" use lat2-16.psfu.gz font:
Also, don't forget to set the proper key map, in this case:
Beautify Fonts for LCD in X
This method of beautifying fonts has been tested with GNOME/Xfce/KDE.
Remove Packages:
pacman -Rd cairo libxft freetype2
Install Packages
Install the *-lcd libraries:
pacman -S cairo-lcd libxft-lcd
Install the package freetype2-lcd from AUR
makepkg -ci /full/path/freetype2-lcd-*.pkg.tar.gz
Reset your font configuration:
As root:
rm /etc/fonts/conf.d/* pacman -S fontconfig
Set the FreeType autohinter. As root :
ln -s /etc/fonts/conf.avail/10-autohint.conf /etc/fonts/conf.d/10-autohint.conf
Restart X11 (ctrl+alt+backspace)
At this point if you think fonts look too bold, modify the fonts configuration file: edit (or create if it doesn't exist yet) the file ~/.fonts.conf with the following content:
<?xml version="1.0"?> <!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd"> <fontconfig> <match target="font" > <test compare="more" name="weight"> <const>medium</const> </test> <edit mode="assign" name="autohint"> <bool>false</bool> </edit> </match> </fontconfig>
Q. My fonts are too large or too small. The resolution seems wrong. My fonts are mis-shapen.
A(1). Read the Display Size/DPI section of Xorg for configuration sample settings and formula.
A(2). Get your proper resolution from a console, by typing:
xdpyinfo | grep resolution
Change the value to this in the Gnome font configurator. Restart X. Sometimes, the videocard gives bogus information to X. It may be better to settle on a value between 72-78 DPI for 1024x768 displays. 96 DPI is a good value for 1280x1024, but it depends on the exact resolution. I actually prefer 75 on my home machine, and the font sizes seem to be a bit more true to their proper sizes when this is set. In most cases, if the numbers don't match, you may use the following method.
You may also opt to force X to start with a forced resolution. This may produce good results in some display modes. For example, you may use:
startx -- -dpi 75
This will force X to start in 75x75 DPI mode. You may change your Gnome font settings (From the menu: Applications/Desktop Preferences/Font) to 75 DPI and you should get a good match.
If this worked well for you, you may edit your "startx" script to always force this option on startup. Edit the file "/usr/bin/startx" as root.
Change the following line:
defaultserverargs="-dpi 75"
Q. How do I install fonts?
A. An easy way to install fonts is to drop them into your "$HOME/.fonts" directory and running "fc-cache". You can also perform a system-wide font installation by copying the fonts to "/usr/share/fonts" or another font directory (as long as it is listed in your "/etc/fonts/fonts.conf" file), and then performing the "fc-cache" command as root. You may also need to run "ttmkfdir" or "mkfontdir" as well.
Q. The fonts in GNU Emacs are displayed as squares.
A. You need to install the xorg-fonts-75dpi or xorg-fonts-100dpi package.
Q. The fonts in OpenOffice.org look very bad.
A. By default, OpenOffice.org for Linux ships with inferior LibFreetype libraries that are built directly into the code. In the past you could force it to link to the latest version of your LibFreetype libraries by setting the following in a script. But for now (Jan 2008), you can't do anything about it.
export LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/xorg/modules/fonts/libfreetype.so
Q. The OpenOffice.org menu font looks really bad. It doesn't use antialiasing either.
A. This can be changed in the OpenOffice.org configurator. From the drop-down menu, select "Tools/Options/OpenOffice.org/Fonts". Check the box that says "Apply Replacement Table". Type "Andale Sans UI" in the font box (this may have to be input manually, if it doesn't appear in the drop-down menu) and choose your desired font for the "Replace With" option. Dropline users may prefer the system default, "Trebuchet MS". When selected, click the checkmark box. Then choose the "always" and "screen" options in the box below. Apply the changes, and your menu fonts should look great.
Q. OpenOffice.org doesn't detect my TrueType fonts!
A. Make sure that you add the appropriate entry in your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file that points your programs to the /usr/share/fonts/ directory.
For example, here's a sample of an xorg.conf file
Section "Files" RgbPath "/usr/share/X11/rgb" ModulePath "/usr/lib/xorg/modules" FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/misc" FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi" FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi" FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/TTF" FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/Type1" EndSection
Another solution is to run the openoffice administration tool
# /opt/openoffice/spadmin
from which you can add fonts.
