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I consider Yuji Horii partially responsible for my upbringing. Not that I've ever met the man, or that my parents were lacking in any way. But from the time I got my hands on Dragon Warrior III (to avoid trademark infringement, the series was known as "Dragon Warrior" in North America through the seventh title) in second grade, I've been a votary of the series. How else was I to know what the word "troglodyte" meant when I was nine years old?
I bought Dragon Quest VIII when it was released in '05, but at the time was in school and working, so didn't plunge in until August of last year. Yesterday, I finally completed the epic, logging 110 hours. Contemplating that, I'm reminded of why spending entertainment dollars at the movie theater or the mall is not only less enjoyable (in my opinion) than gaming, it is also much more expensive.
I'm also struck by how completing the story has left me feeling bittersweet. The game's universe is attaching. It's created lots of memories and was a lot of fun.
What follows is something akin to a movie review (of the game, not a movie, of course--though the trailer is just below!) but with a focus on some individual elements of the story rather than the overarching theme. For while the characters comprising the story, and the allusions that are laced throughout, are quite 'sophisticated', the larger story is (charmingly, in my opinion) simple and traditional--an evil force has corrupted many souls in its effort to attain miserable world domination. An unassuming hero, with the aid of his friends, must travel that world in a valiant effort to thwart this evil and revert things to the happy state they were in prior to the Evil One's undertaking:
The Hero is chivalrous, stoic, abstentious, demuring, humble, courageous, indefatigable, strong--in other words, he is all the things many rpgamers are, er, at least aspire to be! This doesn't always get the babes in real life (though it tends to work in the games), but it does give you, as the Hero, a view from the top of the moral mountain. At least one character in the universe can reliably distinguish between good and evil!
In this way, DQ8 is a traditional RPG. The staple of the Good Hero is changing in part out of necessity for the MMO world, where players are pitted against one another and so cannot all be objectively good, and partly because of the progress that is allowing games to be more and more open-ended (although there will always be a significant market for structured stories), to the point that in choosing your own adventure you might in fact choose to go the Grand Theft Auto route instead of the more heroic one.
The DQ series has always favored grounding the Hero's greatness in auctoritas, influence gained through moral uprightness, fame, and glory in battle rather than through divine birthright. Yet it is usually revealed throughout the course of the story that the Hero is indeed the Chosen One. There is a Protestant pleasure in this--the Hero is not performing magnanimous and valiant acts to attain greatness, but it is natural for one as great as he to perform all of these things. The eighth installment doesn't sway from this.
Yangus is the game's most charming character. The voice overs are good throughout, but, just like political speeches, the rate of words per minute is low, probably below 100. This allows for full articulation and emphasis. Routine readers, however, are usually able to comfortably read 200 words per minute. Thus, it's tempting during less climactic cutscenes to force through the dialogue by reading it without letting it be audibly completed. Not for Yangus, though (he starts talking at about 1:50 in). I never moved on until he'd finished saying his piece in its entirety. I never tired of his Cockney in the least.
He's from Pickham, an obvious allusion to Peckham, a multicultural 'working class' area of southern central London. He's scrappy, honest, and not too bright. He's certainly not vicious, but he's not smart enough to come to philosophical conclusions or make sound decisions on his own.
He demonstrates the potential positives of a dogmatic belief system (religious or otherwise) in ways that those who believe everyone is capable of becoming little Socrates are blind to. When the Hero and Trode run into him, he's a wandering vagabond. His attempt to shakedown the wagon falters when the Hero outmaneuvers him, leaving him hanging from a broken bridge. Trode is happy to let him die, but the Hero rescues him. And so your votary is born. He has a new belief system--aid the Hero in whatever way he can. Encouraging him to think critically and skeptically about all that unfolds would lead him back down the path to perdition he was on before his propitious meeting with "the guv" (starting at about 3:45):
Jessica is molded with the innuendo that Hori's DQ team loves--suggestive humor, but rarely anything explicit. Personally, she is about as asexual as they come, never showing romantic interest in anyone. Yet references and allusions to her attractiveness are a recurring theme, from your uncle's "VAH-VAH-VOOM" remark to her special abilities, under the skill tree "Sex Appeal".
I've always been amused by the stats of female characters in RPGs. Occasionally, there is the she-male brute like Alena from DQ4 or Ayla from Chrono Trigger, but those are exceptions to the rule. Females are like males with different stats tilts. They usually have higher agility and greater magic capabilities at the expense of strength and endurance (the virtual world tends to treat agility and strength as though they belong on opposite ends of the athletic spectrum, when in reality the two attributes tend to go together), but their personalities are rarely feminine. I have not yet played any Final Fantasy titles past VI, but the only character coming to my mind is Rosa from FFIV.
I suppose they tend to be what feminists should want, but they're not made with Carol Gilligan in mind. They are the stuff of male players' dreams--a sexy female image of themselves, who likes the same things and has the same goals that they do. Feminine characters are rare because, well, epic journies to battle evil incarnate are typically better-suited for strong men, not delicate women.
Xena and Lara Croft just can't be taken seriously. Of course, there are ample male audiences for these women, but their performances gain through carnality what they lose in credulity. Plus, they're action-oriented enough that it can make for a good entertainment compromise when your trying to decide on what to watch with your own lady! Still, if I believe that I can cold cock the heroic protagonist in a matter of seconds, it's that much harder to suspend my disbelief and become enmeshed in the game's universe. Parenthetically, I'm no fan of the trend towards pre-pubescent, androgynous male characters that has apparently become standard fare in the FF series.
So the females have to be tomboyish and are given powerful magic abilities, since that can hardly be protested. In hand-to-hand combat, they're just not going to be able to cut it alongside male warriors. So they're casting spells. Magic proficiency isn't supposed to mesh with what you see in the real world, irrespective of who the caster is. It's magic, after all!
Yangus serves the Hero, the Hero serves Trode, Trode serves Medea, and Medea... well, Medea is a horse. So the telos for these folks are set. Angelo has the revenge of Francisco to pursue, and anyway he isn't materialistic nor is he enticed by power because he's repulsed by the responsibility that comes with it. S that leaves Jessica, with the void from her brother's death and the estrangement from her family, as the party member most susceptible to the lure of Rhapthorne's forbidden fruit--the sceptre, an all-powerful, all-corrupting One Ring (with a sharp edge for running people through).
Angelo is the game's most dynamic character. He's sort of a hedonistic, agnostic, Christian humanist. He doesn't take his religious or ceremonial roles at the abbey seriously (although his swordsmanship and bow proficiency are impressive enough for him to become a Templar knight). He's more interested in hustling the rubes at nearby Simpleton and chasing ladies than in carrying out the duties of his station.
Angelo marches to the beat of his own drum, but he's a good person. He goes to extraordinary lengths, outshining even the rising star, Marcello, to save Abbot Francisco. When things must be done, he rises to the occasion. The rest of the time, he wants to be carried around by his free spirit, as captured in one of his remarks prior to undertaking the Dragovian trials:
"If there's one thing I hate in this life, it's a trial. What kind of masochistic lunatic would come all the way up here to endure a gruelling, not to mention tedious, challenge?"
In contrast to Yangus, he illustrates the inhibitive rigidity of a dogmatic belief system imposed on high-IQ, existential types, the result of which is often resentment and rebellion by those who are being imposed upon. Not surprisingly, it is Angelo who spurs you to disrupt the wedding between Medea and Charmles, the political consequences of disrupting a marriage that ties two powerful kingdoms together be damned!
There are a few other characters worth remarking on. Marcello is a Hideyoshi-esque, peasant-to-king type of character with a zealous French Revolutionary hatred of the nobility. That, as the illegitimate son of one of his father's house servants, he was disowned by his aristocratic family imbues him with a desire to stick it to well-bred institutions--and their members--everywhere. He despises his half-brother Angelo, opens up the Templar ranks to the meanest elements of society, and promises to remake the Church into a populist institution, trampling all over its historical roles in the process. While he and Angelo are outwardly quite similar, the difference between what's in each of their hearts is enormous:
Red is an unscrupulous feminist. She strikes out on her own in Cap'n Crow's cave, using Yangus' obvious affection for her to beat the party to the treasure. But her charade is stopped when Crow's apparition beats her unconscious. At that point it's time for a real rumbler like Yangus to step in and get the job done! While Yangus might not appear to have all the qualities of a good mate, this is really a dad-cad relationship in reverse, with Yangus as the better half.
Rolo is sinfulness personified. He's power-hungry, corpulent, ornately adorned in jewelry, egotistical, and expectant of kickbacks from those he treats well from his position of authority as a High Priest in the Church hierarchy. He even has a 'cross' (to avoid being explicitly sacrilegious, the symbol looks more like the head of a trident than a traditional Christian cross) tatooed on his head, a la a scandalous clergyman named Baldwin, who was the first abbot of St Mary in Jerusalem after the Crusades began.
But then he undergoes a powerful transformation that evinces the complexity with which Japanese games embellish themselves in religious themes. It's generally assumed that the take on religiosity is uniformly negative, but Rolo frustrates that lazy assumption. After being thrown in an underground prison, known as Purgatory Island, by Marcello, Rolo genuinely repents. He then becomes a Christ-like figure, sacrificing himself so that the rest of the party can escape (video in two parts):
Medea shares her name with a Greek character who also caused some ruckus in getting the one she loved to marry her. Fortunately, with Medea we don't get a continuation of the similarity after that marriage takes place. Unlike Jessica, she is the classical maiden. Consequently, she doesn't fight, nor is she dynamic--until the end of the story, she is merely a melancholy backdrop reminding you of the damage Rhapthorne has done.
Trode is the most memorable character you do not control (a brief time at Tryan Gully excepted). He's a good monarch, consumed with the well-being of his kingdom and especially of his daughter, but shows little concern for anything else. With his true identity masked, his pretentious attitude is a perpetual source of humor and his interactions with Yangus are enough to make you laugh out loud while you're sitting alone in front of the tube.
But the characters with whom I've become intimate with are dead to me now, a fate all figments of fantasy inevitably suffer. This separation is more intense than those in the past, though (more so, I'm ashamed to say, than was breaking things off with some past girlfriends!). The ability to converse with the party after virtually every geographical change or narrative trip (in first person no less) develops the characters in a way that no other entertainment medium save for novels can, with the benefit of a first/second-person relationship instead of the standard third person perspective books and movies give you. They react to the same stuff you're thinking about, enhancing the sense that they are real beings sharing your trials and tribulations with you, in real time.
Of course, I can (and no doubt will) play the game again, but I'll already know how it ends. It'll be like watching a historical documentary the second time through, while the initial epic was like living in the time and at the place that the history was being made, with a hand in it.
The graphics are engrossing, the battle system retains the tried and true fundamentals that have made the series so successful but adds new elements like the tension function and ability trees, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the legendary Koichi Sugiyama, produces some timeless pieces, like the world map track, as well as bringing back some old masterpieces, like Ramia. After completing the Dragovian trials and obtaining the alternate ending, I yen for it to be just beginning once more. To shake that sadness, I wasted no time stepping into Final Fantasy IX. The best way to get over the death of a beloved dog is to get a new puppy, right? Actually though, the game isn't exactly six feet under. I expect a couple of years down the road I'll immerse myself in it again, hopefully forgetting as much about it as possible.
Given that the attachment to virtual worlds can be made so strong now, it's unsettling to think what the future holds. Throughout the course of the game (and I only played a four or five hours a week), I'd joke to friends that at some point I'd be sucked in for good, venturing out only to work and go to the grocery store. After all, I have a good five years worth of great RPG backlog, and at the current rate of production, I might not ever get ahead even if I tried.
Anyway, Dragon Quest is Japan's series. Japanese law stipulates that DQ titles may only be released on Sundays or holidays, following Dragon Quest III's debut on a Wednesday that lead to severe truancy problems with school kids and absenteeism from work across the country. Unlike the Final Fantasy series, DQ games have less of a Hollywood cultural feel and more of an ecclectic Japanese tint to them. So DQ games, while still Tolkienesque in their universes, feature more of a uniquely Japanese take on Western society than FF games do.
The DQ stories also tend to give prominence to religious themes and institutions. Nintendo of America begrudingly accepts this now, but throughout the nineties, games coming stateside had to be altered to remove these potentially offensive references. The church provided healing services and allowed you to save your game, but that was about it. By Dragon Warrior VII, that was all in the past, as the final battle pitted you against none other than God.
Japan's religious fabric is syncretic. Buddhism and native Shintoism are the biggest players, but Christianity (especially around Christmas) is also present, and cultural remnants of Neo-Confucianism, introduced from the Chinese mainland and emphasized by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the early 17th Century, are part of the cultural ethos. While there are a host of belief systems, by American standards, none of them are taken seriously.
And there is no problem with borrowing things from cultures that never directly influenced Japan and having fun with them as well. So in DQ8 we can have the following scenario:
