text:
Jack Balkin:
jackbalkin at yahoo.com
Bruce Ackerman
bruce.ackerman at yale.edu
Ian Ayres
ian.ayres at yale.edu
Corey Brettschneider
corey_brettschneider at brown.edu
Mary Dudziak
mary.l.dudziak at emory.edu
Joey Fishkin
joey.fishkin at gmail.com
Heather Gerken heather.gerken at yale.edu
Abbe Gluck abbe.gluck at yale.edu
Mark Graber
mgraber at law.umaryland.edu
Stephen Griffin
sgriffin at tulane.edu
Jonathan Hafetz
jonathan.hafetz at shu.edu
Jeremy Kessler
jkessler at law.columbia.edu
Andrew Koppelman
akoppelman at law.northwestern.edu
Marty Lederman
msl46 at law.georgetown.edu
Sanford Levinson
slevinson at law.utexas.edu
David Luban
david.luban at gmail.com
Gerard Magliocca
gmaglioc at iupui.edu
Jason Mazzone
mazzonej at illinois.edu
Linda McClain
lmcclain at bu.edu
John Mikhail
mikhail at law.georgetown.edu
Frank Pasquale
pasquale.frank at gmail.com
Nate Persily
npersily at gmail.com
Michael Stokes Paulsen
michaelstokespaulsen at gmail.com
Deborah Pearlstein
dpearlst at yu.edu
Rick Pildes
rick.pildes at nyu.edu
David Pozen
dpozen at law.columbia.edu
Richard Primus
raprimus at umich.edu
K. Sabeel Rahmansabeel.rahman at brooklaw.edu
Alice Ristroph
alice.ristroph at shu.edu
Neil Siegel
siegel at law.duke.edu
David Super
david.super at law.georgetown.edu
Brian Tamanaha
btamanaha at wulaw.wustl.edu
Nelson Tebbe
nelson.tebbe at brooklaw.edu
Mark Tushnet
mtushnet at law.harvard.edu
Adam Winkler
winkler at ucla.edu
Compendium of posts on Hobby Lobby and related cases
The Anti-Torture Memos: Balkinization Posts on Torture, Interrogation, Detention, War Powers, and OLC
The Anti-Torture Memos (arranged by topic)
Recent Posts
When might filibusters be justified?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
When might filibusters be justified?
Sandy Levinson
I argued in my previous post that Joe Biden should declare that the Senate is not a continuing body and,therefore, that it can modify its rules by a majority vote, without facing a filibuster. Does this necessarily mean that the filibuster should be abolished lock, stock, and barrel? I think this is quite literally debatable, and I see two circumstances where we might want to retain the filibuster, even if, for example, we might want to drop the number of votes required to break a filibuster from, say, 60 to 55. In any event, the two circumstances are:
1] On more why Sen. Graham was wrong (in part), see this essay.
The use of Estrada as a martyr is ironic for more than him being Kagan's seat buddy in 1L. Kagan was nominated to the appellate bench in '99 and never given a hearing by Senate Republicans. Republicans really have themselves to blame for her "lack of experience" (so called).
In fact, Estrada's had a seat to be nominated for in part because of that action along with another nominee not given a hearing, even though he was a former Rehnquist clerk, and got his support along with the likes of Robert Bork.
2] I think a supermajority rule for lifetime appointments might be valid, but it seems to me there is some pieces of legislation or other actions (such as as pointless war) that would be as important as appointing some district or even appellate judge.
3] Relatedly, temporary filibusters could be valid in various cases to avoid summary action or to emphasize the importance of a certain action. This is the alleged reason for the rule anyway -- not to simply block, but to "debate." When the Congress ran on the "what a majority of the majority of the Republican caucus" wanted rule, for instance, it might be useful.
Overall, I doubt if filibusters will end. The thing to hope for is some sort of middle path where they are defanged some. This includes them being used at the drop of a hat. Like drinking and other things, even temporary excess is okay if unpleasant, but at some point, it just gets offensive.
oh ... Sen. Graham tossed in that Goodwin Liu violated even his more limited rules of engagement.
Liu is a fine appellate nominee that has received support from many across the ideological spectrum. He also is involved (along with Prof. Balkin) in the American Constitution Society, and co-wrote a book found on its website.
If Liu can be targeted, and Kagan not given a hearing, the "victimization" of Estrada is that much more hypocritical.
Dorf's comments are interesting, but I think there is an additional factor involved in Sen. Graham's vote.
As I understand Senate rules, the nominee must receive at least one vote from the opposition party in order to send the nomination to the floor. What I say depends on my being right about the rule as to whether my theory below applies to the Kagan nomination.