Q. Mozilla and other programs can no longer access TrueType fonts on my system, and are reverting to ugly fonts instead.
A. Make sure the "freetype" module is loaded in your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file and your /usr/share/fonts/TTF/fonts.dir lists all of the TrueType fonts you have installed.
Try checking your "Files" section of your xorg.conf, and make sure that you have all (or most) of these directories listed.
Section "Files" RgbPath "/usr/share/X11/rgb" ModulePath "/usr/lib/xorg/modules" FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/misc" FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi" FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi" FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/TTF" FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/Type1" EndSection
Finally, go to the following font directories:
/usr/share/fonts/TTF /usr/share/fonts
Try deleting the "fonts.dir" and "fonts.scale" files in these directories. You may want to make backups first though. Run these commands to replace them.
mkfontscale mkfontdir
Make sure you restart X for the changes to come into effect.
Q. What are some suggested font settings for Mozilla/Firefox?
A. These are recommended for Firefox:
Proportional: Serif Size (pixels): 16 Serif: Times New Roman Sans-serif: Arial Monospace: Courier New Size (pixels): 13 Display resolution: System settings
- Note: Times New Roman may appear to be a non-TTF font. If this is the case, read above about how to fix this.
I believe that the following are Dropline's Mozilla defaults (also recommended):
Proportional: Serif Size (pixels): 14 Serif: Times New Roman Sans-serif: Verdana Cursive: Andale Mono Fantasy: Andale Mono Monospace: Courier New Size (pixels): 11 Allow Documents to use other fonts: Enabled Display resolution: System settings
Q. Why do my Apps show squares when there should be arrows and the like?
A. It may help to activate bitmap fonts. They are disabled by default.
cd /etc/fonts/conf.d rm 10-bitmaps.conf ln -s yes-bitmaps.conf 10-bitmaps.conf cd -
If you think your fonts look ugly now then consider to remove the following packages.
pacman -Rs xorg-fonts-100dpi xorg-fonts-75dpi
Read here and here for some background info.
Q: I just upgraded via pacman -Syu and my fonts are all ugly
A: There are several possible conflicting issues here. See these threads:
1 - http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?t=866


text:
Bungie Weekly What's Update
It's that time of the week again, where we answer as many of your questions as we can. Downloadable maps and cheat/glitch fixes are in their usual state - that is, coming soon, and there's loads more going on. Plenty of questions, plenty of answers, but nothing mind-blowing.
Hella dudes ask,
When are we getting new maps?
We'll have news, with dates soon. We ask your patience, and we'll let you know as soon as the details are finalized.
Boxmonster13 asks,
When will the update be out? You know that all of us are hanging on to every one of your words, and we are all awaiting the Update with intense anticipation. Please give us an Update this week, and do not dodge any more questions.
It's out exactly now. And it's not as exciting as last week's, if you can consider last week's exciting. And I have to dodge some questions or I gets me fired.
Loads of folks ask,
Is the Maji Skull on outskirts real or fake?
This answer will surprise you, but we don't know. You see, the skulls were placed there, in secret, by a secret group of people who won't reveal the secret. And they won't even reveal who they are. Basically when I asked about it, I got threatened. And that's an honest answer, I really couldn't find out.
BhamLuda asks,
What is the name of the guy that does all the saying like "flag taken" "Bomb armed Bomb planted" on Halo 2? Where can I sign up for that job? What is his exact title?
He's Jeff Steitzer, and his title is Voice of God/Multiplayer Announcer. He's a voice actor (and a regular type actor) and he can be heard in games other than Halo. We found, using scientific research, that his sonorous tone prevented players from simply refusing to die. When he says you're dead, you're dead. When he says a flag is captured, it's captured.
I KILL GRUNTS asks,
I don't have XBOX Live, but everyone who does have it is getting new maps and glitches are being fixed. Will the people without XBOX Live be getting anything? I want new maps!
I can promise you this: Bungie is doing everything it can to accommodate you guys. We promise we'll look at every possibility and do everything in our power to ensure that the complete Halo 2 experience is made as widely available as we can.
Ahoy asks,
Why are you such a loser?
I don't know. But first thing when I get home, I'm sending anonymous insults to someone I never met. If that doesn't make me a winner, I don't know what will.
Dictator Grenade asks,
Do you guys ever have interns ?
We don't, but MS does. If we had an intern, they'd get subjected to so much horror, ridicule and vileness, that they'd have some kind of emotional breakdown. That said, we haven't ruled it out.
