text:
|2009-12-13, 00:13
|Link #1721
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Age: 29
I don't even care what hatsukoi sold because it was bad and in some parts trite. I think Kappa arc and painting girl arc were probably the only real good things to come out of that series. Medaka is frustrating because of the idol worship of medaka, as if the character is infallable, and everything she does is the epitomy of good and righteous. I'm sorry but to me that just screams bad writing because there are many cases where medaka is in fact not right yet the author keeps trying to pull the wool over our eyes and says that she is perfect.
Oneshot doesn't mean bad!! Some of adachi's best work is in his one shots. Also if you look seo koijima who wrote suzuka/ kimi no irumachi his BEST work is a one shot called Half & Half. One shots are way to get recognized in a very competive arena, they display your ability to tell a story in a set number of frames like short stories. If you look at raymond carver the master of short stories, I bet many of hist stories are more memorable than serials.
|2009-12-13, 01:25
|Link #1722
Final Elysium
Join Date: Jun 2008
Do people even read the words in this series? Medaka herself even says that she isn't right but she tries to be right. Unzen himself kept on criticizing her to the very end and even states how she may be wrong at various points. She just follows her own beliefs even if it means rejecting the reality around her. Medaka herself even states that she isn't perfect either and that she is full of contradictions more than once over the course of the series. In terms of her trying to do what she thinks is right, she does what most other shounen main characters do. If you can't be reasoned with she will beat you down if you are a threat to her friends and other people. (Or a threat to herself post-Nabeshima pep talk.) If you aren't in the first category, she will use her abilities to pressure you into what she believes is right which we saw with the kendo club and the members of the swimming club.
Being super human does not mean she is infallible. She is just "an abnormal even among abnormals" like the rest of the people in the 13 party so she seems that way at first glance. Lets not forget that Unzen thinks he is still right too and has a fair share of idol worship among his enforcers like Medaka has among her student council.
If anything, it just seems to be an ability among certain abnormals to garner that level of devotion from others. Of course Shiranui outright hates said ability which makes it even more interesting in a way.
|2009-12-13, 02:44
|Link #1723
The Shermain
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: NY
Age: 39
I believe the ideas in the manga are sound, even if it's not like the one shot. It's just that the execution of the story has been poor so far. There's some really good stuff in there and some really bad stuff as well. For example, we learn a lot about Medaka... And only Medaka as the series progresses, but next to nothing about the other characters outside of some basic personality traits. Characters come and go like it's a revolving door and there's just too much that feels random instead of actually funny. First they talk about Judo somewhat realistically and the next thing you know, buildings are being pulled down. I know that's part of being abnormal, but I feel a lot of inconsistency from the manga. It's trying to mix too much together, some of which seems diametrically opposed to each other. You can't have a realistic Judo match in one chapter and then a DBZ style fight in the next. It just feels weird. Some stuff works, some doesn't. It's almost as if Nishio is just tossing in whatever he can and is hoping it sticks. It's probably his attempt at satirizing the genre, which is fine, but satire really requires a deft touch to be successful, but it feels more like NisiOisiN is slamming it over our heads instead.
That's why the manga, though it has flashes of brilliance, has such a split audience.
I'd also like to see less Medaka and more of the other characters. She's nit a horrible character, but she just eats up way too much of the manga and I think it's hurting it. I've noticed that whenever the manga focus solely on her, it tends to drop to the bottom and does better on the less Medaka heavy chapters. I think people just got bored with the same old "Problem arises > Medaka makes a big speech > Medaka solves problem herself > repeat."
Last edited by KLGChaos; 2009-12-13 at 02:54.
|2009-12-13, 03:08
|Link #1724
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Age: 29
Stating that your flawed but acting pretentiously at all times does not make you a GOOD character. It makes you a character who is trying so hard to mask it's mary sueness yet still being a mary sue. As the saying goes, a wolf in sheeps clothing is still a fucking damn wolf. Although there's some add embellishment, Medaka really doesn't act like a person who questions her own motives, not only is she supremely confident in herself, the reader is LEAD to believe that she is perfect although she states that she is not perfect. Again it's not about what is said it is all about what is actually shown. And there really aren't any real points in the manga of what I have read that really show any depth to Medaka's character.
|2009-12-13, 03:31
|Link #1725
Lets be reality
Join Date: May 2007
|2009-12-13, 03:51
|Link #1726
The Shermain
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: NY
Age: 39
That's one if my biggest issues with Medaka. All those massive personality flaws, yet everyone seems to love her, which is unrealistic. Also, between her personality, the fact that we never know what she's thinking, and her being completely abnormal, it's impossible to relate to her as she doesn't even feel human. I've barely seen anything resembling emotion from her (another flaw) and for someone who has so much focus on her, the fact that we can't relate to her is a turn off to many readers, myself included.
Physically, she's a Mary Sue, but there's quite a few of those in the manga (the 13 for example). That was fine when the manga was a regular school life manga, when it was used for comedy puposes and not to solve
everything, but now that's it dipped in battle territory, it hurts the character because it makes things boring.
Last edited by KLGChaos; 2009-12-13 at 04:29.
|2009-12-13, 03:58
|Link #1727
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Age: 29
Look Mary Sue is a terrible way to characterize a character, it just shows the author's ineptness to make the reader feel real emotion toward her character. There is no depth there is no subtlety, there is no dynamic of humanity, it's just wish fulfillment and there are many times when Medaka could be portrayed as human in some plausible sense but unfortunately she's never given a chance. What's even more frustrating is that the author came up with characters like Araragi, Hitagi, Hakijuchi, who are all characters that have that humanity to them even though there in a completely outlandish world. The point is his characters don't live up to their potential and continue to just say they are not simple tropes when infact they are the embodiements of the tropes they state they aren't. Either this pure genius on the writer, or this is a case of so bad it's worse. Either way Medaka's nature/character are the least appealing parts about the manga, I find the kendo club flunkies more interesting, I think only reason I find medaka not completely boring is because she's willing to pantsu flash at pretty much any oppurtunity, but then again I prefer Toraburu's fan service far more than medaka. The point is it's a mary sue, even though the author is canon, I mean all her flaws just make this manga predictable and very bland.
|2009-12-13, 05:54
|Link #1728
Senior Member
I am not sure if the first manga was intended as one-shot or not, just that reviews it got were not particularly good.
Personally I think Nishio wanted to get serialized since the very beginning but his first two one-shots failed to attract the interest while Medaka Box did manage to do that, even if it later changed the genre that got it serialized quite a bit.
I am not comparing Medaka and Hatsukoi as manga, I am just using Hatsukoi as an example that 30 chapter is not necessarily a shounen 'infant' stage. Read a whole post, or is too much to ask for?
One-shots are not bad, there are some great ones out there, its just that not all authors cannot generate original ideas that fast and if most of projects are one-shots, he has to generate ideas faster than serialized author does (who can take the breaks by extending the arcs f.e.) - and despite what one may thing, our imagination is not limitless in a sense that it gets hard to generate great original ideas all the time. Serialization in a way helps you to take a break.
Even Nishio, on novels front, did not look particularly inspiring with his latest novel series (that is often said to be his worse so far). It still did pretty good, but it is more because of his name really rather than the novel itself being great. In fact if this series would be his debut novels I suspect many would have shrugged him off as mediocre writer.
So yeah, the one-shots are not bad but they do put a stress on the author if he/she wants to be making original ideas.
Last edited by Darknemo2000; 2009-12-13 at 06:17.
|2009-12-13, 12:18
|Link #1729
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
The entire point of her IS her Mary Sue character. She's basically perfect in every way and at the same time it's her downfall.
It sounds like most of you who hate her wants her to have a 10 chapter backstory about how her father died, she was molested by her brother, her mother has AIDs, she was an orphan afterward, raped by her 4 best friends, and in the end managed to preserve and trained herself to become a ultra powerful human being.
|2009-12-13, 13:08
|Link #1730
The Shermain
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: NY
Age: 39
While it's true that the manga may not be the most horrible thing in the world and it's tankoban sales are decent, it wouldn't be so low in the rankings every week (back in the bottom five again this week) if people actually cared for it. Most people are probably turned off by Medaka and the lack of any development for most of the characters.
Last edited by KLGChaos; 2009-12-13 at 13:25.
|2009-12-13, 13:29
|Link #1731
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Age: 29
if you didn't get that. Anyway it's because mary sue's are UNBELIEVABLE, you just can't connect to them because they are the embodiement of outlandish extremes of an author trying to live vicariously through a character. It's because they don't posses human qualities. Their intro to a scene suddenly gravitates all the action toward them when in fact the world doesn't work that way. The fact is that she is just annoying to consider herself supreme to those that aren't her, she's detached from the people she tries to help which is why it's peculiar to relate to her "kindness" or her "goals"
|2009-12-13, 15:55
|Link #1732
Final Elysium
Join Date: Jun 2008
Medaka is a God Mode Sue in a manga full of God Mode Sues. She clearly realized she wasn't the best around upon meeting the 13 party so she went to train more. Last time I checked, that qualifies as an action and not just a statement. Even now, she hasn't exactly had the easiest time with someone on her level. Not to mention there are people still sticking to their beliefs even after meeting Medaka. (Shiranui and Unzen)
Medaka even WANTS someone to oppose her as her vice-president because once again she does not always believe she is right and feels opposition can be a good thing. Asking Shiranui and Unzen to fill the vacancy is an action following a statement as well. This seriously is not that hard. -____-
Also last time I checked, being worried about loneliness and protecting your friends were human qualities. As well as a number of other things Medaka has shown and has been stated about her throughout the series.
Medaka is not the perfect or the most lovable character but people don't seem to care to give her any credit at all for the human aspects she shows...which I thought was what half of what people keep crying about. Her not showing human qualities.
I brought up reasons why the atmosphere of Jump is different now compared to when Hatsukoi ran. Regardless of Medaka being in an infant state or not, it doesn't matter as the space in Jump and room to dodge cancellation is higher. That is my only reason for going as in-depth as I did which you probably missed.
I read your post and saw what you were getting at (Cancellation for early shounen) which was the reason for what I posted. (evidence for it being less likely for a number of reasons)
|2009-12-13, 17:26
|Link #1733
Senior Member
I do not care if it was planned to grow for 100 or 5000000 chapters, if it ends with ch 30 thats it's 'adulthood' already.
So saying that for shounen 30 chapters is an infant stage is way too optimistic. Hatsukoi is not the only shounen who ended prematurely. And I do not care about potential or plans, I am talking about facts and facts show that 30 chapters is already a solid age.
|2009-12-13, 17:48
|Link #1734
Pajama Party!
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Nowhere
An end does not equate to full potentail or "adulthood", it simply means it's not continuing any longer. A key trait of shounen series is that they're typically expected to last for a few years before ending, if they're successful. When a series only reaches 30 chapters out of a typical 400, 300, 200, or even 100 chapters, then it is at a beginning level (or in its infancy if you prefer).
Anyway, I hope this one day makes it into the Big 3 after naruto/bleach end so all you haters can have plenty to hate on. xD And so I can get my never-ending Medaka anime. >.>
|2009-12-13, 18:09
|Link #1735
Still bad at Japanese
Join Date: Sep 2009
It's obvious that the problem isn't Medaka, it's Zenkichi and the supporting cast. Medaka isn't the greatest character but there isn't a strong supporting cast to have the readers to feel comfortable. Not only that but we know quite a lot about Medaka not so much about the supporting class.
|2009-12-13, 19:01
|Link #1736
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: USA
Yeah the Mary Sue aspect really does make it hard to connect with what's going on. It's a lot like Reborn in the early chapters actually, where he was established as being essentially impossibly perfect and far more powerful than even his other counterparts. Anytime he was on the scene there was never a sense of danger. With Medaka there isn't even the question of how she'll pull it off, she's just untouchable.
|2009-12-13, 20:57
|Link #1737
Final Elysium
Join Date: Jun 2008
I'm aware some manga don't make it to several hundred chapter length. The point is that when you kill an infant it is still an infant at the time of death. You seem to not understand that manga ending at low chapter counts like 30 does not in anyway make them "complete" or at "adulthood". The potential wasn't reached because it was cut short. Meaning that potential was just unused.
If half of a story's plot lines aren't resolved because it was pushed to end early it sure as hell isn't complete nor reached its adulthood.
You can keep on screaming the sky is falling all you like but fact of the matter is it hasn't and it doesn't appear to be falling in recent chapters.
Agreed that we could know more about other characters and that they could do more but I believe that Nishio has gotten better with this post Unzen.
Since the start of the Flask Plan arc we have had Nabeshima saving Medaka and teaching her a good lesson, Maguro training her and also telling her not to neglect herself, Akune and Kikaijima came and said they are not going to be left out of this despite Medaka trying to do so.
Kikaijima's abilities helped Medaka figure out the way through the labyrinth and before that Akune had to wake Zenkichi up after he was panicking over the door of rejection.
Honestly, if things like this happen with higher frequency and we do get more of the cast stepping up it will be a good thing. Whether people love her or hate her, most agree that one character can not normally carry a story all by herself. While Medaka is indeed the focus there is still room for other characters to do more without taking anything away from her.
|2009-12-13, 23:05
|Link #1739
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Even though the supporting characters have been given a bit more use in the latest chapters, I still feel it's really tacked on. I mean, so far there really isn't anything that'd make me feel like Medaka couldn't easily handle the entire thing by herself. The author is taking note that the audience wants the student council to be of more use, but Medaka is already so powerful and the council members so weak in comparison that it's very hard to write material that'd make them seem useful without breaking continuity.
That's really the problem with Medaka as a character. Even though she has these "flaws", there's really no consequence to her having them. A better development would have been if the student council was unable to prevent her from killing Unzen. That'd have set up a perfect scenario for character development for both Medaka and the entire student council. However, in typical shounen fashion they stopped her at the last minute, even though there's really no way they could have stopped her with her berserk strength.
Basically, there needs to be some sort of consequence for Medaka's mistakes, otherwise, there's no tension to the story at all.
|2009-12-14, 04:07
|Link #1740
Senior Member
Thats why dead or cut is the potential fulfilled since you do not have more 'growth' than this. But it is obvious that you believe that death does not matter to the potential and potential is something that escapes death (or being cut if we talk about manga) boundaries. Well good luck to you, but for me the death/cut is the final stop and the full potential because thats where it ends all-together.
It is good to be optimistic, but too big amount of that can make people look like fools.
|action, comedy, harem, nishio, romance, shounen, student council
|Thread Tools