What I think we're seeing recently is that the Republican Party is, on at least a few occasions, in the position of wanting to make a big public relations issue out of a bill or nominee, but doesn't actually want to be responsible for blocking it. The solution to this is that someone on their side gets appointed to break with the party line and provide the necessary vote. In this case it was Graham, in other cases Scott Brown or Snowe or Collins (Spector used to fill this role). This way the party can fire up the base, extort as much compromise as possible, and not actually obstruct the bill.
I do not think this applies in all cases. Some things the party simply won't agree to. But I do think it's an effective tactic for simultaneously bargaining and distinguishing between the parties on some issues.
In short, I think there are times when the "maverick" is actually acting as the leadership wants, not truly breaking ranks.
Do you have a link to that "rule," Mark? Goodwin Liu was voted out by a party line vote, for instance.
It is impossible for "a group of senators representing less than the majority to ram controversial legislation down the throats of the presumptive majority" because the legislation must also be approved by the House.
I don't think filibusters are ever justified, and I think the exceptions are arbitrary.
For example, what is so different about lifetime appointments versus 18 years? That seems pretty arbitrary. As it is, all the Justices in history (excluding those currently on the Court, because you don't know how long they'll serve), more than 55% served fewer than 18 years. Also, why is this any different than passage of "important" laws like the Civil Rights Act, the Social Security Act, etc., which will have much more enduring an effect on society than even a justice who serves 30 years.
With respect to the "when a majority represents a minority" comment, I think that is far less clear. Yes, Wyoming is egregious. But do you think Rhode Island, Montana, Vermont, North Dakota, Delaware, and Hawaii, each with two Democratic Senators are not? In fact, of the 20 senators from the 10 smallest states, 14 are Democrats (that's 70 %, more than the 59% of the whole Senate Democrats have).
Of course, I should mention that I am a diehard Democrat who hates the current Republicans, but I also hate the antidemocratic idea of the filibuster, and I think the notion that small-state bias disproportionately helps Republicans is a little unfair (for every California there's a Texas, every New York there's a Florida, every Pennsylvania there's an Ohio, and for every Wyoming there's a Rhode Island).
Brunonian makes an interesting point about the small states. Still, it is clear that the recent Republican "majority" of the Senate was composed of senators representing less than a majority of the population.
Mr. DePalma also makes an interesting point, which would be more persuasive if the House were less gerrymandered. But he's clearly correct in suggest that the Senate alone can't ram legislation through; there must be the support of the House, and the House is clearly more majoritarian than the Senate, even if we can debate the extent of the House's majoritarianism. Once Dennis Hastert adopted the "no vote without the support of the Republican caucus" principle, one could easily argue that he gave up any pretense of the House represetnging the "public in general" rather than the distinctly minority "base" of the Republican Party.
Incidentally, a gratituitous comment: Whatever one thinks of Mr. DePalma's arguments, I think that he (relatively) rarely resorts to personal abuse of those he disagrees with. I commend him for that.
I am unsure how the House can be more majoritarian. A party cannot long diverge its governance from the will of its constituents with a two year election cycle. If governing from the base is repellant to the middle, the middle will jump to the other party. This election looks to be a textbook example of that principle.
I have found the filibuster endearingly foolish, and currently regrettable for its dilution to a mere procedurality not requiring the oratory be performed by the actual senator in-person and non-stop. The bedraggled opponents filibustering Civil Rights legislation of various hues over two decades paid a personal price of humiliation for their speechifying, by their appearance after their long argumentation on the chamber floor, and by the non-sequiturs in the content of their speeches.
Nominee confirmations have emerged as an easy target for the modern, all-too-facile non-speechifying filibuster.
The 'inequities' in representativity in the senate are a similar delicate balance of pomp and genuine respect; so, here, too, I diverge from the author's longtime disapproval of the upper chamber's imbalances.
These features, the apportionality of senate seats, fooishness of the filibuster, are features, not bugs.
The histrionics about nominee Estrada appear to me priming for subsequent demands by Republicans that Democratic party senators in a future Republican presidency's term be categorically acquiescent about nominations. If governance fumbles very often because of impediments introduced by these frivolous rules in the senate, we are saved from worse outcomes, namely extremism of many genres.
What Mark may be thinking of is this rule:
"Eight Members of the Committee, including at least two Members of the minority, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting business."
Sandy says:
"Incidentally, a gratituitous comment: Whatever one thinks of Mr. DePalma's arguments, I think that he (relatively) rarely resorts to personal abuse of those he disagrees with. I commend him for that."