Yangus prepares to administer a Yggdrasil [Norse] leaf to Jessica before an undead samurai [Japanese] with as many arms as Vishnu dispatches her, while she returns the favor by using the Caduceus [Greek] to heal his wounds. Erstwhile, the Hero has launched a mercurial [Roman] thrust with his partisan [generic middle ages], falling a belial [Hebraic] before it can interrupt Angelo from firing a Cherub's [Judeo-Christian] arrow at an approaching dullahan [Irish].
Consequently, in Japan it is not controversial to depict God as superhuman yet neither omniscient nor omnipotent (both attributes that three major monotheistic religions grant Him). After you've defeated Rhapthorne, Lord of Darkness (the Devil), Empyrea ('God') remarks, "You humans never cease to amaze me." That's after you've become more powerful than, well, anything else in the world, supernatural or otherwise (including Her).
Throughout the game, the Church and the Templars (the Church's military branch) feature prominently. Religion is ascribed a sort of ritualistically prominent but unserious ceremonial role--a presentation that Marx would have approved of--in the eyes of the game's movers and shakers. This misses the mark in the relatively pious US, in Europe where religion is accorded even less respect, and in the Middle Ages when religion was deadly serious indeed. This gives a mukokuseki (nationless/raceless) flavoring (which is also apparent in the ethnicities represented, as discussed later) that Japanese entertainment is famous for.
It is not all cynical, however. The world is also filled with pious 'extras' (like movie extras, I'm referring to the townspeople and travellers who you are able to talk to but who are insignificant in the overall scheme of things) who pray diligently and make the pilgrimage to the Holy Isle of Neos (located in a hostile desert and protected by a Templar contingent, the Isle is a rough allusion to Jerusalem during the 11th and 12 Centuries). And there are clearly genuinely good religious leaders, like Abbot Francisco and the first Pope who is murdered by Marcello.
Other historical allusions to Christianity exist. Maella Abbey, a castle under the control of the Templars, is more of a representation of the Hospitallers once the Order had fled Rhodes and was granted Malta. The Abbey is an "order state" located near the town of Simpleton, but the 'indigenous' folk are not allowed to join the Templar knighthood, at least not until Marcello becomes the Templar's "Grand Master" and, in accordance with his anti-aristrocratic strain, encourages them to join. Similarly, the Hospitaller ranks were closed to the native Matlese population.
The choice of a sceptre as an object of great power has biblical roots. Psalm 2: 9 reads:
You [that is, God] will break them with an iron scepter. You will smash them to pieces like pottery.Indeed, the sceptre turns out to be an instrument of (the) God(dess), but not before it's powers have been abusively used for destruction of much that is good.
Like other games in the DQ series, the sharpest criticism from a pious Christian's perspective is the tendency towards humanism, often attained through the Hero overcoming the putatively omnipotent in battle. In IV, you must do what the heavenly king of Zenithia cannot, in defeating Necrosaro. In V, the Lord of Darkness must be vanquished, and again so in VI. In VII, the highest achievement is to overcome God Himself in direct combat.
The eighth installment follows that trend, but less 'sacrilegiously'. To confront the Lord of the Dragovians, you ascend a glimmering stairway to arrive on the heavenly dais. That's clearly an allusion to the "stairway to heaven" Jacob dreams about on his way to Haran, at the top of which stands God. The Lord of the Dragovians is clearly more powerful than Rhapthorne, just as God is more powerful than Satan, but Jacob wasn't about to go mano-a-mano with God (and come out on top, no less)!
The relationship between Marcello and Angelo looks a lot like Augustine's view of the proper relationship between Jews and Christians. Marcello, the elder of the half-brothers, is chosen to lead God's earthly organization. Instead of using that station for good, he, with Rhapthorne's power, destroys the Holy Shrine at Neos. After battling with the party, he is found by Angelo grasping to the side of a precipice above the deep crater from which Rhapthorne has just risen. Resigned to die, Angelo saves Marcello nonetheless. In so doing, he says, "No, I won't let you die. You will go on living, knowing that the brother you despised your whole life took pity on you."
Well, Angelo doesn't exactly inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, but he does destroy the Devil and bring peace to the world, which is impressive enough in itself!
The relationship might also be seen as pulling from the Cain-Abel and Ishmael-Isaac relationships as told in the book of Genesis. In the former, Kain becomes so jealous of Abel that he kills his younger brother. In the latter, the half-brothers aren't recorded as interacting much with one another, but the parental situations are the same--Ishmael (like Marcello) is the first-born child of an 'aristocratic' man (Abraham) and his servant (Hagar), while Isaac is the 'legitimate' child born later to the man and his wife (Sarah). Tying back into the Augustinian remarks, it's interesting to note that Paul, in Galatians, sees Ishmael as symbolizing the older but rejected Judaism and Isaac as the newly-favored Christianity.
Speaking of Marcello, the one who is to become the spiritual leader of the Goddess' earthly Church, his corruption in harnessing the power of the sceptre housing Rhapthorne brings Martin Luther's writings to life: The Pope is indeed the antichrist!
I mentioned mukokuseki earlier with regard to where the fantastic elements are drawn. Well, it's really more of a tossed salad than the generic goop from a melting pot. Stuff is taken from a host of different mythical traditions. The same can be said about the 'demographics' of the DQ8 world. The vast majority of the characters hail from somewhere in the UK (it was localized for English audiences there), with the Queen's English and less well-bred British voices represented, in addition to more than a smattering of Scottish and Welsh accents.
There are a few exceptions to this, though. Orkutsk, which sounds Russian and can legitimately be argued to be inspired by a host of places throughout the Siberian region--my pick is Norilsk, one of the northernmost cities in the world, to the west of the unforgiving Putorana Plateau--is full of Russian-accented people. The Orkutsk region is inundated by a perennial snow and it's frigid--you remember the avalanche, don't you?--there's nowhere in Britain that comes close.
On Purgatory Island, the underground prison in the sea off the coast of the continent holding Savella Cathedral, the two brutish guards are clearly Aussies. Get it? You're "down under"! One of them even calls Rolo a "Galah"--a vocal, pink-crested cockatoo that is common in Australia and Tasmania.
Empycchu, near the portal to the dark world from whence Empyrea comes looks generically Amerindian enough that it's not a stretch to see it as a primitive village on the outskirts of Machu Picchu. To portray the most backwards people in the story--recall the priest who is a missionary trying to bring Truth to these superstitious villagers--as Peruvian-like might seem appropri--er, I mean, insulting, but then again Empyrea protects them, so maybe the joke's on everybody else!
Arcadia first brought Renaissance Italy, especially Venice, to my mind, with the presence of the artisan guilds and the fact that the town is built over water. But Dominico, who appears at first to be a descendant of one of the great sages, has a Greek accent and Arcadia is an actual prefecture along the Peloponnesian coast, so that's the better allusion. As Arcadia is the last stop before journeying into the Orkutsk region, the departure from 'British' lands serves to emphasize the point that you're heading into the rugged unknown.
Italy isn't left entirely out in the cold, though. Morrie of the Monster Arena, who constantly refers to the hero as ragazzo (which means "my boy") in Italian, has a very pronounced accent and wears goofy Renaissance attire.
Then there is Tryan Gully, the multicultural paradise where elves, humans, and monsters live in harmony. No one thought the place could exist, because presumably, just like in the real world, in the DQ8 universe such a society could not remain cohesive for long. All the denizens of the place indeed turn out to be friendly, but I had my hand on the hilt of my sword the entire time nonetheless. If things ever got ugly, it's clear that the humans and elves of the gully would be in dire trouble.
Finally, there are the Dragovians. The Japs of my Nintendo-laden childhood were pathetic. They were near the bottom in World Cup and produced the worst character in the Street Fighter series, E. Honda. But this unique race--which seems a blend of Chinese and Japanese--is the most powerful in the DQ8 universe (perhaps this is supposed to serve as social commentary, since Japan is one of the most homogenuous countries in the world). It had remained closed to the outside world until one of its women left, fell in love with the human prince of Argonia, and produced the Hero. The Hero's grandfather, Chui Mein (a Chinese name) who accompanies the party in the form of the adorable Munchie, has a Japanese accent. The Dragovian equipment won from the trials is stylistically Japanese as well.
As is usually the case with entertainment produced in Japan and destined for the US, some points of significance are missed and other things that might not be intended to be controversial become so. The games usually go through a "localization" process before being released outside of Japan to address these issues. This didn't happen in the usual way with DQ8--sound effects were edited and voice-actors were included with the North American release, but the story and gameplay remained identical. There is little reason to think it should have been otherwise, but a couple of things stand out as areas that in the past might have attracted some edits.
The story twice touches on the 'hot button' issue of abortion. When you reach Empyrea's eyrie in an attempt to save her egg from the gryphon Demon, his destruction of it is lamented by the Godbird as the death of her baby--not her fetus, her embryo, or her scrambled egg breakfast.
Xia, the Dragovian mother of the Hero, courageously decides not to terminate her pregnancy, even though the birth kills her. That baby ends up not only saving the Dragovian race, but destroying the Devil in combat. Talk about the argument of potentiality being used!
Abortion is technically illegal in Japan except under special circumstances (that appear to be pretty wide-ranging), and is illegal after 21 weeks of gestation, at the point when the fetus becomes viable outside of the womb. The official abortion rate in the US is almost 50% higher than in Japan, although apparently the Japanese number is believed by many to be much too low. It's not as contentious an issue as it is in the US (though nowhere is the issue as contentious as in the US, partly due to the fact the the US has the some of the most liberal laws on abortion in the world, surpassing even Western Europe). In any case, the story should make pro-lifers happy.
David, a descendant of one of the Great Sages who is the devoted, obsequious servant of Dominico, is supposed to be a sympathetic character. He eptomizes one of the five relationships Confucious considered crucial--that of a subject to his ruler. Even for me, a conservative Westerner, he comes across as pitiable and naive. That he tolerates such despicable treatment from Dominico indirectly leads to his murder by Leopold. Pledges be damned, man, stand up for yourself! Why die for one who'd just assume you be dead anyway?
Again, the blind devotion to a ruler rears in Ascantha. The king, who by all accounts is a warm-hearted and generally good man, has essentially shut down the country to mourn indefinitely for the loss of his beloved wife, the queen. That kind of self-indulgent pouting is hardly acceptable in a leader of the West today (though this may be changing). It's not until he is able to relive memories of his wife that he realizes she would be disappointed with him going on in such a way. Only then does he allow the kingdom a return to normalcy.
One other occasion along the same theme appears. After Marcello has thrown High Priest Rolo and the rest of the party into prison at Purgatory Island, Rolo is incredulous at the suggestion that Marcello might have axed the Pope. Even though Rolo epitomizes everything Zwingli, Calvin, and Luther blasted the Catholic Church for, he can't imagine anyone on the inside taking out the highest ranking person in the world. Needless to say, that sort of treachery isn't so unfathomable--or even always reprehensible--in the West.
Dragon Quest VIII is a wonderful experience. If you've stepped away from the RPG world of your early years, you won't be disappointed in coming back. It gave me a higher level of enjoyment than just about anything else I've undertaken ever has. Still, no commentary would be complete without a few complaints.
Beginning the names of so many of the castles and cities with the letter "A"--Ascantha, Arcadia, Argonia, Alexandria--makes it difficult to keep straight who's from where and how these places relate with other towns and especially with one another. That Ascantha is a fictional name, and that the localizers almost certainly thought Argonia was as well (it's actually the name of an obscure town with a population of around 500 people in the southern center of Kansas), helps somewhat, because Arcadia is a real place in Greece and Alexandria was the Hellenistic intellectual center of the world for several centuries and second only to Rome in its prominence during the Roman Empire.
The Japanese are fascinated with gambling. Religion does not have the prominence in the East that it does in the US, so the attention we might assign to following the guiding hand of Providence is replaced by an obsession with luck.
The consequence of this in the DQ world is the assured appearance of the casino, where rare and useful items can be purchased but only with tokens that are prohibitively expensive to buy and so must be won at the slots and card tables. I heard of tricks to bend the odds in your favor, but of course they included reseting the game when you hit a rough spot. That's not my cup of tea, so I skipped the casino entirely. Thus, I never acquired the falcon sword and had to settle for only one meteorite bracelet (though the timbrel of tension+acceleratle one-two punch at the beginning of battle was a fine substitute for the latter).
Along the same lines, the Monster Arena is frustrating in that randomness is its foundational element. I was able to beat all but Morrie's team on my own, at which point I had to consult an online walkthrough. After assembling the suggested team, I gave it three shots. And my team still fell through each time! I never actually experienced victory there. The fools were obsessed with hitting the metal babble, despite the fact that he is the most difficult to put out of commission and is far less threatening than the servant of darkness!
Of course, if as the player you were able to actually control your monsters, it'd be a cakewalk. But their staggeringly poor tactics set you up for lots of defeats. Spending fifteen minutes watching my powerful but idiotic threesome snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and coming out 1,000 gold pieces lighter, in addition to an elevated blood pressure, isn't particularly rewarding. Even when victories are had, there is little feeling of accomplishment, since it's more luck than anything done on your part that determines the outcome.
Ah, the pangs of DQ8 withdrawal are painful to bear. I cannot help but wonder how long it will be before I'm drawn into worlds like these forever. Opium destroys a man, but it sure would be a pleasurable destruction...