text:
Star-Banner readers share their views on gasoline, Democrats, church and developer-controlled homeowner association communities.
Filled with danger
On the front page of the Jan. 20 Star-Banner is an above-the-fold article about how the gasoline tax revenue should be apportioned between the cities and the county. The color photo showing a man filling two 5-gallon plastic containers with gasoline is a how-to lesson in self-immolation, and should have been accompanied by a disclaimer emphasizing the dangers of static electricity.
I am not citing this photo to embarrass the subject, but to prevent his being injured or killed the next time he fills his containers, when he might not be so lucky, especially on a cool, dry day. Read the instructions affixed to each gas pump for safe filling of separate containers, and you realize that the friction of flowing gasoline generates an electrical charge which will build up until it creates a spark, if the container is not grounded in some way. The simplest way to ground it is the intuitive one: Set it on the ground. Also, the nozzle should always be held against the side of the filler opening.
I understand that it is more convenient to leave the container on the tailgate or bed of a pickup or in the trunk of your car, but avoiding the effort of lifting a 30-pound weight could cost you your life. Ask the attendant to do the lifting, or use a smaller (approved) container, if the 5-gallon size is too heavy for you. Then, you can enjoy your drive home instead of a trip to the ER.
David B. Keith
Rewriting history
In response to the writer of "Memory like an elephant," I have the memory of an elephant. I can remember Bill Clinton moving debt between what is owed to the public and what is owed internally to supposedly sacred trust funds like Social Security. For Democrats with no clear understanding of economics, that's the equivalent of paying your Visa bill with your Mastercard.
He also had the debt ceiling increased four times during his tenure. Do the math. If you have a surplus, you do not need to borrow money.
There was never a surplus. The surplus was a projection based on tax revenues continuing to increase as a result of the dot.com bubble (we all know that burst) and spending cuts (we all know those never happen under Democrats).
Your facts are incorrect on Bush. He did not ask the debt limit be raised 17 times, it was seven times between 2002 and 2008. During that time, we were reeling from the effects of the terrorist attack and waging two unnecessary wars. He also possessed traits of most Democrats — spend, spend, spend so that the 47 percent of you who pay no federal income taxes can continue feeding at the taxpayer-funded trough and vote these clowns back into office while the rest of us pay way more than our fair share.
You accuse Republicans of not remembering history, yet you Democrats continue to try and rewrite it.
Connie S. Hardgrove
Stone Creek
Go to church
Greater things have yet to come.
Some time ago there was a story in the Star-Banner stating that 65 percent of Marion County residents have no formal affiliation with any of the 515 churches here.
Let's do some math. Since there are around 400,000 people here in Marion County, that means that there are 260,000 people here that have no relationship with Jesus Christ.
I am 81 years old and have been going to church all of my life, but had no relationship with Jesus Christ until I started attending Bible Baptist Church a little over a year ago. I have learned more about the Bible and Jesus Christ in that short time than in all my life at the other churches.
I would like to invite all of the 260,000 in the county that do not know Jesus Christ to visit Bible Baptist Church any Sunday, or at least some church in our community.
Donald Ott
Fraud safe haven
Marion County is a safe haven for unlicensed residential contractors and developers intending to defraud their favored targets — seniors in developer-controlled homeowner association communities. Most associations operate properly, but some exceptions cause senior victims financial ruin and foreclosure.
Residential contractors need licensing, developers do not. Purchasing a home in a developer-controlled not-for-profit residential community association locks the buyer into a dictatorship for eternity. Some contractors and developers blatantly ignore laws while committing fraud, felony theft, discrimination and racketeering. Fiduciary responsibility is breached, providing perpetual unjust enrichment to the developer while homeowners have no voting power or representation.
One troubled community involves an unlicensed contractor, the president of a bank closed by federal regulators, an attorney disbarred for misappropriation of funds and a licensed manager with a real estate broker license revoked for fraud.
A senator stated, "Ask the attorney general to seat a special prosecutor and convene a statewide grand jury for corruption and ask for the governor's support."
Lack of prosecution perpetuates the fraud. The elected state attorney posts his commitment to advocate for the interest of all victims and hold offenders accountable. He has not fulfilled his commitment.
A home purchase brings indisputable rights to peaceful enjoyment and equal protection under the law. Sheriff Blair is encouraged to expeditiously assemble a task force for serious investigation and prosecution of developer and community association corruption and racketeering in Marion County.
Don Kronen