Gordy asks,
I've noticed that people seem to be quitting/cheating much more in team training games. Now the quitting I can deal with, sometimes you just gotta leave; but I was hoping that cheaters can be punished in team training games also. Please tell me that they can't get away with it just because it's not ranked. And second, I know some of y'all use Macs (look closely on the DVD) and was wondering how many Bungie has. And last, on the Halo 2 DVD, there seems to be some footage of levels that weren't released with the final draft of Halo 2, are these levels "for bungie only" or were they just not completed on time only to be released with the downloadable content? ?
Cheating in unranked games can be tracked and reported the same as ranked games. Plenty of folks have had their accounts suspended for doing just that. Please use the feedback system whether a game is ranked or not. I'd say there's about ten Macs here. Music guys live by them, some art guys use 'em and there's a couple in our web testing dept. that's why the site works on Safari. Also, we have a rare Mac cube. And a Pippin. There are loads of assets that never made it into the final game. That's a normal part of development.
Old Age asks,
Where can I download new symbols for Halo 2?
You can't ? the customizable set in the game is the only type that exists. We limited it to avoid things like obscene pictures, or curse words.
CrashDMB237 asks,
What will we see first, new maps or Halo 3?
Well, since Halo 3 only exists in your mind right now, I'd have to say maps.
EntrepeNinja asks,
Are you spontaneously funny, or do you spend hours coming up with your next one-liner?
I will address this question in an amusing fashion in next week's Update.
Several people ask,
Why are you guys taking glitches out of System Link games?
If it were easy to leave in, we would. The problem is that System Link and Split Screen share almost exactly the same code as the Xbox Live game. To fix one, you have to fix it universally, otherwise we'd be creating more problems than we solve. The fact that sword-flying, for example, remains in Campaign, is testament to that fact.
More importantly ? when we fix glitches and cheats, scumbags everywhere will look for new ways to abuse the system. You can bet your bottom dollar their first line of attack would be abusing the "fun" glitches, like Sword Flying. We've seen it used for cheating already and we simply can't leave it in.
Helical asks ,
I'm having a problem with my television switching from 16:9 to the standard ratio during battle in H2. It seems to happen (not exclusively) during traumatic moments in the game such as directly after being struck with a plasma pistol blast. If you have a simple solution or can give me an idea of what's going on, I would appreciate it. Thanks.
That's weird! What's your TV setup? What cable are you using, what's the TV type and what settings are locked on your Xbox dashboard. And has anyone else seen this? It's new to me.
Mongo asks ,
Give us another hint word.
Are you serious? That's gotta be old by now. OK. I will and I will reveal something about the prior hint words ? they're all legit and nobody has guessed exactly. Couple of people came close. Worst rumor was "Timetable = Time Travel!" This week's hint word is, "Firefly."
And finally, the HBO forums asked, can we see Mister Chief wearing a coconut bra?
Of course!
Bungie Weekly Update
Posted 11 March 2005 - 10:12 PM
Posted 13 March 2005 - 09:43 PM
Posted 18 March 2005 - 06:53 PM
Interesting, it looks like we'll know next week specific details about the maps, and hopefully dates so I can just look forward to something and not constantly check the update button in XBOX Live.
Bungie Weekly What's Update
Lots and lots of hubub on the internet today, regarding downloadable content. Not much new to report here, but a fairly large update on the contents of our cheat and glitch fixing. Please forward all hate mail and death threats to my home address, email@example.com
Hella dudes ask,
What's up with the listing on Xbox.com in Korea that says the downloadable content is coming out as a retail game release??
Next week, we?re going to have a major announcement about the details of our new maps. Right now, there are some dates, details and ideas out there that are actually wrong, so please take everything you read between now and then with a grain of salt. We can't talk about how and when the new maps will be released, we'll leave that to the smart folks who actually do all the logistical work for this stuff ? marketing and PR, but we can tell you this much - our entire plan is designed to make new content available for everybody, those with Xbox Live and those without Xbox Live. We hope in the end, everyone will be satisfied.
Lots of folks query,
What's up with the cheat, glitch and bug fixing?
Fixing Cheats and Glitches: UPDATED
Autoupdate for the Masses
As it stands, the Autoupdate is scheduled to be a small Xbox Live download, and when it becomes available (as soon as testing is finished), it can be implemented by logging any Xbox with Halo 2 onto the Live service. While we encourage non Live users to borrow an account, try a free trial membership or take their box to a Live-using friend's home, we are looking at ways to distribute these improvements to a wider audience and we'll have more news about this soon.