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Oct 14, 2004
Oct. 14, 2004
Senior Kathryn Duffy led a record-setting contingent of MIT swimmers with one of the most dynamic performances by any individual at the NEWMAC Swimming and Diving Championships. Duffy set four individual MIT records in the 50 free (24.05), 100 free (51.82), 200 free (1:54.15) and 50 breast, and then added a fifth by anchoring the 800 free relay. Her splits in the 50 and 100 free clipped the automatic qualifying standard for the national championships, and her swims in the 50, 100 and 200 free shattered NEWMAC championship and open records. After the meet, Duffy was unanimously named the NEWMAC Women's Swimmer of the Year.
Adding to the women's accolades at the NEWMAC Championships was rookie Kate Thornton, who set an Institute record in the 500 free (5:05.39) and established a new conference record in the mile (17:37.74). Junior Jen Jen La'O broke the school records in the 200 IM (2:14.03) and 400 IM (4:41.72), senior Georgene Hilb set a new conference record in the 200 fly (2:12.34), and sophomore Melissa Dere scratched out the standing MIT record in the 200 breast (2:28.14). Jen DeBoer also landed in the record books, combining with Duffy, Thornton and Hilb in the 800 free relay (7:46.43). MIT finished second overall at the championship, but boasted seven qualifiers for the NCAA Championships.
Seniors Kathryn Duffy and Georgene Hilb, juniors Jen-Jen La'O and Jen DeBoer, sophomore Erin Zoller, and freshmen Kate Thornton and Stephanie Sidelko earned NEWMAC All-Conference First-Team honors. Sophomore Melissa Dere joined Thornton, La'O, DeBoer, Hilb, Zoller, and Duffy on the Second Team.
Representing MIT on the NEWMAC All-Academic Team were graduate-student Victoria Anderson, seniors Cindy Adams, Courtney Browne, Kathryn Duffy, Nicole Hou, and Aasia Salemuddin, juniors Jen-Jen La'O and Laura Shimmin, and sophomores Moria Chambers, Mabel Feng, Jolinta Lin, Maryann Racine, Catherine Smith, and Mary Williamson.
Four members of the women's swimming team were named honorable mention All-America for their efforts at the 2004 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Junior Jen DeBoer, senior Georgene Hilb, freshman Kate Thornton and senior Kathryn Duffy combined for a 16th-place finish in the 800 free relay, touching the pad in 7:54.02. Duffy also reached honorable mention All-America status in the 50 and 100 free, finishing the 50 in 10th (24.45), while closing out the 100 in 13th place (52.88).