subset: commoncrawl


text:
***1/2 (out of four)
I really didn't want to like Passion Pit's latest album, "Gossamer." I'm still having flashbacks from 2009-2010 when repeated plays of "Sleepyhead" ruined every party I attended, and when everyone was grumbling about how boring the rest of the "Manners" album was. How much more could this five-piece band really offer after such a surge of success from one singular pop anthem hit?
A lot, as it turns out.
Born out of a "Hey, why not?" thought from frontman Michael Angelakos, Passion Pit goes much deeper for its sophomore effort, with Angelakos leading the charge to open some salty wounds from his troubles with alcoholism, depression and the ilk that often accompany overnight success. The album, as a whole, polishes Passion Pit's earworm pop aesthetic with at least two or three tracks destined for dance party soundtrack status.
It's not easy to notice if you're whiplashing your hair back and forth while dancing to it, but if you listen in more of a stationary position, you'll notice "Gossamer" manages to pull off being both one of the most delicious pop albums of the year and one of the better examples of how to chronicle a personal breakdown via pop music.
The first single, "Take a Walk," is pretty much how every band wants to kick off an album—thump, thump, thump, infectious chorus! It has the potential to kick summer hits like Fun.'s "We Are Young" out of the club for a bit, which will be a welcome change. Angelakos' voice is much more refined this time around. Synthesized and auto-tuned, it comes through in tracks like "Constant Conversations"—even beneath choruses apparently comprised of pixies and fairies(?).
"Constant Conversations" is also where, if you need something a little more literal, we really understand the level of breakdown we're hearing: "You're standing in the kitchen. And you're pouring out my drink. There's a very obvious difference, and that's that one of us can think. / Tonight you've got me cornered, and I've got nowhere else to go."
From there, the album chronicles, almost chronologically, a man's descent into depression and the slow rise up out of it. The optimistic chorus of "On My Way" signifies exactly what you'd think it does, referencing beating those demons Angelakos has been fighting, while "Hideaway" explores the idea of finding that shelter from the storm slowly subsiding in one's own head.
Don't be confused: There isn't much variety, here. With the exception of slower jams like "Where We Belong" closing out the album, it's synth hard or go home. But it's also pop, in the 2010s era, at its finest. It's MGMT without the pretentious image.
On the surface, it's dance-pop for dummies. Beneath that surface, it's heartbreak hotel.
firstname.lastname@example.com | @jessicagalliart


text:
The death of slaves on a voyage, 1725
View this item in the Collection.
Slavery in English America underwent profound changes during the first two centuries of settlement. During the early seventeenth century, some black servants were permanently unfree; others, however, were treated like white indentured servants and were freed after a term of service.
As early as the late 1630s, however, English colonists began to make a sharper distinction between the status of white servants and black slaves, and merchants began importing slaves to the thirteen North American colonies. The passage in the holds of ships was a horrific experience, and many did not survive.
This matter-of-fact letter written in 1725 by Stephen Bayard in New York to Robert Livingston (1654–1728), a wealthy and influential landowner and trader from Albany, New York, reports that "30 [negroes] dyed in the passage" on a seventeen-week voyage to New York due to a shortage of food.
A full transcript is available.
Since your Departure is arrived here from Amsterdam Robert Linnerd in Wch ship Onckell Phillip is Concerned, & Gerrittsen from Gersey with 60 negroes 30 dyed in the passage, they ware trough the fatige of a 17 weeks Voyage obliged to Divide their bread 14 Days – before they came in; Each man then having 12 Bisketts for their share & Just so much meath Left as Served them the Day they Came in –;
Questions for Discussion
You are seeing this page because you are not currently logged into our website. If you would like to access this page and you are not logged in, please login or register for a gilderlehrman.org account, and then visit the link that brought you to this notice. Thanks!
Related Site Content
- Teaching Resource: Myths and Misconceptions: Slavery and the Slave Trade
- Primary Source: Olaudah Equiano
- Primary Source: A Jamestown settler describes life in Virginia, 1622
- Video Series: Essential Questions in American History
- Teaching Resource: Essential Questions in Teaching American History
- Essay: Iberian Roots of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, 1440–1640
- Video Series: Lifetimes
- Video Series: Slavery and America
- Primary Source: The Middle Passage, 1749
- Video Series: A Nation of Immigrants
Make Gilder Lehrman your Home for History
Already have an account?
Please click here to login and access this page.
How to subscribe
Click here to get a free subscription if you are a K-12 educator or student, and here for more information on the Affiliate School Program, which provides even more benefits.
Otherwise, click here for information on a paid subscription for those who are not K-12 educators or students.
Make Gilder Lehrman your Home for History
Become an Affiliate School to have free access to the Gilder Lehrman site and all its features.
Click here to start your Affiliate School application today! You will have free access while your application is being processed.
Individual K-12 educators and students can also get a free subscription to the site by making a site account with a school-affiliated email address. Click here to do so now!
Make Gilder Lehrman your Home for History
Why Gilder Lehrman?
Your subscription grants you access to archives of rare historical documents, lectures by top historians, and a wealth of original historical material, while also helping to support history education in schools nationwide. Click here to see the kinds of historical resources to which you'll have access and here to read more about the Institute's educational programs.
Individual subscription: $25
Click here to sign up for an individual subscription to the Gilder Lehrman site.
Make Gilder Lehrman your Home for History
Upgrade your Account
We're sorry, but it looks as though you do not have access to the full Gilder Lehrman site.
All K-12 educators receive free subscriptions to the Gilder Lehrman site, and our Affiliate School members gain even more benefits!
How to Subscribe
K-12 educator or student? Click here to get free access, and here for more information on the Affiliate School Program.
Not a educator or student? Click here for more information on purchasing a subscription to the Gilder Lehrman site.


text:
*** holfeld.com SALE ***
Tamil+: 300 essential travel phrases just a tap away.
Smart organized to be your best travel support.
Includes an efficient note system to store all your travel notes such as names of people, places, WiFi Passwords and more.
Imagine you are in Chennai, Madurai, Moratuwa, Jaffna or Galkissa and want to find your hotel. With this app you can ask anyone to help you find a taxi - and in the car you just need to show your notes and the cab driver knows where to go.
Tamil+: Your personal travel & communication tool.
+ Two Tap Technology: Every phrase just one or two taps away. no tedious scrolling and search necessary
+ Innovative Note System: Ask people to write their infos in your phone and you will never forget it
+ 300 essential phrases organized in 8 categories
+ in general, flying, driving, walking, shopping, living, eating, health
+ clear audio recordings
+ visual and audio output
+ works offline in any country of the world
Download this innovative Language App - millions of other users enjoy the Apps by Holfeld.com


text:
"All of us are obviously very concerned about the safety and well-being of Thomas Johnson, who has been missing since Monday evening," Sumlin said in the statement. "Authorities are working closely with his family, friends and law enforcement agencies to help locate him. Thomas is a tremendous student-athlete, greatly admired by his fellow teammates and all of us on the coaching staff. If anyone has any current information about him or knows of his whereabouts, please contact his family or law enforcement authorities immediately. We pray for his quick and safe return."
http://espn.go.com/dallas/ncf/story/_/i ... ing-monday