With the sheer number of variables on the Xbox Live service, the fantastic numbers of players involved and the vast disparity between ISPs, modems and quality of service, it took time for us to identify all the cheats, glitches and exploits. And unlike a PC game, even once you've addressed all of the problems, the solution isn't as simple as posting a patch on a website. A console game is largely immutable, and implementing changes is a significant task. The fixes we've implemented required a great deal of testing, tweaking and retesting to ensure the autoupdate process would go smoothly and provide satisfactory results for every Halo 2 player on Xbox Live.
With all that aside, what follows is a partial list of the changes, bug fixes and anti-cheating measures we have implemented so far.
Split Screen Enhancement
Split screen players have long complained that their screens are too muddled with interface and messages to see what's going on clearly. The Autoupdate also removes the more trivial pop-up messages (like ammo pick up, for example) that have plagued split screen gamers. The downside is that they no longer see those messages, but in testing and polling, we've found that the cleaner screen presentation makes that a small price to pay. "Important" messages will continue to display as before.
Geometry Glitches
Flag Bouncing: We're fixing the super high flag bounce caused by collisions with certain objects ? like the conveyor belt in Colossus. Teams would often simply bounce the flag from one side to the other, thus ruining a vital aspect of that map's intrinsic design.
We've fixed the flag-grab-through-solid-walls problem (although you can still toss a flag through legitimate places, like gates and windows). This will have a huge effect in CTF games on Beaver Creek, Zanzibar and Coagulation.
Elite melee ghosting ? a glitch allowed a player (using a short sequence of button presses) to exit a vehicle and continue to an objective while all other players viewed the player as an invulnerable stationary "ghost" at the original point of disembarkation. This was caused by forcing the Xbox to "lose track" of the player.
Sword flying will be gone from multiplayer, though we'll keep it in Campaign mode. This was basically an exploit that allowed players to "fly" by locking onto a target with a Sword while riding in a vehicle ? then later releasing a pent-up Sword lunge, and basically soaring, unhindered through the air. Although a noisy part of the community feels this was a fun, unexploitable bug, we have witnessed it used for cheating, and when we fix other problems, any we left in deliberately would be exploited all the more.
We've addressed the "ghosted dropped weapon" problem, which was caused by a difference in object location tracking between different machines - a gun you just couldn't pick up, for example ? and is easily encountered during games between Pal and NTSC machines.
We've fixed the tie resolution problems that automatically defaulted the red team as winner in a tie.
We've made some changes to the way our system works when entering Clan matches ? basically making it easier to enter even when conditions are less than ideal. The measures used before were perhaps too strict and prevented some players from entering games with their clan.
We've addressed the bug on Beaver Creek that caused double-teleporting ? this was related to poor bandwidth, and it would cause a player to bounce back out of the teleporter rather than passing cleanly through.
We've fixed the glitch that would allow seemingly destroyed gun turrets to be used before they respawned.
We've addressed the modem standby cheat. Can't say how, but we've implemented several fixes to help alleviate this problem. We can't stop people from pressing suspend modem, but we can make it less worthwhile to them. We've also added a number of ways to make it more difficult for players to abuse the fact that they are the host of a game.
This is just a sampling of what we're fixing. Some things are insignificant, some you won't even have heard of, and others we don't want to discuss at this time. All in all, it should be a very pleasant and painless experience and one that improves your experience significantly.
This is a partial list. Many of the changes we've implemented will be invisible to players. Some are simply minor tweaks to networking or performance code. Some are more important, but happen in the background. Some fixes will simply remain undisclosed to prevent further abuse of the system, and we realize that even this tremendous run of changes won't be entirely complete and that abuses by unsportsmanlike players will continue, but we're confident that these tweaks and adjustments will improve the experience for beginners and experts alike.
A kid asks,
When I look at some players? stats on Bungie.net, often almost all of their games are grayed out and marked as ?unreliable.? What does this actually mean, and why is it only happening to some players, over and over again?
What this literally means is that 50% of the players who started a game were gone by the end of the game. That's all.
This can be caused by:
1) Various types of standby cheating
2) Normal network glitches that cause a player to drop, or the game to fragment into multiple pieces that finish separately
3) Players quitting before the end of the game
Players it happens to repeatedly might have really bad internet (or wireless LAN) connections, might be repeat cheaters, might be repeat droppers, or might be so overwhelmingly good that their opponents don't bother seeing the game through to the end.