Perhaps Sandy may, in his own mind, be limiting this gratuitous observation to those who comment on this Blog regarding personal abuse. Perhaps Sandy excludes Pres. Obama whom our yodeler has subjected to personal abuse and vitriol obviously because he disagrees with OUR PRESIDENT. Perhaps Sandy has forgotten all of our yodeler's diatribe in connection with his proposed book on Obama. Sandy surely realizes that Pres. Obama is not going to respond to such diatribe. But what is the result if such diatribe is not challenged at this Blog? Maybe Sandy is intimidated by our yodeler.
By the way, perhaps Sandy has forgotten why Jack Balkin stopped commenting on his posts.
Incidentally, a gratituitous comment: Whatever one thinks of Mr. DePalma's arguments, I think that he (relatively) rarely resorts to personal abuse of those he disagrees with. I commend him for that.
# posted by Sandy Levinson : 5:50 PM
Baghdad Bart regularly insults the intelligence of everyone who reads his bullshit.
As to John's post, the civil right's bill is but one thing. And, just how much "humiliation" did Thurmond et. al. get for doing it? In fact, many staid in the Senate long past 1964.
I question if there was some 'golden age' in the use of the filibuster, but point of fact, it doesn't exist any more if it once did. Along with modern partisan politics, the filibuster is not being used sanely. The theoretical value of something used insanely is mostly a moot point.
As to "extremism," are we saying with all the checks in place along with the balance of power in the Democratic Party being conservative on various issues, no filibuster will result in "extremism"?
The system has been skewered by one tool in the tool kit. When that happens, it is a bug.
ok gang. it's time to get over it. sandy is clearly referring to the fact that mr. depalma, whom i am no fan of, tends not to take personal potshots at other commenters here at balkinization. this was not an invitation for those of us who disagree with mr. depalma to come out with gratuitous cheap shots once again. once in a while, it would help if you would refrain. shag, if you want to know why jack doesn't allow comments on his posts anymore, just look at bartbuster and your last two comments.
If you're going to allow yourself to be used by a propaganda spewing scumbag, you get what you deserve.
For all the people clamoring for a return to 'real' filibusters: as I understand it reverting to the old system would require a rule change, and therefore is as difficult as changing the filibuster itself.
It seems to me that many of the senate rules were written for a bygone era before the advent of modern communications when the senate might stand adjourned for lengthy periods and when there was much less real business to be got through.
The House of Commons too had a tradition of unlimited debate, and because members were expected also to have other occupations, it started its day in the afternoon and went on - often all through the night. It was not uncommon then for a bill to be "talked out".
It seems to me that rules have to adapt to meet the volume of work to be done and that some measure to limit debate is inevitable.
At present in the House of Commmons,the rule is that the motion passes by a simple majority but 100 members (out of 600+) must be present and voting in favour AND (important safeguard) the Speaker may refuse to entertain the motion if he considers that more debate is needed or that the rights of the minority to air their views would be infringed.
Perhaps some rule setting a high bar for a first motion to end debate and a lower bar on a second motion would protect the right of the minority to make their point but enable the Senate to carry on its business.
The role of an opposition is to oppose, but a "loyal opposition" (UK term) must also recognise that the majority has the right to implement its programme for so long as it has the votes to do so.
I suggest that phg might take a look at Tom Toles' WaPo political cartoon "Supreme irony" today (7/28/10) to see if he may be in need of a sense of humor transplant.
By the way, if Sandy, Jack or other posters at this Blog wish to designate me persona non grata, my feelings wouldn't be hurt.
certainly not looking to have anyone designate anyone else persona non grata, especially you, shag, as i generally enjoy your posts, and find them quite informative. i just thought that this time, when sandy was giving "our yodeling backpacker" a compliment, we did not need to take a shot at him, satiric or otherwise. in watching the talking heads on television, we get enough of that kind of stuff these days. looking forward to more of your posts in the future. although i don't comment often anymore, i still read this site regularly.
I wonder if phg with this:
" ... in watching the talking heads on television, we get enough of that kind of stuff these days ..."
includes the Daily Show and the Colbert Report as TV/cable talking heads. If so, he might want to check at Josh Marshall's TPM website for links to:
1. The Daily Show take on the Sherrod (Dreyfuss-like?) affair taking, inter alia, Obama's administration to task and Jon Oliver's comparison of Obama to Donald Trump (but sans a bad toupe) firing skills.
2. TPM's 12 most outrageous Tom Tom Tancredo statements to highlight Tom Tom's "Goober-natorial" run for Governor of our yodeler's home state, some of which come close to Yodelism.
I don't think we get enough of this. Let's go back historically to the Adams/Jefferson campaign of 1800 to see how tame I really am. I am not a Frank Buck with a whip and chair, only an occasional quip.