text:
Hire a programmer google maps apipekerjaan
I need someone who is experienced in building a website with MySQL/PHP. The website should locate something on Google Maps and more information after an upload.
I need someone to draw Illustrator files for a discgolf course and fairway files also. I can try to paint and image with base description about farways. There is an old course that is expanding and some of the old faiways need to be on new course map and have fairways printed with illustrator. Attached current course map but needs to look more professional
Hi there, We are looking for someone who can help us work with NetCDF data provided that contains information about co-ordinates and AQI (Air quality Index) . We want this data to be displayed on ArcGIS map.
Have a site with listings in cities in countries When searching by city the properties appear in listing but when searching by country the page shows no results although properties in that country so maybe geolocation problems Also require a button on one of pages so customers can contact host of property At moment they would have to go through
My niche is very small, I would like to rank #1 around my area
I have a spreadsheet of 300 sets of coordinates and I want a map of Ghana in Google Maps that plots all of those coordinates. I need to able to manipulate the map for changes (locations, labels, color of marks showing branches) so the final deliverable cannot just be a JPEG or BMP.
...looking someone skilled in PHP and Javascript to build me a product selection tool based on Google maps. You should be- 1. Skilled in PHP and JavaScript 2. Have prior experience in working with Google maps 3. Should have good English speaking skill Please provide your prior tasks related to google maps. Add 'Gaagle' in your cover letter...
Looking for a developer who can help me build an application similar to Google Maps with some added features. Looking for someone who ideally has experience integrating Google's APIs. The UI flows are a WIP, however the spec document is fleshed out for giving you a clear idea about the product. If this is something that might interest you, please
Ionic developer - Strong in google maps
Ionic developer - Strong in google maps
I need to develop a simple online data sorting/editing application with map - upload data from PC ( CSV ) - Sorting data from CSV file - Display the data using Leaflet of Javascript (Open Street Map) - Edit the data with mouse move (HTML5) - convert data to JSON and download to PC Schedule : within 2 days Budget : USD 100
google maps implement to WordPress
Ionic developer with strong backend and paypal skills needed
In an 2 android appliations, we use google maps api to calculate fare of rides and estimate time of a ride , now we want to replace google maps api to an other open source maps api. we are for waiting for you suggetion to find a solution to our probelem.
I have a clear idea of what I want to build. It is a website to show citizens different laws that apply in different areas. I will provide a .kml file (made in Google Maps) with the polygons and the text that is going to show in the info windows (see example). The website will have three different pages (see layout in attached files): 1. "MAP":
I need some graphic design.
Looking for someone to help put a business at the top of Google Maps and Yelp for Miami dade area USA. Please send details include the word ++++++ Google ++++ to be considered
I use the capsule CRM ([login to view URL]) I want to pull the customer location data from the api, and populate a google map so that the customers populate along with the most recent notes made about that customer. I'm also wanting to be able to set a geolocation from the map and use that location as the address for customers.
...services provider to the mining, infrastructure and development industries in Australia. We are seeking 11 icons/symbols for use in MS Office (principally Word) documents and maps (legend and in map itself) (drawn in ArcGIS applications). The icons encompass two group (as per different legislation): Group 1 - icons for species protected under Federal
...with our custom Google Maps page currently we have a few bugs in the site: - Pins aren't focusing correctly - Info Slide Out Bugs on the site. If you are awarded the job we can go into further details about the issues. Please message me if you more clarification. At this stage you need to have experience in using: - Google Map API - JavaScripting
ionic hybrid app using google Maps Api
...Copy search result URL link and paste onto excel file. There will be 2 Results. Paste the Found URL LInk into the "Apple Maps FOUND" Field. Paste the Not Found URL Link into the "Apple Maps NOT-FOUND" Field. This project will pay a total of $50.00 USD. Project completion required in 1-3 buisness days of accepting this job. QC will take 3-4 buisness days
Looking for an experienced Google Maps Optimizer that can both implement update and optimize our profile but also provide a detailed overview of the processes they implemented. Ex. What was done and why.
I need exactly this Service. : [login to view URL] Each Region has a Parent Region Each Child-Region has households Number With Booking Regions Please See the Reference Without Data!!! Just a few Regions as Samle :-)
The maps of the real estate wordpress site dont work, so it says: "Oops! Something went wrong. This page didn't load Google Maps correctly. See the JavaScript console for technical details." We need to fix the 'API Google Maps request quota' in order to make Google Maps work properly.
Wordpress website needs update of google maps - showing development purposes
We are building an app that will consist of a map with different layers. We also have a website with Squarespace and we want to integrate our design of map to it. We can integrate the map with an iframe using HTML. We have made the designs of all. Our current map is done with Google Maps, which can be exported to KML/KMZ. Things we need: – App
This is a simple project. No need to over think anything. We are requesting developers use existing code to display/simulate 3 scenarios from here [login to view URL] using Javascript and PHP - most of the tasks are already done. However code may need to be tweaked and be displayed in simulation format on Google Maps. The web app lives
...creating a directory in Laravel. Front page must be able to geolocate an IP address and pull up business's on a map that are within a 15 mile radius of the IP address. 2 types of accounts user and business. 3 types of business's, 2 of them the exact same amount of information displayed and the other is different & 3 business packages that allow an a bus...
Create GIS tool using google maps, php see attached pdf Budget =$100
Making a map for construction of a factory.
Very small task to fix JS or Google maps API conflict (potential duplicate code) for single video on Wordpress site. Quick task to be awarded to LOW BIDDER with solid JS experience and Google API knowledge.
i have a google maps module in my website and now it says that there is a problem with the api key, i attach pictures
I need to scrape some info from a website. The information is inside of google maps. I need a list of the title, subtitle and address. Should be easy for someone that has experience doing web automation and web scraping. Thanks
I need to have 3-5 traces of house outlines drawn from Google Maps every business day. I will supply a list of addresses, then go to Google Maps Satellite view, take a screenshot or save the image and trace over it in Photoshop, Illustrator, Paint or ?? Save the file as a PNG and send it over!
Hi I am having issues embedding the iFrame from [login to view URL] into Google maps on my website. It had been working absolutely fine but the introduction of a compulsory APi key seems to have thrown all my maps into disarray, even though I have added APi key. Is anyone able to resolve this. Please be familiar with [login to view URL]
Ncecito una aplicacion mobiel que trabaje como un directorio de referencias, usando google maps. por ejemplo si yo uso la aplicacion y abro google maps dentro de la aplicacion para buscar una direccion , que yo pueda poner tonas y detalles dentro de la aplicacion sobre esta lugar en particular , de esta manera la siguiente persona que use la aplicacion
Create a drive time polygon with google maps ios SDK
...per row. Once you complete 5 rows please notify me and I will verify that the work was done correctly to let you know to proceed forward with the remainder. You can complete a couple of the first ones to send to me to verify that you understand the job involved, how long each row will take, etc so you bid for the project accordingly. Looking to get
rewrite js code to a single js file
Simple google maps app on android, which can measure areas and distance using internal GPS, save and view them and export. App should start directly in google maps. Side menu with settings and view measurements. On google maps show a floating button and when you press on it to ask to measure distance or area.
modify js code regarding google maps api
Hi I will insert my 170 property in Cuba in Google maps and tripadvisor I not find the metod to insert with my business account. When I confirm the point of maps I cannot finish. But in Google maps and tripadvisor i find more property in CUBA. If you have a metod to insert write me
I need someone to create sitemaps for my new website. You will create a good permalink and create sitemaps on googlewebmaster, bing, yahoo, [login to view URL], [login to view URL], Baidu, Wolframalpha., DuckDuckGo.
place a markers with label as in attached file when click on a mark it comes to from and trigger an event (call function with a parameter , each marker has unique ID) marker shape and look as the shown in attached image
Stage 1 - Integrate a custom maps api for a current website. The api must integrate with created user accounts and must display 10 custom icons in the map for different services. Once the user selects a custom pin and drops it, the pin will be saved into the user account until he/she deletes it. This will consist in different stages. We want to
Hi, we need a multiple location route calculator that not only calculate the optimal route for one truck, but can do the following: Compatible with Google Maps Routes API and Places API, Automatic fills in current location; Route search by place name; Address suggestion/filters by input of keywords / postal code / the first couple letters of street
Hi, we need a multiple location route calculator that not only calculate the optimal route for one truck, but can do the following: Compatible with Google Maps Routes API and Places API, Automatic fills in current location; Route search by place name; Address suggestion/filters by input of keywords / postal code / the first couple letters of street
Hey this is a simple project. I need to place multiple pins on google maps. Along with this, I need each pin to have the name of the location, phone number and address.
...digitize cadastral maps in UP state of India. As this is an ongoing project, we may get new maps to digitize. I need the maps in a month. total maps are 85 in number. After completion of the project the awardee can resume his/her service on a contractual basis for other works too. Please provide your daily achievable target and a time when we can...