It's worth noting that this is just a reporting feature on Bungie.net; nothing has changed as far as how Live computes rankings and experience. We could in theory have it wrong, although so far it's pretty accurate.
Heat Miser asks,
How many games of Halo 2 have been played since launch?
As of this afternoon,
Total number of Live games played: 113,878,393
Total number of player sessions (you know, like a four player game of Slayer = four individual player sessions): 856,848,952.
Total number of unique players since launch: An awful lot.
Marco asks,
Are you guys mad at Penny Arcade over that wicked zinger?
Oh yes, quite incensed. No. Really we love them, especially Twisp and Catsby and the erm, Fruit Juicer, I think he's called.
And finally, a reader asked: What would Mister Chief look like with a hangover?
Posted 18 March 2005 - 09:33 PM
Posted 18 March 2005 - 11:38 PM
It doesn't look like the maps will be coming until maybe the end of March, but probably early April. Word on the street is that there are eight new maps. Eight. EIGHT.
But I doubt there'll be eight.
Posted 18 March 2005 - 11:50 PM
Posted 19 March 2005 - 12:06 AM
Posted 19 March 2005 - 12:08 AM
Posted 19 March 2005 - 06:44 PM
Posted 20 March 2005 - 06:28 AM
Also, something to consider:
Microsoft and Bungie will soon announce the availability of a add on for the game of the year 2004, Halo 2. Will it be necessary to pay for these maps? Well, not really, unless you just can't wait... For more details, keep reading.
In the next weeks, the add on of Halo 2 will be available in store for the price of 30 €. For this moderate price, eight new maps will be present on the DVD. Impatient Halo will probably pay out immediately, one can understand them...
A few weeks after the availability of this DVD in shops, Microsoft will release 2 maps per month entirely free via Xbox Live.
Update: a post on IGN seems to indicate a release date of the 24 May, visible in the database of the store "Game Crazy". In North America the price would be about 20 USD. However we cannot confirm this particular information.
Posted 20 March 2005 - 08:09 AM
Posted 25 March 2005 - 10:32 AM
Fucking ass fucking fucker fuck fuck!
The first two maps are free and coming in a few short weeks. (late April)
Posted 25 March 2005 - 05:12 PM
Posted 25 March 2005 - 07:41 PM
Halo 2 Multiplayer Madness
Last week, a couple of incorrect dates appeared on a retail website, and more tellingly, Microsoft's own Xbox.com site in Korea. What it revealed was that we apparently had a multiplayer add-on planned for Halo 2, and that it would be for sale in stores. Of course, like a lot of internet stuff, it was partly true. The dates were off, and subsequent rumor mongering went off on all kinds of tangents - some frighteningly accurate, some way off.
Bungie was caught off guard - we were waiting to tell you the whole plan when the powers that be (which is now) were ready. That put us in the unfortunate position of being forced to clam up until it was safe to talk!
The official press release from MS can be found over at Xbox.com HERE. For those averse to press releases or simply needing clarification, we'll break it down for you:
So the basic details for the new map release plan go like this:
It is complicated, but the vagaries of matchmaking playlist rollout, the precedent set by making Live content available to non-Live users, the implementation of anti-cheat fixes and the support required to make the whole experience work smoothly, are somewhat unique in the annals of Xbox gaming. So please, bear with us.
- We're releasing a total of nine new multiplayer maps.
- All nine maps will eventually be available as Live downloads and as a normal boxed game disc - available at retail for $19.99 (US).
- The release on Live will be staggered, some paid, some free!
- The first two maps are free and coming in a few short weeks. (late April)
- The same day the 2 free maps are released, 2 additional maps will be available for purchase.
- The remaining 5 maps will be made available as a paid download on the same day the retail package goes on sale.
- The retail disc will contain extras, including a documentary, a cool project from our cinematic and animation team, every Halo 2 update released so far and possily one or two other little treats.
- By late summer, ALL the maps will be available for free.
What we can say with some confidence is that we're very proud of the new maps. They're cool-looking, fun, well-balanced and tested to destruction. They offer a wide range of gameplay types and are suitable for some modes you may not even have tried before. We can't wait to share them with you.
The First Four New Maps!