subset: commoncrawl


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CROSS COUNTRY - The Bronc and Lady Bronc cross country teams begin post season action this week they will run at their conference meet in Gillette Friday.
Both teams had last week off to begin preparation for the post season Head coach Art Bauers says they've had a good season getting ready for the next two races.
And he says the process has gone well and they've had a lot of fun with younger teams this season.
Another busy high school sports weekend is in the books and Buffalo and Kaycee athletes had a tough one.
The Bison football team traveled to Lander to take on the Tigers and dropped their sixth straight game 21-0.
Buffalo is now 0-6 on the season and next up for them is a Friday game at home against Torrington.
BRONC FOOTBALL - The Broncs whipped Cheyenne Central 47-7 to run their record to 6-1, they welcome Natrona county to town Friday night
RAMS FOOTBALL - The Big Horn Rams won at Wheatland 28-26 coming from behind for the victory. The Rams host Moorcroft Friday at 1:00
EAGLES FOOTBALL - The Tongue River Eagles picked up their 2nd win of the season beating Wright 14-6. The Eagles travel this week to play at Newcastle Friday night.
COWBOY FOOTBALL - The Wyoming Cowboys Beat New Mexico 38-31, they host Colorado state this week.
The Sheridan Bronc football team bounced back in a big way Friday night on the road with a dominating performance against Cheyenne Central. The Broncs won 47-7 and move to 6-1 on the season. The Broncs will host Natrona Friday at Homer Scott Stadium.
The Big Horn Rams got an important win on the road defeating Wheatland 28-26. The Rams will host Moorcroft Friday in Big Horn.
Here's a look at the final scores from around the area tonight!
The Tongue River Eagles football team got their second win of the season Friday in Dayton, as they downed Wright 14-6. All of the scoring came early, as it became a defensive battle following the twenty points put up in the first quarter. Eagles Head Coach John Scott says that the play of the offensive and defensive lines is what allowed them to have success.
The coach says that it was a good win for the six seniors who suited up for their final game in front of the home crowd.
Check out all the action LIVE on 87.7FM or via the online stream
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL - We have a live high school football triple header for you today we get started this afternoon at Tongue River's home coming game with the Wright Panthers, Ron Richter has a preview.
The Big Horn Rams play at Wheatland tonight the Rams are 4-1 the Bulldogs are 5-0 we will have the game live for you on 87.7 FM kickoff is set for 6:00.
Rams Head coach Micheal McGuire says as advertised the Bulldogs have a very good team.


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Harvard's Dean Defends Felipe Calderon Appointment; Calls it 'Unique Opportunity'
The dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government is defending the university's appointment of former Mexican President Felipe Calderón to a one-year teaching fellowship.
In response to a letter addressed to Harvard by Mexican poet and activist Javier Sicilia and academic Sergio Aguayo, Dean David Ellwood said that the school has a history of welcoming world leaders of varying backgrounds to the Ivy League institution.
"The unique opportunity to engage in direct discussion with a former head of state is one that many of our students value greatly, even if they may disagree with some of that leader's policy positions," he wrote in a letter to Aguayo and Sicilia. "It is certainly not our intent to impact, nor do I believe that this fellowship affects, the ability of Mexico or Mexican citizens to address important national issues. I commend your deep commitment to your country and your efforts to move such issues forward."
The Mexican academics oppose the appointment because of the number of deaths attributed to the drug war under Calderón's administration
Sicilia, who started the Caravan for Peace movement in Mexico after his son was killed by drug traffickers in 2011, has been a vocal advocate for reducing violence in the country and became a major critic of Calderón's drug policy in the waning days of his administration.
During Calderón's six years in office, an estimated 70,000 people died in violence related to the country's ongoing drug war. An escalation in murders and other violent crimes arose soon after Calderón took office in 2006, when he declared an all-out military blitz on Mexico's drug cartels.
In response to Ellwood's letter, the two academics they promised to send the Kennedy School a number of ideas and proposals about the Calderón appointment.
"A pillar of democracy is the respectful exchange of ideas," they wrote. "In the coming days we will send a number of considerations accompanied by some proposals."
Some academics argue that appointments of former world leaders at U.S. universities are always divisive –such as Georgetown's appointment of former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe– but Calderón's hiring is even more controversial given the human rights crisis in Mexico.
"This one is even more so given the number of deaths in Mexico," said Monica Rankin, an assistant professor of history at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Rankin added that these types of movements against former world leaders will become more common in the future given the advent of social media and the ease in which information can spread.
Along with activists in Mexico, the former Mexican ambassador to the U.S. also lodged a complaint to the Kennedy School.
Ambassador Héctor Cruz Vasconcelos, a former Harvard student himself, has said that if the school maintained their fellowship with Calderón he would be in the "painful situation" to return his degree. Cruz Vasconcelos received a bachelor's degree in political from Harvard in 1968 and has since written for a number of publications published by the university.
"I believe that the presence of Calderón at Harvard contradicts the values of representative democracy, critical thinking and intellectual and personal honesty the University promotes," Vasconcelos wrote in the Mexican news site Sin Embargo. "I hope the Kennedy School reconsiders and is sensitive to the feelings of millions of Mexicans."


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Cheapest Man Alive? Guy Refuses To Pay $12 Cab Fare While Carrying $5,000 In Cash
If your cabbie is unable to bring you to a store selling cheap cigarettes, you should still pay him the $12.40 for the ride. That's not what one man thought, say police in Syracuse, N.Y. His cabbie failed him during a quest for cheap cigarettes, and he reportedly refused to pay up — even though he was carrying $5,000 in cash.
The Post-Standard says the 68-year-old man asked a cab driver to bring him to three stores on Monday. Each time, says the arrest report, he'd come back to the cab empty-handed, claiming the cigarettes were too expensive. After the third store, the cabbie asked for the fare and the man refused.
Yes, arrest report — he was charged with theft of services, a misdemeanor, when he told the cabbie to call the police over the disputed $12.40 fare. When police arrived, the man became uncooperative and still wouldn't pay.
He was placed in handcuffs and searched, which is when the cops discovered the $5K in cash he was carrying, says the arrest report. He declined to tell the police why he was so flush with cash, or why he was being so dang stingy.
*Thanks for the tip, Rowell!
Man stiffs cabbie of $12.40 fare, but had $5,000 in his pockets, Syracuse police say [The Post-Standard]
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.


text: GROWMARK Cookbook Proceeds Support Farmers Feeding the World December 13, 2012 10:28 PM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Farmers Feeding The World Farmers Feeding the World Farm Journal Foundation announced today that GROWMARK has made a donation to Farmers Feeding the World over and above its multi-year partnership with the anti-hunger and agriculture education initiative. The donation comes from the sales of a special cookbook created to celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives. GROWMARK employees and friends contributed their favorite recipes for the popular cookbook. GROWMARK's sponsorship enables Farmers Feeding the World to continue its efforts to protect modern agriculture's ability to produce the most abundant, affordable and safest food supply in the world. Such efforts include the HungerU mobile educational exhibit, which travels to colleges, universities and large festivals across the country, and the "FFA: Food For All" grant program, which funds FFA chapters to implement sustainable hunger solutions and education about agriculture in their local communities. "GROWMARK's generosity and creative programs are a shining example of what members of the agriculture community can achieve when we come together to face a challenge like hunger," said Charlene Finck, Farm Journal Foundation president. "GROWMARK's continued support of Farmers Feeding the World stems from our shared commitment to farmers and ranchers, and we are thankful for their partnership." Back to news


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The following post was written by Brett Bittner, executive director of the Libertarian Party of Georgia, and vice president of the Cobb Taxpayers Association.
After serving on the Steering Committee for last summer's "Get A Move On" Townhall, I was asked by the Civic League of Regional Atlanta to respond to three questions regarding the upcoming voter referendum on the Transportation Investment Act of 2010.
Originally, my responses appeared on their blog and in an e-mail newsletter. I've included the questions and my responses below:
What's good about the Transportation Investment Act?
When the Transportation Investment Act passed in 2010, it showed a genuine concern for the transportation issues here in Georgia, especially metropolitan Atlanta. Its passage also indicated a desire to address the failed attempts of the centrally-planned Georgia Department of Transportation attempts to improve the seemingly endless commutes for Atlantans. Legislators presented municipal and county officials an opportunity to work together to relieve congestion woes in a cooperative and efficient manner.
I appreciate the attempt, as well as the willingness to cede authority to bodies with stronger ties to the communities served in each region. Rather than attempt further planning at the state level, the TIA brings cities and counties with similar struggles and interests to the table.
What's bad about the Transportation Investment Act?
While the above attempts are admirable, the reality of the product returned is filled with projects that lack the intentions of the legislators who voted to pass the bill two years ago. Several legislators who voted for the bill have reconsidered their support after seeing the resulting project list prepared by the Atlanta Regional Roundtable. While roundtable members winnowed a massive "wish list" down to what could fit into the estimated revenues generated, those members pushed the goals of decreased congestion and increased mobility aside in favor of the vague and unquantifiable concepts of "economic development," "livability," and "jobs" that proponents and "education efforts" alike utilize when discussing the referendum.
The project list completely lacks any item that directly correlates cost and use. The most efficient allocation of funds occurs when there is a direct correlation between these two factors. The voter referendum considered July 31st only authorizes spending for the construction and implementation of the projects contained within the list without a mechanism to "invest" in the operation and maintenance of the $6 billion worth of new transit project "wants" in a region that needs solutions, rather than what amounts to taxes disproportionately allocated when compared to real world use. Both sides agree that over half of the taxes to be collected fund mass transit projects. Historically, use of mass transit in our region does not exceed 5% of the population and is in a state of declining use, so what sense does it make to have the whole pay for a majority of transportation options that less than 1/20th of us utilize?
What's the bottom line for (your organization)?
Both organizations I lead encourage a "No" vote on the July referendum, as the projects do not adequately address the mobility and congestion issues that the Atlanta region faces. Both the proponents and opponents point out that there is no "Plan B," which implies that the regional roundtable gave voters an "or else" ultimatum, rather than seeking a solution that solves the transportation issues facing the region. The General Assembly gave a tremendous amount of control and authority to a regional body in hopes of regional solutions, but received only favors to special interest groups and a mentality of "What can I bring home to my constituents?" in return.
I rarely, if ever, oppose a proposal without offering alternatives. As such, I offer the following solutions:
- After voters reject the referendum, start from scratch to determine the actual needs of the region, by including stakeholders in the discussions, rather than a handful of officials no one elected to represent them in this effort.
- Focus the production of a project list that addresses the issues of mobility and congestion with a strong relationship between the two using the resources and their level of commitment to fund them.
- Rather than continue the monopoly over such decisions to an overburdened and ever-growing leviathan government, allow private companies to propose projects they can build, maintain, and operate efficiently and independently of bureaucrats and a regional government entity.
How is that for a starting point from which to begin "Plan B" when voters reject this tax increase?