text:
Jimquisition: The Creepy Cull of Female Protagonists
Pages PREV 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 . . . 20 NEXT
I am actually fucking surprised by the Bioshock Infinite cover. It's a Bioshock game. Anyone who's worth listening to know this is the first real sequel to the original Bioshock from the original developer and not the cash grab knock-off that Bioshock 2 reportedly was. (I haven't played it, which is why I can't do the Bioshock quiz on the site. Too many questions involving Bioshock 2 characters) I could understand them testing the fucking cover if it was a new IP without a familiar name plastered on the box. But this is an established IP that is also the highest rated first person shooter of all time, as their advertising is keen to point out. This game is not some unknown where the wrong cover art could hurt sales. This is a well-established brand that will sell well even if there were no characters at all on the cover. Just the name. The original Bioshock had the Big Daddy and a Little Sister on the cover. Does this mean the market prefers little girls to full grown women?
I agree with Jim. Something is very, very wrong here. I don't know what. But it is incredibly wrong.
You know what I hope? I hope the next Call of Duty or whatever makes use of the US allowing female soldiers into combat by making the main character female. Yeah, the story is liable to be a shitty retread of G.I. Jane. But it would be a step in the right direction.
This was an excellent video, Jim. It's the kind of observations I was hoping the tropes vs. women videos would (or will, in the future) examine. The sexism in the video game industry is absolutely there, and I wish we could make it better.
Related, I've been playing more and more female protagonists in games when given the option, simply because I find it refreshing. My MMO characters are almost all female now (unless I feel there is a thematic or lore reason they shouldn't be). I hope transistor gives us a great female lead as well. Hopefully it sells a boatload and some publishers will take notice.
As an aside, I actually do drink freshly ground, dark beans brewed very strongly.
Dunno where the comment was, but I'll just say yes, I played that... FIRST. On EASY. Because I always play those games in simple easy form so I can experience the story with minimal frustration. Second time I played it was on a harder difficulty with a female biotic/soldier hybrid, because the character I use for that fits.
Honestly, I always play as a female in most games. Not because I am supporting the struggle... but because I am a man, and I contain within all the (apparently vile) things that go with being a man (and enjoy every min. of it). That said, if I am going to spend countless hours looking at someones ass, I would prefer it to be a woman's. Just my 2 cents.
Gunbros can play as gungals, people still bought Bayonetta, Tomb Raider and Metroid didn't they?
This is the main reason I dislike Anita Sarkeesian and her more fanatical supporters. She's not WRONG on general premise (questionable though many of her examples may be), but she assumes such an inherently antagonistic position and refuses dialog unless it directly benefits her. We *NEED* dialog on this subject, and turning it into a fight doesn't help anyone in the long run.
You don't have to prove to us that you're a game patriot Jim. But please stop making the kissing/slurping sounds. That shits going to give me nightmares.
I never got the feeling that there was much kissing in games to begin with. And if any guys feel gay when a game character they play is kissing another dude, they might be getting too much into it. It isn't you... it's a game.
And if every female game character HAS to have someone to snog, I think the devs need to re-evaluate how they're approaching the situation. Not every male game character has a romantic interest so why does every female. The chick from Portal seemed to do okay on her own...well, we had that cube but it promised it would never tell what we did with it.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of the only ways San Andreas could've been better is if Catlina was the protagonist. Besides the fact that her personality matched the way I play GTA more than CJ, I would've much rather looked at her backside for the hours and hours I played that game.
Neckbeards are bad and you should feel bad.
Come at me bro.
And people wonder where Tropes V Women came from. Seriously we need more Women protagonists preferably ones that aren't simply legs and/or tits.
I will not lie Jim I had to watch your video twice because I fear it lost some of it's punch when you showed street sharks an I yelled JAWESOME!
I think one of the few games I came across that allows you to play a female lead and be in a relationship with a male character is one might not count - because it's an RPG, and you make your own character. It's Mass Effect. Yeah, take away the blue alien space girls and the potential for lesbian relationships and . . . Female Shepard has at least two Human male relationships she can be in, long term, and two more I can think of with alien males.
I don't remember Mass Effect selling badly, but, then Bioware didn't actually promote Mass Effect with a female Shepard until Mass Effect 3. And then they made her default form, in ME3, look like someone had injected botox into her lips and all sorts of other wrong.
I'm not sure whether I'm noting this to say, "Look what they did" as a positive, or " . . . Look what they did . . . " as a negative but, hey, you know what? Look what they did.
I'm male.
Female protagonists don't offend me, in fact I quite like them, and a female protagonist being in a relationship with a male isn't any weirder for me than a female main character in a movie being in a straight relationship. That is to say, I don't find it weird at all.
That said, here's something I 'do' dislike. I dislike eveyr male lead character in gaming. I can't relate to them. They never have body types or hair styles I find to be anything like what I'd prefer. In RPGs where I can make my own character the male customization options are always the worst, and I never, even once, have liked them in the games I've played. Name a male lead in a game, and you'll be certain that I disliked how they looked and acted. The result is I often gravitate toward RPGs that let me choose a female lead, and play that instead - there's still a lot to be desired in terms of their customization options as well, and the constant chainmail bikinis and boob-plate annoy me to no end, but there are rare RPGs out there that let me do something that's actually interesting with a female lead.
Then again, where many men I know are damningly average or muscular freaks, I'm more interested in art, and dance. In school growing up I was considered effeminate, even gay, but the only relationships I've been are straight relationships. My hair is long, and I'm not muscular, I'm quite slender. I have have no way of relating to the steroid ridden, overly rugged looking freaks they pass off as Male Human beings on most of the covers of these games.
Most players play their game with their avatar as a representation of themselves. It's why most protagonists have fuck all in the way of story and are left relatively blank slated and trope-tastic. The protagonist is a vehicle for the player to enter the games world, s/he isn't really part of it.
The problem isn't that the protagonist is female, it's that it isn't male. That doesn't mean that one sex is better than the other, it means that one sex better represents the gamer than the other.
A game isn't passive like a book or a film, where you are told about the characters and their actions. It's active, the game is all about my actions. The avatar as vehicle for player will always be more popular than an avatar with its own story, male or female.
It's a rather sad and strangely conservative day when consenting adults have to fight for the rights to get married and mainstream media are too uptight to depict heterosexual sexual interaction even to the chaste point of a kiss between a man and a woman, but that's apparently where we are right now.
That being said, I'm glad there are prominent people like Jim around to help remind us that even being a decent, let alone good, person takes thought and effort in this climate of bigotry and ignorance.
Same. In the RPG's I play through if I don't start out as a female character usually on the second play through I'll roll one.
One of my favorite characters from games ever was a female, and she was the protagonist! Jade, from Beyond Good and Evil!
I often wonder who these people are that can't fathom play as a female protagonist, they can't all be neckbeards. Its not going to change your repro parts to experience something from a female perspective.
Sadly, it is what the Escapist needs right now. It's what gaming needs. We'll get nowhere going with the grain.
I dive for cover when these thread pop up because as the massive influx of recent threads have proved, the Escapist simply can't talk about these things in a civil manner. They always get out of hand and a mod always has to lock them, that's why I dread these threads. We don't have constructive discussions, we don't learn anything, we don't make any progress. We just shout and people get suspended and banned and the thread gets locked, then the process repeats itself.
I agree with what Jim says, but I don't want to talk about it with other people because it always turns into a fight and nothing ever changes. Besides, while I agree that we do need to work towards change, how is debating about it on the Escapist going to bring us closer to that? I think we're all on board with this being messed up (most of us anyway). If you want my advice, vote with your wallet, go out and buy Tomb Raider or start a petition, something to get the attention of publishers, that's what we need to do, not start a flame war for the umpteenth time.
Not to mention...didn't we have threads about these already? There was a thread where Epic said that they weren't going to make a female gears protagonist, we had a thread about Naught Dog fighting for the cover for The Last of Us, and we had multiple thread about the Bioshock cover, including the flip cover art, and we had a thread about that new game coming out (the name escapes me) and how the developer had a hard time getting it published. Jim didn't bring up a single thing that we haven't already had a thread about.
honestly i never thought of something jim said, while i dont have any issues with female protagonist, honestly i think i would be unconfortable with the girl starting to make out with a dude in first person
Homophobic? They're not afraid of homosexuality.
...Just that they'll enjoy it....
That is an exceedingly choppy gif, you both should feel bad! :P
Actually I think Bayonetta sold like shite, the only reason it is getting a sequel is because Nintendo is resurecting it for +1 exclusive that appeals to 'hardcore' gamers. And Metroid has a built in Nintendo fanboy base.
And who the hell is raiding Tom? Those bastards!
Exactly. Most games with female protagonists are actually kind of bad, with the few that are good selling as well or better than games with male protagonists. I don't think it's a case of the gamers being insecure. Barely anybody didn't buy Super Metroid after they learnt in Metroid that Samus was a female, and that was when games was a massive male-centric hobby and a lot of gamers were teens unlike now where they've grown up. The Last Of Us is considered one of the most-anticipated PS3 games this year, because it looks good.
Okay Ill be the first to admit that when I play a roleplaying game 9/10 times i go for playing a guy than a girl. And yes it is kinda weird playing a girl and hitting on other guys. I am not a homophobe and certain don't have anything against gays, and I don't guy games based on the cover. That I won't admit to i buy them based on the review and comments I hear from people. I mean the last game I brought was Tomb Raider.
I'm not really sure that's the same thing. It's not about the choice of character for avatar insertion - some might say that playing RPGs serves not as an exercise for taking on another role, but serving as a measure of escapism (no pun intended) for the player - you're not taking on someone else's character, you're playing what you would be in that world. There are games like Mass Effect that blur the line by having what I think of as scripted soundbites that can be strung together into a personality and therefore a character, but RPGs that allow character creation to any meaningful extent, particularly personality and the way they respond to external stimuli, are by and large for the player to project upon or create a new character as they see fit.
Story-driven games, however, are another kettle of fish. Games like Heavy Rain, Bioshock or Final Fantasy possess no qualms with making characterizations for the PCs. They go out with the express purpose of allowing us to experience the story of those involved in the Origami Killer case, or Booker's tale or Zidane's personal struggle - not our reactions to that same story. Things will probably happen that you wouldn't do, even in a million years.
Here's an example (spoilers ahead, but it's for the original Bioshock, so...)
That was a fairly disturbing moment in an already disturbing game, but because I was caught up in the struggle between the characters involved, I was somewhat detached from the whole affair. If the same thing happened in Skyrim, though, it would break the realism because that's not what I'd do.
The problem stems, I suspect, from some elements of the gamer audience being unable to separate the character on-screen from themselves. It's an interesting thing to consider - after all, aren't the point of videogames to experience a story from inside another characters' head?
Can I understand it? Yeah, of course. Do I condone it? It's your life, do with it what you will.
TL;DR version (truncated probably beyond sensibility and/or message coherence, but whatevs): Maybe people forget that they're playing someone else sometimes and they're surprised when a dude starts hitting on "them". Doesn't mean studios should avoid women/gay/transgender/whatever PCs at all costs, though.
I find it strange that Jim didn't acknowledge Tomb Raider in this discussion, when the game came out like 3 weeks ago.
Jim, that ending was priceless.
I would say that the anti-female attitude is something that has been so intrinsically intertwined into the game industry and gaming community over the decades that it will be impossible to ever determine any particular point of fault. It's a true meme in its ubiquity and in that likely few, if any, remember how, when, and where it even originated (though one could probably make a lot of good guesses); it perpetuates purely on the inertia of unquestioned tradition. It's an anachronistic, immature attitude (a "No girls allowed" clubhouse/treehouse), and it needs to be excised from both the industry and the community.
EDIT: minor edit.
ADDENDUM: I was not aware that John Riccitiello had resigned. I have to wonder if that was of his own accord or from the strong..."encouragement" of the board (Non-recovering stock price for so many years, hostile customer-base due to dissatisfaction; there're some significant issues EA has faced that have a tendency to promote board..."encouragement").
FURTHER ADDENDUM: I should add that the problem of the anti-female attitude seems to be mostly isolated to the triple-A market, yet again, whereas the more indie and small developer markets don't really have this overall hang-up.
Also, a quick google of John Riccitiello's resignation eventually lead me to this article with his resignation letter(s): http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/03/18/ea-ceo-john-riccitiello-is-resigning-heres-his-farewell-letter/
I don't think the answer is to stop talking about it.
Maybe you don't think anything changes, maybe you think everybody is already on one side or another, but I (maybe too optimistically) disagree.
I'm somewhere in the middle on this. I see it and acknowledge it as aa ongoing problem in the industry.
In my case, I'm all for females in any role in any medium. Hell, give me a character creator and i'll often make a female redhead as the main character.
But at the same time if given the choice, i will pursue a relationship with a female regardless of my character's gender. You can say what you like about the implications of that, but that's just how it is for me. However that doesn't mean i'll skip a good game just because my character might kiss a dude at some point.
It's a good episode with many valid points that I agree with, yet my decisions in games don't necessarily reflect that. Weird, huh?
The Longest Journey and Dreamfall do indeed have some of the best female characterization in a game that i have ever experienced and presented in such a non-intrusive way that i never felt threatened in any manner by the lead protagonists. 2 out 3 playable characters are women in the 2nd game and in both games the major focus is on April and Zoe. And yes Zoe has a boyfriend and yes she has an intimate encounter with another man later in the game....
This is a real problem. On forums for games where the players is able to pick a gender (like skyrim or mass effect) there are quite a few people who are convinced that males who pick the female avatar are either openly gay, a closet gay or super perverted. On the other side of this discussion: females who pick the male avatar are perfectly normal.
However, this is not a problem of developers, or publishers, or gamers. This is a problem with people who are stuck in the 1950s. Unfortunately those who feel as though this shouldn't be an issue in this day and age, you are sadly outnumbered.
Normal clothing like the first time she was shown out of her armor at the end of the first game with her in it? :P
I'll let you be my daddy if you use those black leather gloves of yours.
Sometimes it's better to "shout, shout, let it all out" than keeping it locked in a gilded locket. If we don't make a fuss about stuff like this now, it'll come to bite us in the ass in the future.
Ok let me get this straight, Publishers don't want to do female protagonists out of a fear of HETEOsexual intimacy? ...what? Besides how many games that aren't RPG's involve intimacy anyway?
I think that the answer is to move on from just talking about it, actually doing stuff about it instead of just sitting around talking about it doesn't really do anything. We need to do things like support games that do have a female protagonist (Tomb Raider) or start petitions to publishers telling them what we want. Debating doesn't really accomplish much.
Maybe I'm just talking about this because I suffer from anger issues and I really REALLY don't need more stress in my life, I've got enough on my plate trying to get through college, getting good grades and working to earn money for it. My family is extremely dysfunctional too, so I admit I'm a little tired of all the drama following me to my escapism.
Yeah, I have to disagree on that one. We've had god knows how many threads about sexism, and every time it's the same people making the same arguments. People aren't changing, one more sexism thread isn't going to change it. EDIT: Come to think of it, that's why I'm tired of the sexism threads, it's literally the same thing all over again.
I don't disagree with Jim, I'm just tired of the flame wars.
I think part of the problem comes from the fact that the industry is always going to have a certain demographic to lean on: the awkward teens and pre-teens who want to find ways to comfort themselves in their sexual preferences, or put up a suitably manly front for their sometimes cruel peers to see.
I mean, I remember my teens. Was I into deep and introspective stuff? I did have "Myst", of course, but the rest of the time, I was knee-deep in "Doom" and "Heretic" and their kill-fests. I talked about things I didn't like as being "gay" and I tried as hard as I could to act like a douchenozzle in front of bigger, burlier kids who would otherwise ground me into paste in the recess yard or atrium.
Then, I got older. My sexual preferences grew sharper, my tastes as a gamer began to refine. I went from thinking "Duke Nukem 3D" was the best thing ever to thinking "Half-Life" was by far superior. I followed along with the rest of Cyan Worlds' production and all of the stuff other studios did with the "Myst" franchise. That maturity is something that's still settling in, but there's one thing I'm sure of, at 29 years old.
I'm past the whole "Women Are Awkward" phase. I don't mind playing as a woman in games. FemShep is, in my humble opinion, much more dynamic in her voice-acting than MaleShep. I love Jennifer Hale's performance to bits, and the entire female cast of all three games needs to be commended for its efforts. I don't mind playing as a woman in Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout 3 or New Vegas. Why? Because these games are about giving you the opportunity to tell a story. Why shouldn't I be allowed to more or less write out the story of a female Dragonborn who hefts her claymore like the best of the boys and wears full Dragonplate armour? Why couldn't I want her to get hitched?
Because I'll get gamer cooties? Because playing as a woman and hitching up with a man gives you a case of the Gamer's Gayness?
All this tells me is that there's PR execs and gamers who simply haven't and will never get past their teenage insecurities. Not when the most palatable alternative involves validating those insecurities by offering an endless gallery of Caucasian, brown-haired douchecanoes.
Don't get me wrong, Nathan Drake is a strong and likeable character - strictly thanks to Nolan North's ad-libbing and Naughty Dog's quirky writing. I'm sure I'll find reasons to empathize with Joel once "The Last of Us" comes out, and I'm sure Booker DeWitt's redemption makes for an interesting tale in and of itself, in "BioShock Infinite".
But the thing is, I want some Helena Fisher in my Uncharted. I'm looking forward to meeting Ellie as Joel, and God damnit, if Elizabeth isn't the first female character in a game that I'd actually want to take aside and shoot the shit with, if it were possible! I was really skeptical about the interplay between Draper's performance, the mocap and the AI driving Liz, but it all falls into place exceptionally well. As a result, she's a lot more like Elika in the one-shot "Prince of Persia" reboot than the game's take on Princess Peach or Pauline.
I'd like to slip inside EA or Activision's focus groups and tell them to wake the fuck up. There's tons of other demographics outside of the average "Thirtysomething White Male Looking for some Masculine Empowerment". Would they listen, though?
Probably not, seeing as anyone from tweens to thirtysomethings tend to want to slip in the above-mentioned bandwagon. My guess is we'll start to see shifts in game and character design once the age average reaches up into the fifties and sixties.
It's a good way to weed-out bad apples too, imo. Generally speaking those threads have a habit of getting especially vitriolic people mod wrathed.
Indeed. In fact, this brings up another thing with the gaming community that I think is really worrying. The fact that something is talked about, then everyone moves on, and anyone who wishes to talk about that thing is told to shut up and move on.
Everyone: "Online passes/always on DRM/sexism are issues and something needs to be done!"
Some person: "Online passes/always on DRM/sexism are issues and something needs to be done!" Everyone: "Shut up, nobody cares anymore."
Just this huge sense of apathy that sets in after a given period... I hate it. I hate it so damn much.
|Pages PREV 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 . . . 20 NEXT