In late April, you'll be able to download two maps for free - Containment and Warlock. At the same time, two additional maps will be available for purchase - Sanctuary and Turf. Each map represents a very different experience, from massive team battle, to intimate and intricate skirmish zone. Here's our breakdown of the levels:
A massive, mostly outdoor, and somewhat symmetrical environment set in the frozen tundra near Sentinel Wall, on Delta Halo. The icy terrain is a walled valley floor, scarred by a massive trench, running between two enormous Forerunner compounds. Each of these structures acts as a base, and each base is itself large enough to drive a vehicle around in.
The bases contain a heavily fortified flag capture point which presents a tough challenge for an unorganized offense. To even the odds, it's possible to open vehicle access to these bases by activating a switch - exposed to sniper fire in the center of the map. Above this switch is the teleport exit for each base.
The rapid access enabled using teleporters and vehicles means that while this is by far one of the largest Halo maps ever, it's also one with a large number of transit options, on foot or in vehicles.
Caves, ridges and tunnels provide stealthy entrance to enemy bases, while the jagged central trench is a great spot to take cover. Above, the exposed, icy fields are littered with the most explosive cores in the game. Default vehicles include Hogs, Scorpion tanks and Banshees. Containment was built from the ground up, with large scale objective games in mind, especially CTF. If you like Coagulation, and were a fan of Sidewinder, you'll love Containment!
Set in the rain-soaked ruins of an ancient Forerunner structure, nobody knows if Warlock is a temple, a castle or even a dwelling. What we do know is that the architecture predates the Halo itself, and that it must have been moved here, brick by brick, with obvious reverence by the Forerunners themselves.
A small to medium sized map, Warlock is ideal for close-quarters fights, Slayer matches and thanks to its four way symmetry, multi-team Territories battles. Warlock's mix of obstacles and open areas makes it a perfect spot for more chaotic matches like Rockets. Sharp-eyed players may note its resemblance to the map Wizard, although it has been rebuilt from the ground up to take advantage of Halo 2's new graphics and gameplay features.
Warlock is filled with nooks, crannies and other hiding places, and while the ground is a warren of obstacles, it's possible to reach any other point in the map by taking the high road - a series of platforms and ramps that stretch across the map, with a temple-like center structure dominating the arena.
Teleporters dot the walls allowing you to evade pursuing enemies, or take instant shortcuts across the map.
The surrounding streets and evacuated buildings of Old Mombasa make it a dangerous warren, with potential assassins lurking in every shadow and around every corner. Dusty storefronts hide mazelike interiors, and narrow walkways above street level make this shadowy part of town a sniper's haven.
Although it was designed primarily with Territories and CTF in mind, Turf's wildly varying situations - open streets, large buildings, narrow passageways - mean that it's surprisingly flexible. In spite of its size and complexity, the level even works well as a cat and mouse one-on-one map.
Although the tight alleys and streets are initially confusing, there are plenty of vital landmarks - a downed Covenant Scarab, a makeshift Human military base and a massive warehouse, complete with huge swinging doors. Players can knock down catwalks to control ledges above the streets, and a well-parked Warthog can lay down covering fire for the team quick enough to grab it.
A walled grotto defines the center point of this Forerunner habitat, from which aqueducts span out, like the hands of a clock. It perfectly obscures a clear line of sight between two more robust temple buildings primarily used as Flag capture bases.
The map was designed to be perfectly symmetrical and used for smaller, team based objective games, like CTF and Assault, but its size and layout also make it a perfect spot for Slayer matches and slightly more frenetic types like Territories and Oddball. The tunnels at the sides and the open areas in front of the bases make for frantic firefights and nerve-wracking chases.
Stop for a moment to admire the scenery and you'll see a complicated system of waterfalls, canals and pools. Splashing water and the chirp of birds help define the sound scheme of this otherwise peaceful environment.
Larger versions of these images have been added to the Halo 2 Screenshot gallery.
Now that you've got an overview of the plan, we know you have questions that need answering. For this week's "What's Update", we take a stab at the the most pressing questions before you even have a chance to ask them...
Why is Bungie charging for these maps when they should be free?
Well, the answer for the retail pack is simple - it costs money to make the maps, press a disc, put it in a box and get it to retail. For downloads, it's the exact same development process, plus bandwidth, support, all that stuff. You make things, they cost money to make, you have to charge for them. At the end of the day, Bungie doesn't have much involvement in the business side of things, although we are very pleased this stuff is going to be available for free download in the long run. And we're pleased that two will be free immediately. The other cool thing is that by working with retailers we can put these maps in the hands of gamers around the world and those who do not have Live.. These maps are not just about Live play, but for all those who play in LAN tournaments, etc...