I'm at somewhat of a loss as to how the guy who chose the subject can comment gratuitously. In any event, this comment wasn't particularly gratuitous, it must have taken the patience of a saint to have held back comment on that particular subject so long.
Shaq, you're not so bad, your contributions are usually substantive, though the constant refrain of "yodeling backpacker" lost any claim to humor a long, long time ago, you've really ran it into the ground.
Bartbuster, on the other hand, isn't just rhetorically offensive, and essentially content free. His defense of the notion that disagreeing with him is the higher form of incivility is intellectually offensive, as well. One thing I will never doubt, given his tolerance of Bartbuster, is Sandy's devotion to unfettered discussion.
Brett, as someone who thinks it's a good idea to transform America into Somalia, you're not really in a position to be calling anyone "intellectually offensive".
As you may recall. bb is my personal cyberstalker. He has now dedicated years to an attempt to make every blog on which I post unreadable. I cannot fathom the depths of the pathology that drives such a quest. In any case, if you ignore him, he will not go away, but the volume of his posting decreases.
Baghdad, it's not me making every blog you visit unreadable, it's you.
Speaking of people who find you to be a despicable lying scumbag, I can't help but notice that you have picked up quite the following over at 538.
I have the George W. Bush gene for coming up with nicknames, so I'll try Yodelism for a while: OMMMMM.
I cannot fathom the depths of the pathology that drives such a quest.
# posted by Bart DePalma : 10:05 AM
By the way, coming from a wingnut who appears to spend every waking hour trolling liberal websites, this is quite comical.
I am unsure how the House can be more majoritarian. A party cannot long diverge its governance from the will of its constituents with a two year election cycle.
I think Sandy's point about the lockstep voting has some merit, though. I would hazard a guess that your experience with the Tea Party movement would back that up: the GOP has moved away from representing the will of the citizens in their district/state to spending enormous amounts of time, effort, and money to tell the citizens what their will should be.
Although I have serious doubts about the independence of the TPM, the rhetoric seems to be consistent with people who are tired of their desires being side-tracked even in times of a conservative majority in both houses and control of the White House. Still, without a third option, what are they going to do? Vote Democrat? Yeah, not with their respected talking heads suggesting that the word "liberal" was spoken first by a smiling Satan while sodomizing the rotting corpse of Karl Marx.
If you've ever wondered about the vehemence of Democratic supporters, it's at least partly due to the decision in the 90s that GOP congressmen wouldn't be able to vote separate from the party line. No thought, no responsibility, and--with no alternative--no accountability in the elections.
"Durbin Backs Filibuster Reform"
Interesting discussion with links to more.
The title of Tom Toles' political cartoon in today's (7/29/10) WaPo "Tag team" follows up his earlier cartoon on the Supreme Court, this time on the choice of guns or butter. LBJ during the Vietnam War said we could have guns AND butter, but we ended up with Richard Nixon who came close, damn close, to ruining the country. George W. Bush, a fellow Texan of LBJ, gave us guns and butter PLUS tax cuts, ending up with the Bush/Cheney crash of 2008. Earlier, in 2000, the Supreme Court's 5-4 Bush v. Gore gave us Bush/Cheney. No mea culpa on the part of the Supreme Court's 5-4, with its follow up 5-4 Heller and McDonald, so now its guns and more guns. So perhaps the resolution is to shoot our way out of "this mess you got us into, Ollie." And Bush/Cheney's Af/Pak venture gets slipperier and slipperier. (No, all this is not spelled out in Toles' cartoon but we are courting disaster.)
I don't know if Sandy has checked out the WaPo today (7/29/10), but I would expect him to be nodding his head reading E. J. Dionne, Jr.'s OpEd "In American politics, stupidity is the name of the game," especially with respect to E.J.'s views on the Senate. (I got a headache from my nodding.)
DePalma: "It is impossible for 'a group of senators representing less than the majority to ram controversial legislation down the throats of the presumptive majority' because the legislation must also be approved by the House."
As Sandy conceded, your point is valid. However, if the Senate in Washington's famous adage "We pour House legislation into the senatorial saucer to cool it" has the function of protecting the people against themselves (the people pronouncing themselves in "rash" House votes), the question is, if and under what circumstances should not only a Senate majority but also a Senate minority have the power to block legislation.
As regards the sole prerogatives of the Senate, in the past I've been sympathetic to Sandy's idea of allowing the filibuster for life tenures. The Spanish do have a tenure for nine years in their Constitutional Court, and even under such circumstances, the Cortes (parliament) have not been able to find the required super-majority filling up the Court. If I got it right, the functionality of the court is upheld by constitutionally dubious prorrogation of the tenure of the judges slated for retirement. In Germany, where the tenure is twelve years and the Court is less controversial, it has been possible finding the necessary two-third majorities for confirmationwithout too much trouble .