text:
All the island's news is now online
All the island's news is now online
This week the Jamestown Press is launching its new Web site at www.jamestownpress.com.
Should you visit our online address you'll find the complete issue of this week's Jamestown Press instead of a small sampling of the newspaper's stories.
Yes, we've decided to publish the entire Press online every week. That not only includes all the news, features and pictures, but also all of the display advertisements, classifieds and legal notices.
In addition to having the option of viewing select stories in the traditional point and click Internet fashion, you may also view PDFs of entire newspaper pages.
Why the change?
The biggest reason is value to our readers and advertisers. The online edition of the Jamestown Press will extend our circulation far beyond the shores of Conanicut Island. Our online edition will help our advertisers reach even more customers. One neat feature of placing your advertisement in the Press with our new online edition is that if the advertiser's Web address is included in the ad in the paper, then the reader can point and click to go there online. It's that simple to advertise in the Press and reach the world.
Another fun feature of our new Web site is the weekly opinion poll. Each week we'll ask a question that is pertinent to our island and you can cast your vote. Then you can see how everyone else has voted. We must stress, however, that the weekly polls will be strictly informal and should not be used as an accurate or scientific gauge of public opinion.
It seems that everyone is plugged into the Internet these days. With Wi-Fi we're becoming ever more mobile. While we're still reliant on paper, it has become easier to communicate as technologies continue to erase what we once considered concrete boundaries.
We hope you enjoy the new online edition of the Jamestown Press.
— Jeff McDonough


text:
SOURCE: Holloman Energy Corporation
February 07, 2013 12:55 ET
HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - Feb 7, 2013) - Holloman Energy Corporation (OTCQB: HENC) announces the completion of seismic interpretation, and the identification four drill-able prospects on its Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) 112. The prospects are similar geologically to producing structures observed in existing oil pools (including the Butlers, Perlubie and Parsons fields) located to the north of PEL 112 on the western-flank of Australia's prolific Cooper Basin. All prospects identified display 4-way structural closures and target the Namur sandstones.
"We are pleased with the foundation laid to date, and are poised to pursue a multi-well drill program on PEL 112," stated Mark Stevenson, Holloman CEO. "In addition," Stevenson continued, "we've begun planning and design for seismic acquisition on PEL 444. All things considered, 2013 promises to be an exciting year for Holloman and its shareholders."
During January 2013, Holloman's farmout partner committed to drill 3 wells (with an option of two additional wells), using Hunt Energy & Minerals Co. - Australia Pty. Ltd. (Hunt). It is anticipated that well locations will be spread between Holloman's PEL 112 and PEL 444 licenses. Hunt is a drilling contractor with over 25 years of experience in the Cooper-Eromanga Basin. The first well in the drilling program is scheduled to begin upon receipt of the requisite government and native stakeholder approvals.
About Holloman Energy
Holloman Energy Corporation is focused on exploring and producing oil in Australia's Cooper Basin. Holloman's Cooper Basin licenses include interests in PEL 112 and PEL 444 which comprise 4,544 km2 (1.125 million acres) in the southwest and northwest sectors of Australia's Cooper - Eromanga Basin.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release includes forward-looking statements as determined by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events, or developments that the Company believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include general economic and business conditions, the ability to acquire and develop specific projects, the ability to fund operations and changes in consumer and business consumption habits and other factors over which the Company has little or no control. The Company does not intend (and is not obligated) to publicly update any forward-looking statements. The contents of this press release should be considered in conjunction with the warnings and cautionary statements contained in the Company's filings with the SEC.
Holloman Energy Corporation
Contact:Holloman Energy Corporation
Robert Wesolek
(281) 260-0193
Contact:Holloman Energy Corporation
Robert Wesolek
(281) 260-0193
See all RSS Newsfeeds