But nobody else charges for content on Xbox Live...
Actually, almost everyone charges for downloadable content on Xbox Live. Some of that content later becomes free. That's where our plan falls into line. The simple fact is that it costs us money to make the content - resources, staff, snacks, even rent. This is not designed as a massive profiteering exercise, rather it's simply a way to get our maps in the hands of everyone, recoup the costs and justify the production of a significant project. At the end of the Summer, all of the content will be free for everyone to enjoy, and that's what matters most to us.
This plan sure does seem complicated...what gives?
It is complicated, but then so is the process of manufacturing, matchmaking and even playing on Live. We make games, and we make multiplayer maps, and guns and graphics and music and explosions, but ultimately we leave the sales plans to the MS experts.
Why is the map release staggered?
Well, we wanted to reward our players with the free maps - so they had to be a standalone download. Mountain Dew helped make that possible. The rest of this schedule was decided by marketing and Live ops teams - downloading all nine maps on the same day would be a recipe for melting the whole internet. We also needed to make gradual changes to our matchmaking playlists so that the new content is supported in matchmaking.
How was the price point determined?
By the marketing team, accountants, bean counters, various shaman and folks we don't even get to meet.
$19.99 for the retail disc seems really pricey for just a few maps. Why should I buy this?
Nine maps is actually a lot of Halo maps, and these new ones are in many regards, more complex graphically and technically than the original batch. The disc is also a very good way to archive the content, should you ever need it again (if you replace your Xbox, for example). The disc comes with a couple of nifty extra collectibles too -a documentary about the process of mapmaking and a short piece of animated fiction - a Halo 2 sidestory. it's also a rare opportunity for offline System Link and split-screen players to access previously online-only content.
Also, for the first time ever, non Live users will have access to game updates that were previously only available to Live subscribers. All of the prior Halo 2 updates along with the update slated for release in the near future will be included on this disc. Things like map exploit fixes, improved support for 480p, the improved split screen HUD update, and every other improvement and tweak that has been released on Live will be available to non-Live users.
The discs and the software are tremendously expensive to program, design, manufacture, package, ship and distribute. That's what you're paying for, should you decide to buy it. Xbox Live players pay a premium to use that service, and one big benefit to them for subscribing to the service will be getting their hands on four of the maps earlier than anyone else. Another important benefit is the eventual release of these maps for free.
What does Mountain Dew have to do with the first 2 free maps? And what's Bungie's relationship with Mountain Dew?
For some time, Mountain Dew has had an ongoing marketing relationship with Xbox Marketing, and they arranged the opportunity to sponsor the first two free maps with Xbox Live. Mountain Dew was heavily involved with Xbox Marketing on promoting Halo 2, with contests, ads, Slurpee cups and the like, and this is a continuation of that relationship. All that stuff goes through the marketing guys, so we don't have any direct exposure to Mountain Dew. We do have a Halo 2 Mountain Dew vending machine (that serves cold beer).
You say the maps will become free to everyone over time...how much time? When can we get them for free?
By late Summer, with the support of Mountain Dew, all the maps will be completely free. This does two things - it's a nice gift to the players patient enough to wait and it will also improve the matchmaking options available to those who have been playing those maps for a while, since we can then roll every suitable map into every suitable playlist. The specific timeline and details will be released soon, once they are finalized.
What are the other 5 maps going to be?
Terminal, Relic, Elongation, Gemini and Backwash. Each offers a distinctly different look, feel and game type suitability. Stay tuned to Bungie.net over the next few weeks for lots more info.
Wizard is being ported as 'Warlock', sweet! Does that mean we can expect Hang 'em High as well?
Brace yourself...Nope. Sorry. While everyone here is aware that Hang 'Em High (and to a lesser extent Sidewinder) would be massively popular, our preliminary tests with Hang 'Em High proved pretty quickly that the changed weapons and physics made it far less fun than you remember it being in Halo: Combat Evolved. Since each map was being lovingly crafted, polished and tested by a full team, we felt the resources were better spent on new maps. After all, if you loved Hang 'Em High, you can still play it on Halo CE.
Why has it taken so long for these maps to get released?