What it shows is, when the will for co-operation is lacking, required super-majorities produce highly detrimental gridlock.
Furthermore, I can't help it but I find the de facto arrogation of constitutional powers via simple rule change in a legislative body highly disturbing. If and under what circumstances super majorities are required should be established exclusively via the constitutional amendment process. Filibuster might be legal but it surely feels illegitimate.
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Books by Balkinization Bloggers
Sanford Levinson and Jack M. Balkin, Democracy and Dysfunction (University of Chicago Press, 2019)
Sanford Levinson, Written in Stone: Public Monuments in Changing Societies (Duke University Press 2018)
Mark A. Graber, Sanford Levinson, and Mark Tushnet, eds., Constitutional Democracy in Crisis? (Oxford University Press 2018)
Gerard Magliocca, The Heart of the Constitution: How the Bill of Rights became the Bill of Rights (Oxford University Press, 2018)
Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Levinson, Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that Affect Us Today (Peachtree Publishers, 2017)
Brian Z. Tamanaha, A Realistic Theory of Law (Cambridge University Press 2017)
Sanford Levinson, Nullification and Secession in Modern Constitutional Thought (University Press of Kansas 2016)
Sanford Levinson, An Argument Open to All: Reading The Federalist in the 21st Century (Yale University Press 2015)
Stephen M. Griffin, Broken Trust: Dysfunctional Government and Constitutional Reform (University Press of Kansas, 2015)
Frank Pasquale, The Black Box Society: The Secret Algorithms That Control Money and Information (Harvard University Press, 2015)
Bruce Ackerman, We the People, Volume 3: The Civil Rights Revolution (Harvard University Press, 2014)
Balkinization Symposium on We the People, Volume 3: The Civil Rights Revolution
Joseph Fishkin, Bottlenecks: A New Theory of Equal Opportunity (Oxford University Press, 2014)
Mark A. Graber, A New Introduction to American Constitutionalism (Oxford University Press, 2013)
John Mikhail, Elements of Moral Cognition: Rawls' Linguistic Analogy and the Cognitive Science of Moral and Legal Judgment (Cambridge University Press, 2013)
Gerard N. Magliocca, American Founding Son: John Bingham and the Invention of the Fourteenth Amendment (New York University Press, 2013)
Stephen M. Griffin, Long Wars and the Constitution (Harvard University Press, 2013)
Andrew Koppelman, The Tough Luck Constitution and the Assault on Health Care Reform (Oxford University Press, 2013)
James E. Fleming and Linda C. McClain, Ordered Liberty: Rights, Responsibilities, and Virtues (Harvard University Press, 2013)
Balkinization Symposium on Ordered Liberty: Rights, Responsibilities, and Virtues
Andrew Koppelman, Defending American Religious Neutrality (Harvard University Press, 2013)
Brian Z. Tamanaha, Failing Law Schools (University of Chicago Press, 2012)
Sanford Levinson, Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance (Oxford University Press, 2012)
Linda C. McClain and Joanna L. Grossman, Gender Equality: Dimensions of Women's Equal Citizenship (Cambridge University Press, 2012)
Mary Dudziak, War Time: An Idea, Its History, Its Consequences (Oxford University Press, 2012)
Jack M. Balkin, Living Originalism (Harvard University Press, 2011)
Jason Mazzone, Copyfraud and Other Abuses of Intellectual Property Law (Stanford University Press, 2011)
Richard W. Garnett and Andrew Koppelman, First Amendment Stories, (Foundation Press 2011)
Jack M. Balkin, Constitutional Redemption: Political Faith in an Unjust World (Harvard University Press, 2011)
Gerard Magliocca, The Tragedy of William Jennings Bryan: Constitutional Law and the Politics of Backlash (Yale University Press, 2011)
Bernard Harcourt, The Illusion of Free Markets: Punishment and the Myth of Natural Order (Harvard University Press, 2010)
Bruce Ackerman, The Decline and Fall of the American Republic (Harvard University Press, 2010)
Balkinization Symposium on The Decline and Fall of the American Republic
Ian Ayres. Carrots and Sticks: Unlock the Power of Incentives to Get Things Done (Bantam Books, 2010)
Mark Tushnet, Why the Constitution Matters (Yale University Press 2010)
Ian Ayres and Barry Nalebuff: Lifecycle Investing: A New, Safe, and Audacious Way to Improve the Performance of Your Retirement Portfolio (Basic Books, 2010)
Jack M. Balkin, The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life (2d Edition, Sybil Creek Press 2009)
Brian Z. Tamanaha, Beyond the Formalist-Realist Divide: The Role of Politics in Judging (Princeton University Press 2009)
Andrew Koppelman and Tobias Barrington Wolff, A Right to Discriminate?: How the Case of Boy Scouts of America v. James Dale Warped the Law of Free Association (Yale University Press 2009)
Jack M. Balkin and Reva B. Siegel, The Constitution in 2020 (Oxford University Press 2009)
Heather K. Gerken, The Democracy Index: Why Our Election System Is Failing and How to Fix It (Princeton University Press 2009)
Mary Dudziak, Exporting American Dreams: Thurgood Marshall's African Journey (Oxford University Press 2008)
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Jack M. Balkin and Beth Simone Noveck, The State of Play: Law, Games, and Virtual Worlds (N.Y.U. Press 2006)
Andrew Koppelman, Same Sex, Different States: When Same-Sex Marriages Cross State Lines (Yale University Press 2006)
Brian Tamanaha, Law as a Means to an End (Cambridge University Press 2006)
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Mark Graber, Dred Scott and the Problem of Constitutional Evil (Cambridge University Press 2006)
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text:
Two Guys SpaceVenture - by the creators of Space Quest
by Two Guys From Andromeda
Herbert EderSuperbackeron
I have no problem with waiting until it's completed, just keep us further updated every one or two months so we know you are still there!