text:
While ethics policies are standard in other states, Vermont officials have long maintained such rules aren't necessary because the state has a citizen legislature that is unusually accessible to the public.
Vermont is one of three states that does not require public officials to disclose financial information, and it is one of eight states that does not have an ethics commission, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Rep. Heidi Scheuermann, R-Stowe, disagrees with the conventional wisdom.
"Just because our state is small, and we're very accessible to our constituents doesn't mean that transparency and accountability are there," Scheuermann said. "I'm not accusing anyone of anything but I think it's important. Even the perception of a conflict of interest can be reality. In politics, perception is reality. That perception or true conflict should be considered."
Scheuermann wants to see the General Assembly adopt guidelines for ethical behavior that would establish strict rules of conduct for lawmakers, statewide officeholders and appointed officials. Her bill, H.846, also includes the formation of a Vermont Ethics Commission.
H.846, is sponsored by 23 other lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, and it is modeled after a proposal floated by Campaign for Vermont, a 501c4 advocacy group that has been critical of the Democratically controlled Legislature.
Scheuermann's bill would address the "revolving door" phenomenon in which state officials leave public office to lobby on behalf of unions and corporations, or work for the very entities they once regulated. Under the proposal, an official who has served as an elected official or appointee would be restricted from appearing before the Legislature for a two-year period.
Certain conduct for current officeholders and appointees would also be prohibited.
The policy would apply equally to representatives, agency secretaries, appointees of the governor and the governor himself.
H.846 also creates a five-member Vermont Ethics Commission that would have the authority to investigate violation complaints, complete with subpoena power.
The civil penalty for violating the code of conduct would be as much as $10,000 per violation.
The financial disclosure language in the draft now circulating in the House Government Operations Committee is not likely to survive the cutting room floor. Scheuermann says she doesn't oppose pulling the provision, which currently requires all officials to disclose the name of their business or employer, assets of more than $5,000, and the source of any income that exceeds $30,000.
"It's a part-time Legislature, it's a citizen Legislature, we have a difficult time recruiting people to do this kind of job," Scheuermann said. "I don't want to make it so really qualified people wouldn't run."


text: Since your baby is so sleepy, you might want to try something called switch nursing. When nursing slows and baby seems to be falling asleep, you take him off the breast, burp him, change his diaper, and then put him onto the other breast. You repeat the process as many times as possible before baby will no longer wake up.


text:
My Neighbor Totoro. Howl's Moving Castle. Princess Mononoke. These aren't only classics, they are stunning. Studio Ghibli is responsible for some of the most loved and best looking films in the past few decades. It's no accident why.
Here are some production drawings and watercolors from over the years, courtesy of BuzzFeed. They're not new, and you might have seen some of them before. That doesn't make them any less gorgeous.
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985. Its first feature film was Laputa: Castle in the Sky.
Book Review: Princess Mononoke [Parka Blogs] 千と千尋の神隠し / Spirited Away (2001) - colour Keys [Living Lines Library] Thoughts on the Art of Hayao Miyazaki on His 70th Birthday [Speed of Life] Ghibli Blog [via BuzzFeed via コモンポスト]


text:
Women and Girls Lead
Women and Girls Lead: A major multiyear, multiplatform initiative to focus, educate and connect citizens in Colorado, across the country and around the world.
God Loves Uganda premieres on PBS Independent Lens on May 19, 2014.
For more Indie Alaska, visit http://www.youtube.com/indiealaska
American Dreams Deferred questions the attainment of the American dream.
Las Marthas premieres on PBS Independent Lens on February 17, 2014.
Hear from U.S. sled hockey forward Brody Roybal society's view of sled hockey players.
Women and Girls Lead: A major multiyear, multiplatform initiative to focus, educate and connect citizens in Colorado, across the country and around the world.
November was Native American Heritage Month. Rocky Mountain PBS presented programming addressing a spectrum of Native American history and culture.
We are proud to showcase programs that celebrate the African American experience past, present and future.
LATINO AMERICANS, a landmark documentary series chronicling the rich and varied history of Latino Americans, aired on Rocky Mountain PBS September 2013.
From those who collect the classics to those who transform these classics into something contemporary, follow host Lisa Olken as she introduces us to the rare, the unique and beautiful that make up all things vintage.
Watch a video featuring an expert panel and keynote speaker Paul Tough, bestselling author of "How Children Succeed."
How do we restructure the economy to save the environment? Don't miss "Journey to Planet Earth - Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization" on...Read More
What better way to celebrate Earth Day than by greening up your daily routine? To help you get started, we have put together a list of online resources...Read More
As part of an ongoing national initiative, Rocky Mountain PBS is exploring how Colorado communities can be more sustainable...Read More
RMPBS President and CEO Doug Price discusses the impact of early childhood education with the Harlem Children's Zone President and CEO...Read More
Super School News has been making the news and inspiring young children for 31 years...Read More
I-News breaks down the latest batch of 2010 Census information that shows some impacts of the economic downturn on Colorado and outlines an aging population...Read More
Is there a solution?...Read More
Working in corporate underwriting, I'm often on the road visiting with current and potential supporters. Yesterday, just before noon, I was leaving an appointment in...Read More
Two Rocky Mountain PBS employees -- one challenge. Both are following Dr. Joel Fuhrman's "Three Steps to Incredible Health"...Read More
A Denver community finds a way to share health information and advice...Read More
Rocky Mountain PBS-HD, Create and V-me.
When you support local programming you can choose from a number of thank-you gifts.
Powerful and inspiring local programming that affects you and your community.
A major multiyear, multiplatform initiative to educate and enlighten.
Members receive a 15% discount. Contact Viewer Services for more information (800-274-6666).
Free documentary screenings in a city near you!


text:
The Caesar Rodney Riders rode a hot start to a 38-24 victory over Salesianum on the mat Saturday. CR won seven of the first eight bouts Saturday to take an early advantage, one that a late Salesianum rally couldn't overtake.
CR's Zack Parker led things off with a 16-1 win over Montgomery of Salesianum which was matched by teammate Nick Klink in the very next bout to give CR a lead early.
Senior Jason Stevens gave Salesianum their first points with a slim 5-3 decision over John DeVary, however Micah Hight took all the wind out of Salesinaum's sails pinning freshmen Joe Poma in 28 seconds for the first of five straight Rider victories by Brandon Scott, Tom Gallucci, Daniel Ortiz, and Tony Scarfo.
After consecutive victories by Dane Diksa and Louis Fedele for Salesianum, Michael Clavier gave CR some breathing room after a 9-5 decision over Joe Miller.
Salesianum won the final three bouts but it wasn't enough to catch the Riders who held on for the victory.
High, Ortiz, and Scarfo all had pin-falls for the Riders, while Diksa tallied the only pin-fall for Salesianum Saturday.


text:
BANGKOK (AP) — Asian stock markets were muted Tuesday as investors braced for a possible first step by the U.S. Federal Reserve toward reducing its massive stimulus program.
The Fed could announce that it is has decided to begin scaling back its massive economic stimulus program as soon as Wednesday, when it concludes a two-day policy meeting.
Though hiring and economic growth in the United States remain soft, the Fed is widely expected to slow the pace of its bond purchases. Its purchases of Treasury and mortgage bonds have been designed to keep long-term loan rates low to get people to borrow and spend and invest in the stock market.
Most economists expect the Fed's initial move to be small — a reduction in monthly purchases from $85 billion to $75 billion.
Evan Lucas, market strategist at IG in Melbourne, Australia, said that "there is an air of acceptance in the market for a mild taper" despite data out of the U.S. pointing toward an uneven economic recovery.
While Japan's benchmark index rose slightly after a three day holiday, markets elsewhere struggled to hold onto Monday's gains.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo rose 0.1 percent to 14,423.87. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.3 percent to 23,189.17. South Korea's Kospi fell 0.6 percent to 2,001.54. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was nearly unchanged at 5,249.80.
World stock markets rose Monday after Lawrence Summers, who had been the leading candidate to replace Fed chairman Ben Bernanke, pulled his name from consideration. Markets responded positively because Summers was thought to favor quickly reducing the Fed's stimulus program, which has been a boon for stock markets.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.8 percent, to close at 15,494.78. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 0.6 percent, to 1,697.60. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.1 percent, to 3,717.85.
Benchmark oil for October delivery fell 71 cents to $105.88 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell $1.62 to lose at $106.59 a barrel on the Nymex on Monday.
In currencies, the euro fell to $1.3330 from $1.3335 late Monday. The dollar rose to 99.22 yen from 99.10 yen.
Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson


text:
Voters in the Hermosa Cliff Fire Protection District shot down a proposal to end term limits for the board of directors.
Ballot Question 5A failed with 180 voters saying no and 159 voters saying yes or 53 percent of the total saying no, according to unofficial numbers.
Bill Webbe, president of the Hermosa Cliff board, said he was perplexed by voters unwillingness to end term limits.
I dont understand it, he said. Im confused.
Few residents are interested in serving on the board, he said, so it made sense to allow existing board members who are willing to serve to continue serving.
Additionally, if no one petitions to run for the board, the district could save money by not holding elections, he said.
District voters have twice declined to lower their property taxes by consolidating the fire district, which is part of the Durango Fire & Rescue Authority, a consolidation of three regional fire districts. In that regard, its not surprising voters declined to end term limits, Webbe said.
Every time weve had a referendum up there to reduce the mill levy, which reduces the taxes, theyve voted it down, he said. I dont think they understand what theyre voting for.
You cant fix stupid, he added.
There was no coordinated opposition to the ballot question.
Hermosa Cliffs encompasses about 35 square miles in the upper Animas Valley, near Tamarron to the San Juan County line.
It has only about 500 voters.
The district collects property taxes for fire protection and passes the revenue on to the DFRA, which has two representatives from Hermosa Cliff.
Board members are allowed to serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.
But no one has voluntarily petitioned to run for the board in 10 years, Webbe said. Instead, current board members have had to recruit residents to serve on the board.
We try to save money for the constituents, but obviously they dont want to save money, Webbe said.