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Competitive Machining and city can find common ground
To completely revoke Competitive Machining's Industrial Facility Tax abatement cold possibly be the last blow to a business that seems like it could get back on its feet with a little help from lenders. It could cause eight more people to join the ranks of the unemployed in Arenac County and shut the doors of a business in the Industrial Park.
What's the City of Standish to do? It, along with the county, Standish-Sterling Schools District and the Bay Arenac Intermediate School District could use the other half of the funds it hasn't collected due to the IFT, but would it really be worth possibly causing more job loss?
Of course, how many other businesses receiving IFT's would follow if Competitive Machining were allowed to keep its tax break even though the contract was breached last November? No one wants to see a lineup of business owners with their hands up, which is why you can't be angry at Councilman Mark Winslow for being worried about starting a bad precedent.
But some common ground must be found to keep the people working at their jobs and to give the shop a chance to recall some people who have been laid off.
Perhaps Standish City Council, which is no doubt in a tough spot no matter what they decide, could cancel the last two years of the shop's IFT. This way, it could technically withdraw the IFT, maintaining its side of the contract, but it would do so with flexibility, passing over the collection of the abatement from the past ten years, a time frame in which Competitive Machining stuck to its side of the contract laid out in the IFT deal.
This issue should be decided at the next meeting of the Standish City Council. Hopefully, everyone involved, including representatives from the county, school and BAISD; and employees of Competitive Machining are in attendance. The more relevant voices heard, the better the compromise that can be reached.
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Sandra Lite 2012 SP5 (18.58)
SiSoftware Sandra (the System ANalyser, Diagnostic and Reporting Assistant) is an information & diagnostic utility. It should provide most of the information (including undocumented) you need to know about your hardware, software and other devices whether hardware or software.
It works along the lines of other Windows utilities, however it tries to go beyond them and show you more of what's really going on. Giving the user the ability to draw comparisons at both a high and low-level. You can get information about the CPU, chipset, video adapter, ports, printers, sound card, memory, network, Windows internals, AGP, PCI, PCI-X, PCIe (PCI Express), database, USB, USB2, 1394/Firewire, and so on.
* New features:
- Sandra now tells you when newer versions of BIOS, firmware or drivers have been released for your hardware (version, date of release, URL* of download)
- New Metro-inspired theme* for those running Windows 8. (* commercial versions only)


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This beautifully crafted pencil tray is functional and timeless with the warmth of wood and the coolness of design.
All Ethnicraft collections use Oak only sourced from managed forests in Europe. The stylish furniture is finished with a pigmented hard wax oil. The protective finish forms and natural coating, repelling most common substances and fluids. These natural products with natural coatings will age beautifully with time.
We accept the following payment methods, credit cards (Visa, MasterCard or Debit cards only), BACs transfer in to our account, or PayPal. We do not except American express. Most items are in stock and will be dispatched immediately therefore full payment is required at point of sale.
We are also committed to ensuring that your information is secure. Our website is both PCI compliant and SSL Secure.


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Variety is the spice of life. I've come to enjoy a really, really big spice cabinet. A reminder of that showed up in my inbox recently with a newsletter announcing some of the menu items for the 2013 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at Disney World. We stumbled upon that event three years ago when Sherill and I went to Disney World with my sister and her daughter. It wasn't even on our radar, but the banners and everything else inside the front gate at Epcot announced it quite clearly. The whole event turned into one of our best finds ever. We went from country to country around World Showcase at Epcot and sampled small portions of a wide variety of food from each nation. It was a great way to get a small sample of a wide variety without waiting in line forever.
A mental note was made to return at some point. That not only happened -- it kind of became an addiction. In fact, when we were at Disney World with our parents in February, we noticed some signs for the upcoming Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot in April and May. The new addition to this year's festival was food booths similar to those at Food & Wine Festival. It looked like a genius move to me. Not that the flowers and everything weren't totally doing it for me…
I was at the weekly hay auction in Fort Atkinson one Wednesday in early April. It was a day or two after the column about our parental Florida adventure was posted. One of my friends and frequent consignors, Paul, looked at me when I walked up and asked, "What are you doing here? I figured you'd be at Disney World!"
Uh, well, I sheepishly admitted, we leave on Saturday, as a matter of fact.
Paul turned to Billy, who trucks a lot of my hay and has been in a story or two over the years, and they both started to laugh. Then they began piling on about what they felt was an excessive amount of vacation time on my part. I mentioned the fact that the columns have to come from somewhere. That's when Paul realized that the vacations end up generating revenue for me. "He's getting paid to go to Disney World, Billy!"
Well, there is that.
Adventure to Flower and Garden Festival
Our adventure at Flower & Garden Festival included several new things for us. To break up the old routine, we stayed at a different location. Our previous favorite had a combination of limited availability and a new price increase. We decided to go with another outlet. It was a condo in part of the establishment where we had done a time-share visit/torture session the previous year. We ended up being quite impressed with the place. It may be our new favorite.
After a long winter in the Midwest, some sun in Florida is never a bad idea. Toss in the lovely greenery and floral background of the festival and it gets a whole lot easier to take. The food was a bit of a plus, but not nearly to the extent that it is during Food & Wine Festival. Even so, we did discover a couple of new favorites. Shrimp has always been one of my favorites. A booth called Florida Local has had some Shrimp Ceviche with Zellwood Sweet Corn at Food & Wine Festival (FWF) that is outstanding, in my opinion. They had it at Flower & Garden Festival, so I was reasonably content in short order. We also stopped by The American Experience Smokehouse for a pulled pork slider with coleslaw and some exceptional chocolate cake.
Like we did at so many places, we left saying, "What a country!" in our best Yakov Smirnov voice.
Another stop took us to Animal Kingdom one day. We did the safari tour to see all of the animals of Africa in their pseudo-natural surroundings. After that, it was time to eat. We decided to experiment and try the African buffet at Tusker House. Nothing really stood out as an African food when we thought about what we might end up eating, but the buffet did not disappoint. Unfortunately, the lighting inside isn't the greatest, so the photos of the menu didn't turn out clear enough to read. Just take my word that a trip to Tusker House for the buffet should be on your must-do list! Add in some photo time with Mickey and it's even better.
There were still other options out there. On a whim a couple years ago, I walked up to the front desk at Le Cellier, the Canadian steakhouse at Epcot. Sherill had decided to spend the day at the pool back at the condo, so I was flying solo. Reservations are hard to come by at Le Cellier, I'd heard, but this was mid-afternoon, and I was a party of one, so why not give it a shot?
They got me in within two or three minutes and I enjoyed some of the best filet mignon, pretzel bread and cheddar cheese soup I've ever had. We now make a point of going to Le Cellier whenever we can.
Insider info
Our server at Le Cellier on our last visit was a very friendly young lady. We will call her Andrea. She was quite chatty. The place wasn't terribly packed in the middle of the afternoon, so that may have given Andrea more opportunity to stop and visit with her customers. We learned a lot about the Disney program for foreign students. We also learned a lot about what actual employees at Disney (they call them cast members) like to do at the park. Inside information is usually the best.
Our Canadian new best friend did not disappoint. She had a couple of recommendations for us once we had mentioned where we had already been. The one that seemed to stand out, though, was not even on our radar. It was a restaurant in The Grand Floridian Hotel near The Magic Kingdom.
Sherill and I had seen The Grand Floridian a few times as we went by on the monorail, but we had never stopped by to check it out. My hunch was that it was a bit spendy. A quick look at the website revealed rooms start at $540 per night, so my hunch seemed pretty good. There were a couple of restaurant options at The Grand Floridian, but we were on a mission to find one in particular, based on Andrea's glowing review Citricos.
Andrea had mentioned two items that caught our attention and steered us to Citricos. The first was raspberry air. It was a light and fluffy dessert concoction that Andrea said was one of her all-time favorites. The other one was lemon snow. That is another light and fluffy dessert item that is somewhere between cotton candy and slush. It's made with some process that involves Nitrogen so that it packs a great lemon flavor and sort of disappears into thin air once you get it into your mouth. Tremendous flavor with almost no substance. Sort of a home economics meets chemistry deal. It is one of the best inventions ever, I think. It has to rank right up there with Chocolate Vapor. (Copyright that. Guy No. 2 invented Chocolate Vapor using his A.I. tank and a Milky Way. It will probably make me the next Food Network Star!)
The ambiance in Citricos was quite relaxing. It was definitely an upscale place. The sound of a harp filled the room as we made our way to our table. A quick glance down the wine list clued me in on just how upscale this place was. The cheap stuff was $140 a bottle. Then there was the $1200 stuff, as well as the $1800 stuff. To round out the list, there was the $3000 stuff. Yep, I could either get a bottle of wine or a gooseneck trailer load of high-end, dairy-quality hay. Decisions, decisions!
My meal started off with a delightful number of the chef's creation. Not only did I not catch the name of it, but I also failed to take a photo. It included a slice of blood orange and a few other items neatly arranged in the center of the plate. When I told our server about my column and my desire to get photos of the food for it, she not only told me about the item, she went back to the kitchen and grabbed another one for me! Then she had the chef come out and chat with us. The chef loved my business card. (Thanks, Jill!) He was intrigued by both our high-quality beef cattle production involvement and our role in the production of raw honey. It is entirely possible that Buzz In A Bottle may be finding its way to the kitchen at Citricos at some point in the future. You can never have too many connections.
Every option at Citricos is an adventure. My first course was sautéed shrimp, which was outstanding. Sherill went with the cheese course trio. That one had a variety of cheeses. One was a Gorgonzola, which she loved. Even the bread with her cheese tray was incredible. The whole thing seemed to be quite hoity and toity.
Then came the salad selection. I went with the Florida King Farm peaches & baby greens salad. I didn't think I'd ever find myself saying this, but the spiced walnuts really worked well as a complement to the other greens. This wasn't the regular iceberg lettuce with some Western French dressing on it that I've been used to over the years. It could be that my horizons were actually getting broadened too quickly.
Now came the big decision. It was main course time. A couple items were automatic disqualifiers -- no chicken and no tofu. I consider neither of them to be food fit for humans. That narrowed down my list to filet of beef, braised short ribs, braised veal shank, Berkshire pork, swordfish and cassola fregola sarda. That last one kind of caught my attention. It was a mix of shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and Peppadew Coulis. That says seafood smorgasbord to me, so I went with that choice. I have access to beef and pork on a pretty regular basis, but seafood is a different story.
The dish presented to me was much larger than I expected. It sure looked like all that seafood floating around in the giant bowl probably came with a good-sized undertow! Dedicated diner that I am, I dug in and got to work. Once again, it felt like a brilliant decision. Sure, it was no giant turkey leg from a food cart at The Magic Kingdom, or an $8 hot dog at a quick-service outlet elsewhere in the park, but it hit the spot.
That spot seemed to be an easy target at Citricos. The final big decision of the night was the dessert choice. This wasn't a question of if I'd have dessert. Come on, get real. It was a question of which one. I didn't see lemon snow on the menu anywhere, so I went with the next best option. That would be lemon-scented cheesecake with a blanket of white chocolate ganache. First of all, I love anything lemon-flavored. Secondly, a guy can never get too much ganache. I can't remember how many different times a doctor has looked at my lab results and said, "Mr. Ryan, your serum ganache levels are dangerously low. See what you can do about that."
Doctor's orders
Doctor's orders. That's why I go with prescription-strength ganache whenever I can. More people should, in my professional opinion.
Sherill went with a seasonal berry gratin with a Champagne-Grand Marnier Sabayon. How many times have you been at a farmers market fruit stand and said to yourself as you picked up your succulent fruit, "You know what this needs? MORE BOOZE!!!"
Thought so.
By the time we were done, it was far and away not the cheapest meal we'd ever had. This wasn't a cost issue, though. This was about value. We definitely got tremendous value out of the experience. I mean, where is a hillbilly like me ever going to find food like that so easily again?
Okay, okay, I know where. Thanks to the Internet, I know when, too. Epcot Food & Wine Festival starts on September 27th and runs through November 10th. After a huge price drop yesterday, I just bought my plane tickets last night.
There's a food frontier out there. I need to explore it.