The work on these new maps, from conception to completion was started after Halo 2 shipped. Almost immediately in fact. Not one of these maps incorporates anything from "unreleased" Halo 2 stuff. They were each created from scratch. We're actually still doing final testing and cleaning up the odd texture. So it's taken as long as it's taken. We have NOT been sitting on these as some have suggested. We don't just slap these things together - specifically, we actually had more resources after the release of Halo 2 working solely on multiplayer maps than we did for the original 12.
How will the matchmaking playlists work once free and premium maps are added to the mix?
We're still finalizing our plans but we can give you a general idea of what to expect. The existing core playlists will remain intact. The first two free maps, Containment and Warlock, will be integrated into the appropriate existing playlists. Since the 2 premium maps are "premium" and won't necessarily be on everyone's Xbox right away, we can't add them to the core playlists without creating all sorts of problems. Instead, we will be rolling out a special short-term playlist that will only be accessible for people who download the premium maps. Players interested in getting into matchmade games on Turf and Sanctuary will be able to do so via this special playlist. Eventually, as Turf and Sanctuary become free for everyone, they will be added back to the core playlists and the premium playlist will go away.
When the remaining premium maps become available in June, a similar process will occur except we will have more than one premium playlist to accommodate the 5 new maps. Over time, as those maps become available for free, they will be integrated into the core playlists and the premium playlists will be phased out.
Throughout all of this, please keep in mind that players are always able to enjoy the new maps on their own via custom games with other friends who have the maps.
We are still working out the final details, gametype lists and dates for the life and death of each playlist. In addition, we are working on some contests to incorporate into these short-term playlists for added enjoyment. Stay tuned for more info in the weeks ahead.
When is the matchmaking playlist update going to happen?
The first playlist update will take place right after the new maps become available. Please also note that this update will not just be adding a new premium playlist - we will be adding variety to existing playlists, integrating the 2 free maps and adding an entirely new 2v2 playlist. Much more information will be coming soon.
When is the Live Autoupdate being released? When can we get additional info about the rest of the maps and anything else coming up?
The Live update will be released shortly before the first maps. The update itself will be a relatively tiny file, but contains significant changes to address cheating, glitching and other exploitable bugs. We also took this opportunity to improve split-screen display support and do some fine-tuning on melee and grenade combat. We'll be releasing more detail about this in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you can read more about it in the "Weekly What's Update."
The Autoupdate is currently scheduled for release some time in April and shortly before the first maps are available.
Is it true that Frankie is to blame for all of this?
That part is true. He also deleted all the assets for Hang 'Em High so that it could never, ever return. Yes, anything you don't like, that was Frankie's fault. And he nearly introduced a wacky smack-talkin' extreme hamster sidekick named "Gusto" in Halo 2. We're also pretty sure Frankie had something to do with the famous Myth hard-drive erasing bug as well as adding the famous "Combat Evolved" tagline to Halo.
And finally... a reader asks, "What would Mister Chief look like if he ate all the pies?
Posted 01 April 2005 - 04:17 PM
I'll let ivanjrn do the quoting honors
EDIT Just read the comments section...... why are people on Bungie.net such retards?
Posted 01 April 2005 - 05:00 PM
I really hate April Fool's day. People think it gives them a free pass to act like retards and give us bullshit jokes in The Weekly What's Update instead of real information. I was also fooled on my favorite morning radio show Mancow's Morning Madhouse into thinking that Michael Jackson overdosed and committed suicide, and the worse was that they said the Illini were forced to forfeit the Final Four game tomorrow by the NCAA because the players accepted gifts. I was fucking pissed when I found out I got all worked up over nothing.
Posted 01 April 2005 - 05:02 PM
Haha, that's pretty funny........
I was also fooled on my favorite morning radio show Mancow's Morning Madhouse into thinking that Michael Jackson overdosed and committed suicide
Posted 03 April 2005 - 09:01 AM
Posted 08 April 2005 - 01:49 PM
Posted 08 April 2005 - 03:13 PM
In the latest issue of OXM, they state that the two free maps are Containment and Elongation, but you guys said it's going to be Containment and Warlock. Who is right?
Well, when OXM went to press, they were correct. In the end, we swapped them around because we felt that Containment's huge team objective suitability and Warlock's crazy confines made a slightly better pairing. We're like that. We're flighty. And contrary! Unfortunately, OXM had already gone to press by the time we changed our minds.
At least we know what the maps really are since all this OXM craziness began. But still, I would've preferred Elongation.
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