text:
Surya has collaborated with the world's largest and most prestigious museum to develop its Smithsonian Collection. The exclusive compilation is comprised of hand-tufted rugs made in India of 100% New Zealand wool and coordinated printed wall art. Each piece within this first-class collection was inspired by artifacts found within the Smithsonian's vast archives. They represent a variety of cultures and historical provenances including 19th century studies of ornamental and decorative designs from Egypt, China and the Middle Ages, 18th-19th century French wall coverings, and 19th century American textiles.
The color palettes are reflective of the original inspiration pieces and the time periods in which they were created, however, the final product is graphic and stylized, and completely in keeping with today's modern sense of aesthetics. Each piece in the Smithsonian Collection has been created in accordance with the Smithsonian's critical eye for quality and excellence and are the perfect complements to interiors ranging from traditional to contemporary.
Lead Time: Usually Ships in 3-5 Business Days.
All orders over $50 enjoy FREE SHIPPING with delivery to an address within the 48 contiguous states. Shipping on orders under $50 is $6 USD. Depending on size and contents parcels ship via UPS, USPS, FedEx or DHL.
Parcels shipping to Alaska and Hawaii are charged on a flat rate depending on weight.
Orders weighing between 0.1 lbs - 10.0 lbs are $15 USD
Orders weighing between 10.1 lbs - 20.0 lbs are $20 USD
Orders weighing between 20.1 lbs - 40.0 lbs are $40 USD
Please note, furniture and items weighing over 40 lbs cannot be shipped to ALASKA and HAWAII without requesting a quotation in advance of ordering.
Rates are calculated at checkout based on live rates from the United States Postal Service, FedEx or DHL and product weight information. Please note, tracking information is limited for USPS shipments and we cannot guarantee a delivery date on International deliveries. If you are interested in expedited International delivery options please inquire.
Cost of shipping to International destinations does not include the cost of taxes, tariffs or other customs fees. All taxes, tariffs and other customs fees are the responsibility of the receiver. Please note, furniture and items weighing over 40 lbs cannot be shipped to International destinations without requesting a quotation in advance of ordering.
If you have an APO address, please contact us in advance of making purchases to confirm the item(s) you are interested in can be shipped to your address via USPS.
Type: rugs
Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more …
© 2018 designer-rug.com.
Designed by Out of the Sandbox. POS and Ecommerce by Shopify


text:
Since we opened the 2010 Hot 100 polls last week, thousands of AfterEllen.com readers have weighed in on which women they think are the hottest on the planet. But we've also been wondering who some of our favorite celebrities might be casting their votes for. The rock stars, movie stars, comedians and filmmakers listed below let us have a peek at their ballots, and their selections were very interesting!
Gabrielle Christian (South of Nowhere) weighed in with, "Rachel McAdams for her sexy bod and auburn hair in The Time Traveler's Wife and Nancylee Myatt for her sexy, smart, inspiring and badass ways."
Comedian Margaret Cho told us, "I love Karen O [lead singer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs]. She is hot, Korean, a rock icon. love her. And Selene Luna! She is amazingly funny and gorgeous."
Karen O
Stephanie Hunt (Devin on Friday Night Lights) told us, "Rachel Maddow. And I really have always loved Ellen DeGeneres. They're just such great women. Aside from that, I really like Joan Jett. And Audrey Hepburn — I've loved her my whole life."
Out model/actor Jenny Shimizu chose:
1. Jillian Michaels
Agyness Dean
Jess Origliasso (The Veronicas) picked:
1. PJ Harvey
Brody Dalle


text:
Linked by David Adams on Fri 19th Mar 2010 21:07 UTC
Online advertising has been a hot topic for the past week or so, with Ars Technica trying out an interesting, somewhat desperate experiment wherein they blocked access to their content for people using Adblock. Of course, if this were to become some kind of movement among publishers, it would probably just spark a technological cat-and-mouse game that would surely be reminiscent of DRM cracking or iPhone jailbreaking. But in their post-mortem, Ars states that it was a worthwhile awareness campaign, and I hope that's true. But I thought it would be a good idea to try to bring the collective OSNews brainpower together and crowdsource the idea of how to raise money for a web site in an age where advertising is increasingly un-viable.
Thread beginning with comment 414460
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
RE[3]: OK, I whitelisted OSnews.com...
by Invincible Cow on Sat 20th Mar 2010 12:32 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: OK, I whitelisted OSnews.com..."
Way OT: RE[4]: OK, I whitelisted OSnews.com...
by cerbie on Sun 21st Mar 2010 02:23 in reply to "RE[3]: OK, I whitelisted OSnews.com..."
It's not about toolbars.
Find as you type, with no shortcut key to start has been a killer feature for me since it was first introduced. AFAICT, Opera 10.10 (what I have) still hasn't copied that. While the functionality is there, there is no Opera interface that can compare with Noscript's popup menu. The content blocking, not allowing you see anything you can't click on, is vastly inferior to ABP, which allows you to check out every file's URL. Finally, does Opera have a way to remove obfuscation in links?


text:
Request CustomPrice Quote
Star Trac HumanSport Chest / Shoulder
Call or email us for a shipping quote. Please include Product Models ITEM # Quantity & shipping address with zip code and we will Reply Promptly.
The Star Trac® HumanSport Shoulder Chest offers an array of upper body exercises as a result of two sets of strategically located handles. Users can enjoy a variation on the traditional chest press with upper handles and then proceed to shoulder press exercises utilizing the lower handles.
With the use of a stability ball the pull points can be used to perform multiple muscle specific or core training exercises.
Want the most advanced strength training technology today. Add a piece of Human Sport to your home gym.
Designed to reflect human body mechanics, HumanSport is so simple, so intuitive and so natural that it feels as if it were custom-built for each and every user. 6 dual-function, cable-based machines act as 12 workout stations by utilizing dual weight stacks to provide a wide range of total body training options, including Base Strength, Core Stabilization and Dynamic Movement training. Never before has the beauty of natural movement been translated so well into an exercise environment.
Please Allow 4-6 Weeks for Delivery
Verify Security Code
Type Security Code Here:
Copyright 2018 Top Site Media
The Bench Press.com
Owned and Operated by Weight Lifters
Site by LoadedCommerce.com


text:
Exeter named a Top 10 finalist in national small business contestBy JASON SCHREIBER
Union Leader Correspondent
December 14. 2017 12:56AM
EXETER — The town was named a Top 10 finalist in a national competition that celebrates small businesses and awards $500,000 to help with revitalization.
After receiving thousands of nominations, Small Business Revolution-Main Street announced Tuesday that Exeter was among the 10 finalists for the third season of the program sponsored by Deluxe Corp.
The Small Business Revolution is aimed at helping the small businesses that make up Main Street America thrive, and each season its team searches the country to find inspiring small towns.
Six small businesses in the winning town will receive $500,000 to spend on revitalization efforts and be featured in a "Main Street" online documentary series.
The team from Small Business Revolution-Main Street will visit Exeter and the other finalists in January to learn more about the towns, their small businesses, and how they could benefit from revitalization.
The Top 10 will be narrowed down to five finalists in February. The public will then vote for the winner, which will be announced in late February.
"What we love about this Small Business Revolution is, even though one town at the end can only win, what is so special is … this momentum behind supporting your small businesses and bringing your community together," Amanda Brinkman, host of "Main Street" and chief branding officer at Deluxe Corp., said in her announcement of the Top 10 finalists.
The announcement was met with excitement among local business and community leaders.
"While the community has seen a renaissance in the past few years, the downtown district is quite susceptible as e-commerce and modern market pressures small retailers. The experts at SBR have an opportunity to tackle this global phenomenon on a personal local scale," said Darren Winham, the town's economic development director.
Town Manager Russ Dean was also pleased that Exeter was named a finalist.
"The fact we're in the Top 10 is great news. We're looking forward to the show's visit. I think there are lots of different things our downtown businesses can put the funds into and it will be really exciting when the show comes to Exeter to talk about different ideas with them. We'll be organizing in the meantime to make sure we're ready to put our best effort forward," he said.
In addition to Exeter, the other finalists are: Aberdeen, S.D., Alton, Ill., Americus, Ga., Amesbury, Mass., Bastrop, Texas, Brainerd, Minn., Florence, Ore., Martinez, Calif., and Siloam Springs, Ark.