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The All Saints spring/summer 2013 lookbook brings a variety of versatile yet edgy ensembles for the sandal season. No matter how many trends we experiment with, the fondness for the casual jeans and tee combo never seems to lose its appeal one bit. Aside from the natural inclination return to all time favorites, edgy yet deceivingly simple combos like the ones from the new All Saints lookbook always seem to attract attention effortlessly. A modern allure and a few trendy vibes are enough to create a gorgeous look as the new alternatives eas... Read More


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Update January 29
The Golf option has been added
Multi SportAfter effect CS5+ Hight energy sports animation,can be use in any kind sport related intro,the modular structure allow you to manage the order of the comp and create some cool bump in and out.
Some of the place holders areon stage more time in order to give the user the time to read or watch the content.
Versions4 different modular versions with different sports:
4 different colors,
comps ready, replace your signs and place holder and render.
SpecificationsFull HD 1080 p,30 fps, object buffer pre render in h264, rgb passes in higher quality. If you want can uses only the jumbo of the main scenes,without any ball.The flying element at min 1.05 can be take off, leaving the jumbo only.
In the main comps I left the multi pass layers in order to give you extra control on the final look of the animation.
The starting part are prerender without multi pass.
If you need more multi pass or higher quality sequence please key me know. The native render as been made in 1080 p tiff 16 bits. Motion blur has been render in the 3d app, so you don`t need to deal with extra MB in your file.
PluginsOptical flares, Particular and starglow have been pre render.Enable the visibility of the pre render comp and you are ready to go.
CompatibilityExpression Universalizer script s has been run in the project.You should be able to open the project in different language. This file is compatible with After Effects version CS5 and higher.
Different sports versions can be made in the future if there are any request.
HD preview and after effects tutorial on line
Thanks for your time
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C Hill Cipher
Budget $10-30 USD
In this assignment you'll write a program that encrypts the alphabetic letters in a file using the Hill cipher where the Hill matrix can be any size from 2 x 2 up to 9 x 9. Your program will take two command line parameters containing the names of the file storing the encryption key and the file to be encrypted. The program must generate output to the console (terminal) screen as specified below.
Command Line Parameters
Your program compile and run from the command line.
The program executable must be named "hillcipher" (all lower case, no spaces or file extension).
input the required file names as command line parameters. Your program may NOT prompt the user to enter the file names. The first parameter must be the name of the encryption key file, as described below. The second parameter must be the name of the file to be encrypted, as also described below. The sample run command near the end of this document contains an example of how the parameters will be entered.
Your program should open the two files, echo the input to the screen, make the necessary calculations, and then output the ciphertext to the console (terminal) screen in the format described below.
Note: If the plaintext file to be encrypted doesn't have the proper number of alphabetic characters, pad the last block as necessary with the letter 'X'. (Yes, this is different from what is in our class slides, but it is necessary for us to do this so we can know what outputs to expect for our test inputs.
Encryption Key File Format
The encryption key file will store a single positive integer, n (1 < n < 10), on the first line, indicating the number of rows and columns in the encryption matrix. The following n lines will contain the contents of each row, in order, of the encryption matrix, separated by spaces.
Format of the File to be Encrypted
The file to be encrypted can be any valid text file with no more than 9991 letters in it. (Thus, it's safe to store all characters in the file in a character array of size 10000, including any padding characters.) Please note that the input text file will also generally have punctuation, numbers, special characters, and whitespace in it, which should be ignored. You should also ignore whether a letter is uppercase or lowercase in the input file. Thus, you should treat 'A' and 'a' the same in your program.
Output Format
The program must output the following to the console (terminal) screen:
Echo the input key file
Echo the input plaintext file
Ciphertext output produced from running the cipher against the input plaintext file.
The ciphertext output portion should should consist of only lowercase letters in rows of exactly 80 letters per row, except for the the last row, which may possibly have fewer. These characters should correspond to the ciphertext produced by encrypting all the letters in the input file. Please note that only the alphabetic letters in the input plaintext file will be encrypted. All other characters should be ignored.
What to Turn In over WebCourses
You must submit this assignment in the form specified at the top of this assignment.
Program Notes and Hints
Your program must read in an input plaintext file that may contain uppercase letters, lowercase letters and non-letter characters. Your program must distinguish between these three groups so that only the letters get encrypted. All non-letter characters in the file are simply skipped and not counted as part of the plaintext. Please note that although both upper case and lower case letters will be encrypted, your program should not treat them differently, that is, the program should process an upper case input letter the same as the corresponding lower case letter, i.e., it should treat an 'A' the same as an 'a'.
One possible breakdown to solve this problem is as follows:
1) Write a section of code or function that reads only the upper and lower case letters in the input file into an char array of size 10000, storing only the appropriate lowercase letters in the character array.
2) Write a section of code or function that takes as input the array from section 1 and the encryption key and produces an array of ciphertext storing only lowercase letters.
3) Write a section of code or function that takes as input the array storing the ciphertext and outputs it to the screen in the format specified. Additional functions or code will be needed to echo the input key and plaintext files.
Sample Key File
9 12 13 1
7 3 6 9
8 4 2 1
10 5 15 3
Sample Input File
Security professionals have said for years that the only way to make a computer truly secure is for it to not be connected to any other computers, a method called airgapping. Then, any attack would have to happen physically, with the attacker actually entering the room and accessing the computer that way, which is incredibly unlikely. In the case of computers containing highly sensitive information, additional, physical security can always be added in the form of security guards, cameras, and so on.
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have uncovered a vulnerability in all computers, however, which can be exploited regardless of an air gap. It's a vulnerability which you'd never suspect, and it's one that's hard to fight against. All CPUs emit electromagnetic signals when they are performing tasks, and the first thing these researchers discovered was that binary ones and zeroes emit different levels. The second thing they discovered is that electromagnetic radiation is also emitted by the voltage fluctuations and that it can be read from up to six meters away. These signals, by the way, are known as side-channels, and they are well-documented in the cryptography field.
Corresponding Output File
Sample Run Command
C or C++ program:
prompt> ./hillcipher [url removed, login to view] hill-16spring-01
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Knowing The Government Is Spying On You Changes How You Act
from the if-you've-done-nothing-wrong? dept
These are the things that many people simply don't recognize about the psychological impact of a surveillance state. When you have no real downtime -- no time when you can be free from prying eyes, it messes with your brain in a really profound way. This short segment (just 8 minutes long) really highlights how much a little thing like the inability to ever speak to someone privately changes your entire way of speaking and communicating. As we seem to be drifting rapidly towards such a surveillance state, these are the issues that we should be thinking about and understanding. There may be certain benefits to being able to do widespread surveillance, but we should not and cannot ignore the costs.