BigD on
Thanks for the lengthy update guys! It can not be said you have forgotten us in all the work! Like everyone else here, I would rather wait and see a great game that you are happy to share with us. If I wanted some piece of digital garbage that is full of noise and bugs, I can buy an EA game for XBox. Take your time and this old backer will be waiting. And don't worry about Serena tossing a hissing fit, as long as Riggo and I are around she has far larger targets for her wrath! And Nelson, we have heard he secretly harbors a collection of "Carpenters" records so don't worry about him either!
Frederik Olsen on
Regarding wages, rent, etc.: as far as I know, they're doing this in a virtual office. Cross-country and even cross-continent. And it seems that some of the team members are doing this pro bono for now, with the option of being hired afterwards, if this takes off.
@Frogacuda: It's not really a lesson about anything till the game comes out, is it? If it blows, then sure. It's a lesson about not backing next time around. If it rocks, I couldn't care less about having my homely mug in the game, getting to vote on death sequences or getting "exclusives" (along with several thousands of other people). I backed for a game. I see nothing here that makes me doubt we're getting a good one.
Less honest people would probably have just taken the money and been over the hills by now if it's "fallen off the radar". I think it's quite commendable that they're still fighting. Screw all the engine room business you get with crowd funding. It's second to that. I pledged for a game above all.
Also, the word "redemption" is seriously heavy. I dunno why people are being so dramatic all of a sudden. It's not Duke Nukem Forever.
Jason JoyceSuperbackeron
Well...Apparently I'll be one of the few voices of dissent here because I really don't think the booster club type "take as long as you need" comments are helping at this point.
I don't think anyone here is going to deny that Scott and Mark do fantastic work with many elements of their design/graphics/comedy. There's a reason I still play SQIV to this day, after all.
That said, this update is shocking and more than a little alarming.
We're just shy of the project's 2nd anniversary after being successfully funded and they're roughly 1/3rd of the way into it?
We already know money's in short supply or gone. After all, what was supposedly holding things up around 9 months ago was them losing a programmer because he had to move on to another contract to keep food on the table.
There hasn't been another influx of cash that I'm aware of, so...
Let's hope they prepaid the voice talent, or no telling what's going to happen with that.
Considering the 1/3rd statement, the apparently fiscal situation...and the fact that Chris/"interns" aren't even able to deliver on the SVRewards thing....I'm thinking the 9 month estimate is on the "implausibly optimistic" end of the scale unless they eventually get tired of the whole thing and take the "screw it, we're done" route some other developers have followed.
If they had the money...It's very obvious the team desperately needs a project manager that can at least get the team on a hard schedule for milestones at least internally rather than this meaningless "soft" release dates and whatnot.
Scott, Mark, I've loved your work since my first "big box" SQ back when I was a kid, but I I'm honest, this is probably the kickstarter I' most concerned about from what I've seen to date.
Raiden on
I doubt that anyone is honestly thrilled by the prospect of waiting another year, but I am pleased that a projected time frame for release has finally been given, as it allows one to manage expectations, so I appreciate the openness and transparency of this update.
With that said, if this is the time that's needed to deliver a quality product, then I'm happy to wait. It's important to remember the words of Shigeru Miyamoto "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad."
I can imagine that everyone on the development team is just as frustrated with the delays as the backers are, if not more so because they also have to contend with that feeling that they're letting down the people who placed faith in them. I say just plough on and deliver something that you can truly be proud of, and then you'll be vindicated.