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One Piece "Haki" Thread [Manga]
In recent storylines, we've learned of a powerful ability called "Haki" (which has also been translated as "ambition" or "spirit") which was demonstrated by Red-Haired Shanks when meeting with Whitebeard (he actually first uses it in the very first chapter against a Sea King, but we didn't get any actual explanation of it until much later, so I guess you could say that his display on Whitebeard's ship was the first "official" demonstration of Haki) . In the current manga storyline, we have signs of Haki awakening in Luffy, when he knocked out Duval's bull without actually doing anything. Not long afterwards we're introduced to the Pirate King's first mate, Silvers Rayleigh, who has full mastery of the ability (and was most likely the one who taught it to Shanks in the first place). It's my view that Haki may be one of the most important abilities in the series, and may even be the key to beating opponents with Logia powers without exploiting their weaknesses through a gimmick (though I actually do enjoy the gimmicks, myself ;)).
I think that Rayleigh will teach Luffy a little something about Haki before the crew leaves the Sabaody islands, which will result in a new power-up for Luffy in the future (Gear 4?). I also believe that Zoro knows Haki to an extent as well, though not the same type that we've seen from Shanks or Rayleigh. His "Haki" seems to be more "demonic", to the point that it's visible to people (like with his Asura technique). It may even be possible that Haki is what Zoro needs to hear "the breath of all things". Indeed, Haki may be capable of all sorts of miracles in the future....
So, what are your views on this mysterious power? Discuss!
First, just want to point out that the first time Haki was demostrated was when Shanks saved Luffy in a flash back from a Sea King.
For me, it is evident that it must be some way to defeat Logia users without resorting to their natural weakness, how could Shanks and Whitebeard otherwise have held their position for so long?
Now, I think (and hope) that Haki is very exclusivly, and that not every high ranked none Logia user has it. We have seen Zoro developing something, when he has his encounter against Mr. 1 and he has his experience on the brink of death he was able to "the breath of things", and also Asura. I don't think that is a sort of Haki, Haki seems to affect your opponent, via strengthen his fear or blowing him out cold, which differs from Zoro's spirit. Zoro's spirit seems to affect himself.
That may of course just be another "version" or "side" of Haki.
Regarding using it versus Logia users (both Zoro's and Shanks spirit) I don't think it will present an easy win just because you are able to hit them, you saw how long Enel struggled against Luffy and his body was very weak. It will just bring down these invincible Logia users a notch where they can be defeated if you are stronger than them.
On the topic of Luffy's power up, I don't think he will gain additional gears since he destroys his body little by little when he uses the gears. Tha may present an ending of course if he continue using gears, he dies after winning the final battle at Raftel because he has over strained his body with using his gears.
Actually, I was already aware of Shanks using it on the Sea King... but I just meant that we had the first "official" demonstration of the power when he met Whitebeard (I'll rephrase my first post to reflect this). And I never said that Haki would make fighting Logias easier... after all, Luffy would still have a rough time against someone like Aokiji since he can instantly freeze Luffy regardless of weakness. Let's just say that Haki would somewhat "even the odds" against Logias....
As for a possible Gear 4.... it doesn't necessarily have to involve Luffy manipulating his body in a new way. It could even be the case that Gear 4 would be the same as Gears 2 and 3, but with Haki-powered attacks. But whatever crazy new power-up Luffy gets, it shouldn't be too long before it's revealed....
I am beginning to think that "Haki" may even be the pivotal factor as to how to defeat Doflamingo in a fight. I have tried to conjure up a possible weakness for this villain but he seems to be practically invincible in a one on one fight considering that he can just stay back and control his opponent rendering them absolutely helpless and at his mercy. Since "Haki" can be described as the expulsion of one's strong will or ambition, it can attack from quite a distance as we have seen and this would be a good way to contend with Doflamingo in long-range fights.
With how you guys explained this "Haki" technique, I'm guessing Nami will have to learn it in order to defeat Jimbei at Fishman Island. It would be much interesting to see Nami go against that fishman dictator. :D
I dont know but the counter ability just making Haki look weak.I mean Law+Kidd adn even their crew didnt even feel the Haki.If Haki cant even overpower a supernova, then how in hell Luffy's gonna use it on an admiral/yonkou/shichibukai? Only possibility coming into my mind is that Rayleigh's Haki got tuned down of power for his advanced age and spreading the Haki into a large room filled with people instead of just 1 person...Maybe Luffy can be able to spirit burst higher enemies rather than just some supernovas with his age.
I had the impression that Rayleigh didn't use the full extent of his Haki in the auction house... it looked like he concentrated a not-too-powerful burst on everybody but Luffy and co. Maybe if the Haki burst were stronger Law and Kidd's crews would have been KO'ed as well (remember how that one guy from Law's crew just barely withstood the attack?).
Also... I was wondering if Rayleigh's comment about Roger "hearing the voice of all things" was something that was Haki-related. Heck, it may even be connected to Zoro's hearing the "breath of all things", as well....
I mean no disrespect, maybe I'm missing something, it's just that if Nami wanted to be the one to face and defeat Jimbei one versus one on these grounds, it just feel very farfetched. It would be a total contradictory to what we have seen of her personality so far, she seems very happy to let the Monster Trio (especially Sanji) fight all the battles if possibly, also we have seen her blackmail Zoro, taking advantage of Luffy and Sanji just to fight for her interest. By the way, if Nami wants to face Jimbei herself because on that farfetched idea that he let Arlong come to West Blue, why didn't she want to face Arlong himself then? Nami is a coward, though not as much as Usopp (of course ;)) her main concern in any dangerous situation is herself, so why would she not let Luffy fight for her if she now want Jimbei beaten so badly.
No actually, Arlong did not leave Jimbei of his own accord. Take Bellamy for example who was under Don Flamingo, they werent together but they were still part of the same crew. Since Don Flamingo and Jimbei are Shichibukai they cant be seen with pirates.
Im not saying they have to give up their crews. They're allowed to have crews. They just cant have PIRATE crews.
I was just pointing out that perhaps Arlong did not leave of their own accord but I see your point. As long as the Shichibukai help maintain peace, the World Government could care less about what they do. I also doubt though that Nami would fight Jimbei. Maybe with other crew members but not by herself.
On that, I agree. I see no reason why Nami would have any problem with Jinbei...besides the fact that he is a Shichibukai :).
I guess it was something wrong translated about the shichi explanation of Johnny/Yosaku.Its up to crew of Shichibukai to being the dogs of World goverment or keep protecting their own honor code as pirates and leave the crew.
Arlong and his sidekicks probably foreseen that WG will never treat them as same as any human in their ranks.He choose to become a lesser pirate rather than working for humans since he is a total racist character.
Its funny that brand new Haki thread going shichibukai thou..and Im supporting it.Now back to haki you ! :heh:
Edit: I thought that only D's had haki power at first but now considering that Shanks Leroux and Silvers Rayleigh dont even have a D in their names Its impossible.But so far all haki users we seen were all from the same ship (except Luffy) considering that Gold Roger made it to Raftel and acquired the lost history and One Piece.Its a possibility they might've got Haki from there? But then why Buggy didnt even have a little Haki power...Talking about it, it is revealed that Shanks and Buggy were at the execution that day.That means both Shanks and Buggy have experienced the new world %100 since the execution was just a day after Roger disbanded them.Shanks proved himself as being a yonkou successor of his former captain, but why did Buggy become such a clown gang leader after conquering grand line and witnessing such danger?
Well, since we're talking about Shichibukai, I think I'll paste what I said in the chapter 510 thread:
Plus, it would be kind of fitting for Mihawk to know Haki since he was a former rival of Shanks. ;)
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|2010-07-06, 04:27
|Link #1
Anxious bookseller
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Shibuya Psychic Research
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos Discussion
Ok we all know based on the end to rpi 64 there will be a FMA:B movie in the future. Not a lot of info is known at the moment. This thread will be for the discussion of any movie related info and I'll update it this opening post as the info becomes available.
Normal forum rules apply to this thread
Discuss your expectations of the movie.
Be polite to your fellow forum members.
Please try to keep the discussion on topic.
Have fun.
Last edited by White Manju Bun; 2010-09-23 at 04:36.
|2010-07-06, 06:39
|Link #2
Join Date: Jan 2004
Age: 37
Well, I don't know if this is really a Brotherhood movie or not. What differs Brotherhood from the original FMA anime would be the staff involved (new director, new writer, new character designer, etc) and the fact that it's a reboot based faithfully on the manga storyline.
The Japanese title for Brotherhood is 鋼の錬金術師 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, or shortened to 鋼FA. The announcement for the movie simply said it is a theatrical feature of 鋼の錬金術師. Honestly, it could be anything, and might not be related to Brotherhood at all.
I guess we really don't have anything to go on right now. The director of Brotherhood has posted on his twitter account that he isn't involved with this movie though, so whatever it is, it might not even be animated by BONES, or like the first post suggests it might not even be animated!
|2010-07-06, 07:51
|Link #3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Possible life action movie? I don't want that
Japan creates great animes but their movies are pretty bad for my taste =/
So far I haven't fully watched a single live action movie based on anime...
So I really hope that that's not the case.
|2010-07-06, 09:06
|Link #4
The Star of hope
it's most probably a mash up of the old and new series via :
a.) The main timeline Brothers finding another gate that leads to the world of the First anime.
b.) Edward from the first series accidentally enters the Brotherhood world.
|2010-07-06, 10:43
|Link #6
Beautiful fighter.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: England, UK
Age: 32
|2010-07-06, 13:15
|Link #8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
I would lol at crossover. Imagine Ed from 1st season comes to visit Winry and then he is hugged by two kids caling him daddy and by Winry who calls him "darling"
Poor guy would have a shock of a lifetime
And Al sudenly has a girlfriend too
|2010-07-06, 14:12
|Link #9
Let's Puppystyle!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Best Place In The WORLD
Age: 26
Man i'm not too excited about this live-action movie...from what I've seen, live-action movies usually end up sucking hard.
Why couldn't they just do some kind of continuation of the end of brotherhood...like some details on the research they found or what not and the whole family (i want to see moh winry x ed!!).
If they WERE to do a Live-Action though, it really should be about the Ishbal war...and I can see how that won't turn out too bad...if anything, it could be really good if done right
|2010-07-06, 15:42
|Link #10
It will be two hours about the origin of Mustang's moustache! With an hour and a half only consisting of zooming in and out onto the object in question. That's the reason they added it!~
I think crossovers between the first series and the manga is more fanfiction realm than a good idea for a movie. Would demand too much knowledge and focus from the audience ... and honestly even a recap film would be better
A cool thing would be a little story set after the end of the series, written by our favorite cow Arakawa, illuminating the lifes of the characters a bit. Even so, it would kill the mood set by the last chapter and the "they move forward"-feel quite a bit.
A retelling of the Ishval arc would be very awesome, but I doubt we'll get that.
|2010-07-06, 20:56
|Link #12
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: France
This article is full of sh*te.
No one from bones attended the french convention.
Dybex (the french distributor) organized a special projection of the last episode in presence of the french dubbers.
Dybex confirmed there would be a movie, but they had do since the movie was announced at the end.
Dybex doesn't know anything more than that. (or doesn't want to tell more). No one confirmed it would be a live action movie.
|2010-07-06, 21:11
|Link #13
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
For the record I am pretty sure someone from Dybex (not Bones) told them it would be live action when they asked for more information about the movie. It is entirely possible that Dybex has incorrect information. It also might be possible that these two girls misunderstood.
I really don't think they are making this up though.
However I remember a similar thing happening with the number of episodes. A European magazine stated the series will be 63 episodes when there was no confirmation from Japan and others including US distributors said the info was false. In the end the series turned out to be 64 episodes but I believe it was scheduled for 63 episodes until the last minute.
Thus sometimes these type of rumors can turn out to be true. But of course we should take it with a grain of salt until we hear an official announcement from Japan.
|2010-07-06, 21:29
|Link #15
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
They asked the Dybex distibutor privately apparently.
And as for the Yasuhiro thing I have a feeling that was a mistranslation (English not being their first language). I don't think they meant to say Yasuhiro Irie was personally there. I am assuming what happened in France with the last two episodes was similar to what happened at Anime Expo.
|2010-07-06, 23:20
|Link #16
It's VACATION TIMEEEEE!!!
|2010-07-07, 00:36
|Link #17
from head to heel
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Age: 36
Well, if that's going to be the plot, it will be interesting to see how Ed will be like without his alchemy.
He's a good fighter, and his knowledge of alchemy is greater than most alchemists, but he's not going to last if he gets into a fight of superpowered proportions.
|2010-07-07, 00:39
|Link #18
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Hyrule
Age: 46
|2010-07-07, 01:31
|Link #19
Loving Romeo X Juliet
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: City of Angels
Out of all the live action movies I've seen so far, NILL have been decent. Indecency runs rampant in Live action movies I tell ya
Nah but seriously, take Saikano. I loved all the forced feelings and emotions that short series inflicted upon my vulnerable heart but overall it was very good (big soundtrack save!) and when they decided to make the live action movie my fantastic castle of cards came crashing down... Ohh the agony! The horrible acting!
To a certain extent, I can't find the right words to describe live action movies... maybe Foppá?
All in all, I am looking forward to a FMA Brotherhood movie as long as it is animated.
Last edited by CuXe; 2010-07-07 at 01:59.
|2010-07-07, 11:21
|Link #20
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Soooo... you do agree that live action movie for FMA won't work?
P.S. I never said that I don't like you
We just happen to dissagree on a lot of topics
But if you don't like me, I'm fne with that. It is impossible to be liked by everyone
P.S.S. Actually we have agreed on many things too, Inuyasha thread would be good example
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Dutch Whac-A-Mole Game Against The Pirate Bay Apparently Works Better Without Due Process
from the judicial-miscarriage dept
Of course, blocking sites on the web is impossible, and the silly continued whac-a-mole against proxies seems like a huge waste of time and resources that could have been put towards helping to develop compelling new business models. But, a much bigger concern is the process by which this latest proxy was shut down. Or, rather, I should note it's not so much the process, but the lack of due process. That is, a court ordered the proxy to be taken down without allowing the Dutch Pirate Party to testify on its own behalf:
The Pirate Party was not heard in the matter (ex parte) and according to board member "blauwbaard" the judge ignored their requests to be heard.A court ordering a website taken down without allowing the site itself to speak on its behalf? That seems pretty extreme. A proxy is simply a redirect in a case like this. It's something just about anyone can do, and chasing after each and every proxy -- and then not allowing them to speak for themselves in court, seems like a perfect example of trying to put the genie back in the bottle, no matter how much BREIN insists that's not their goal.
"The judge has decided to ignore our express and valid request to have the injunction either denied flat-out, or to at least be heard in the matter before a decision was made," blauwbaard states in a response.
"This decision is even more strange because BREIN was allowed to bring over 20 pages of arguments to convince the judge to stretch a quaint rule of IP-law, meant to block the sudden appearance of mass quantities of counterfeited goods, far enough to be applied to the website of a political party."
And, unfortunately, the story gets even worse, the more it moves forward. The Dutch Pirate Party replaced their proxy with a page that linked to other proxies as well as an explanation of their position. This seems like a classic free speech situation. Except... BREIN claimed that even those links to other proxies violated the injunction, and have demanded the party take them down as well. The Pirate Party appears to be getting ready to fight this, noting that BREIN keeps trying to rewrite the specifics of the court's order (i.e., trying to stuff that genie back into the bottle) every time a different website shows how ridiculous it is to ban internet access to a website.


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RED SPRINGS � The sheriff's office in Robeson County is accusing a woman of setting fire to her home in Red Springs in an attempt to collect insurance money.
Fire investigator Lt. Brian Duckworth said 39-year-old Marcia Reanee Chavis was charged with fraudulently burning her own dwelling, insurance fraud and obtaining property by false pretense.
Duckworth said the fire was reported on May 10. He said the fire started inside the home when a piece of clothing was ignited. Volunteer firefighters managed to put the fire out and prevented it from destroying the home.
Chavis and her two children lived in the home. No one was hurt.
Bail was set at $40,000. Chavis was scheduled to appear in court Friday. It wasn't known if Chavis had an attorney.


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Carter and Wesley's Boys' Room on a Budget
Name: Carter & Wesley
Location: United States
Since we found out we're having a baby girl this June, on the first of January I decided to get to work redesigning my son Carter's room into a space that he and his brother Wesley could share. That should leave me plenty of time to turn Wesley's room into a girly wonderland!
I found inspiration in a room I saw in Pottery Barn Kids magazine, but since that bed alone would've taken my entire budget I decided to find my own cheaper solution. I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out, especially after hearing the boys squeal with delight once I unveiled it to them!
I hated the idea of our oldest son always getting the top bunk, so when I found these little loft beds on Amazon they were the perfect (very affordable) solution. These are also shorter than traditional bunk beds, so I like that a) if the boys fall, they won't fall from very far (eek!!) and b) the top bunk won't be directly in the way of the upper window. I love the natural light and didn't want to add curtains.
The boys LOVE all of their new hiding spots, especially the forts under the bed. Those are definitely one of my favorite parts as well, but mostly because I can hide any of their ugly toys down there. Win!
While Wesley won't start actually sleeping in here for a little while longer (why convert him from a crib when he's still perfectly happy), he does enjoy playing in here. Specifically jumping on his bed... ugh!
Now that their room is pretty much complete, I'm excited to move on to little sister's space in February! A special thanks to my husband for assembling two beds and a bookshelf all in the same week! I promise no new projects for a couple of weeks!
Thanks, Jenny! Readers, you can see more of Jenny by visiting her blog, Jenny M. Reynolds.