Sometimes I think, with all this talk of engines and whatnot, and all these adventure game Kickstarters having taken place at broadly the same time, it's a shame that the various teams didn't just club together and share resources to make one point 'n' click engine that they could all use, instead of all this duplication of effort. Then again, I don't know anything about programming, so perhaps they would have had different needs which would make this unrealistic in practice.
Will BuckinghamSuperbackeron
I can't say that I'm particularly surprised at the delays if the engine and tool set really did end up being built from scratch. That seems to be a time pit many companies fall into, including major corporations like SquareEnix. How many years did it take them to get a single PS3 game out? And how long as Final Fantasy XV been in development at this point? The engine work caused such a huge problem with Final Fantasy XIII that the art team had made double the assets that actually were used in the game by the time it was ready. While the delays are depressing, I feel like it's good news that the story is already completely locked down, and most of the dialog is at least at the "tweaks might happen, but otherwise done" stage. It's important not to forget the overall picture of the game's design while dealing with technical delays, so while the big delay is a little depressing, I'm cautiously optimistic still. And honestly, I have so many other games to play in the meantime there's no rush. This is a known reality of Kickstarter (hi there Broken Age part 2!) so I'm not particularly surprised at the delay either.
Stephen T. Robbins on
Maybe keep some notes about the worst difficulties you encountered and the difficulties you could have most easily avoided, in hindsight. I think a nice long post/update/article 2-3 months after your eventual release date detailing your experiences completing this project could be both interesting to the general gaming community and useful to others considering how to build their own indie game.
Ryan Seney on
With the number of AAA games getting delayed into 2015, what's another one? :) This will be my first 2GFA adventure, and the journey so far has been interesting to watch. Another 9-12 months isn't going to kill me.
Don C - SpaceVenture Evangelist on
I got a spot on my shelf for the SpaceVenture box right next to SQ 1-6. That spot will be there there in 2014, 2015.... Just make the best game possible. :)
Daniel Alexander Porter on
You guys take as long as you need to make a game that you feel is special and the best game you have made. I personally think you are doing the right thing by taking the time needed to make this game, I mean isn't that what indie game development is all about...not being told when to release the game, taking all the time you need to make the game you want and what the fans want? A game that you can feel proud of? I am happy to wait as long as it takes for the team to release the game, I have faith in you guys and I am very confident that you will achieve what you are aiming for.
eXoScoriae on
For the guy down below who said they never actually gave a release date, I encourage you to turn your attention to the right hand column. You will see February 2013 under the estimated delivery date. That was the original release date.
For the guys making the game, I think many of us are used to these enormous delays and screwed up budgets. But usually these are coming from new game companies who don't have a lot of industry experience.
You guys knew better than this, and if you didn't.. well, you really had no business making a game without a real publisher to keep you in line and provide the assets you needed to make the game properly.
You are abusing the trust that many people put into your project by donating their personal cash towards your project based on our nostalgia and trust in your past work.
I agree with Jason below, 100%. You have blown the budget completely. The way you are procedding with this game, and the whole "release it when we love it" mentality is not a viable business plan. If sierra had functioned that way after their initial success, you wouldn't have had time to release a sequel before the adventure point & click craze would have already been over.
The only reason we have 6 space quests is because guys like Ken kept you on the ball. if you had worked like this, we would have been lucky to have even gotten 2 out of you guys.
I hope you enjoy making this game together, because it will be the last game anyone funds you for. You may have several patient people willing to give nonstop praise here in the comments, but they are a minority of the 10,000 people who backed you. Doesn't it scare you a little how many people have moved on and given up on you at this point?
There is no way you will ever be able to raise half a million dolalrs again after this debacle. People like me will be right there to remind every single potential backer what a ridiculous mess this entire KS was.
The fact that two "veterans" had no idea what the requirements of the engine they would be using is, and didn't realize they would have to build some of the tools is pure naivety.
If I got hired at a company based on the promises you posted on this kickstarter, and was over 16 months late and only 1/3 of the way there (with some things, like voices, completely untouched) - I would be (rightfully) fired on the spot.
If you had gone to a regular publisher and pulled this crap, you *know* that there is no way they would have put up with delays and excuses like this.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. After watching all the various sierra teams strike out on their own and flop around like fish out of the water... it really gives me a new found appreciation for ken Williams. After his chat logs back in 98 and his actions around the sale to Cendant I had gotten the impression that he really didn't care about games, and only saw them as a way to make money. While that is still probably true, I now see that it takes someone with that mindset to keep people like you guys in line and profitable.
Irishmile on
Sierra games had much larger budgets, and larger teams to work on the games. I think some of the negative comments thrown around are hilarious considering they're coming from people who have no clue the amount of work goes into even the smallest of games. These guys are doing their best to take a really small budget and stretch it so their game will live up to the expectations of idiots who think there is an "easy" button you just push and games are made.
Bruno Albino on
Good to know guys, I appreciate your honesty.
Keep working on it at your own pace, I look forward for the finished game.
Jason JoyceSuperbackeron
I think Irish's comment typifies how criticism goes over with the blindly devoted.
I also like how suddenly $561,637 is a "really small budget".
Jane Jensen was able to cope with a $435,316 budget somehow...Or let's see...How about Project Fedora/Tesla Effect with their $598,104 budget that included some pretty big name actors.
So no...This isn't a case of "stretching" a tiny budget to live up to expectations.
Worth pointing out that both Moebius and Tesla Effect are adventure games built on the Unity engine....As is Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded, for that matter, so...It's not exactly like they're blazing new trails in trying to get an adventure game to work with an engine not suited for it.
If they're having to reinvent the wheel as they claim, well...That's another mistake to chalk up since Unity has plenty of pieces that can be used for those purposes.
Or hell, they could've done what Wasteland 2 has done and crowdsourced some of the stuff they needed help with. Plenty of people have contributed models/components for Wasteland 2. They're even doing some of their localization work that way.
The bottom line is it's been two years and apart from the aborted SVRewards site and largely regurgitated updates here (which apparently are too much effort to commit to anymore), we're now learning they're a third of the way into the project by their own estimates?
I'll say it right now. There's no way this releases in 9 months. There's no way this releases in a year unless they rush through the remaining 2/3rds to push it out the door and be done with it.
And the concern I and a lot of other backers have is they admitted they were having financial issues 9 months ago. With that being the case, there's real concern as to whether they can stretch whatever's left to keep going for another year or two to see the thing through to completion.
Frederik Olsen on
The budget is closer to 440K because of the amount of non-payers. Yes, you got that right. Some of the people whose trust is violently abused or whatever that was about simply DID NOT PAY. $440,000 *is* quite a small budget these days and if you think otherwise, you're the one who's delusional. Granted, I do not know if Big Finish or Pinkerton Road had similar issues. It may simply be normal for a Kickstarter.
Also, unlike Tesla Effect, I actually think a lot of the acting work here is being done more or less pro bono here. I can't verify it, of course, but the main reason they've been able to contract those actors is that Chris Pope represents most of them. So Rob Paulsen, Ellen McLain et al were assets that were already available, which is not the case with some of the talent Big Finish hired.
Also, comparing SpaceVenture with Moebius and Tesla Effect is a case of apples and oranges. We can rule out the latter game, as it's a first-person game. Moebius is closer, but does suffer from several problems that have been noted by several reviewers. I loved Moebius, but I hope Ace Hardway doesn't halt the action completely to take a deep breath and pop a pill every two minutes. And don't even get me started on LSL:R. "You watch in amazement as something really spectacular happens. Unfortunately, we didn't animate it so you will have to imagine it. And now back to our regular programming." That, and it's a cartoony 2D game. There's just no valid comparison here, even if the games use the same engine.
I agree, they may have had alternate options, such as crowdsourcing, along the way (though it's a worth a note they brought in pcj and Troels well into the process) and I'm sure they wish they could've done things differently. But I don't want to read a long sob-sob text where Chris Pope reaffirms they did mistakes and then cancels the whole deal. It frankly sounds like you're pissy about them taking all this stuff on the chin and continuing work on the game. What would you have them do? Announce that they're awful people and call of the game?
Some of the troubles they've been having are not financial in nature. I'll leave it at that because I don't know how much I'm allowed to "know". Considering you don't have the knowledge of what bogged down development from early on, it's fair enough that you judge from what you can actually see with your own eyes, of course. But honestly, even speaking as a fan, I think you're making some conclusions that are pretty much unfounded.
Are you actively looking to have the project canceled because you don't get things your way? The game may be delayed, but holy crap, talk about overreacting. I think they KNOW they've screwed up, so I'm not really sure being angry with them makes that much of a difference. Other than them taking the mud people are slinging around to heart, cancelling them game and, ironically, ENSURING with 100% certainty that you lose your money. Not really the most viable option here...
Frederik Olsen on
(I trust you can read past the inevitable typos - should've hired Josh Mandel for "proofreadeng")
Jason JoyceSuperbackeron
All Kickstarter projects are plagued by a certain percentage of pledges that don't go through due to insufficient funds or what have you, so...That SpaceVenture was is somewhat irrelevant.
If SpaceVenture is getting their voice acting "pro bono" (and I believe you'll find Chris Pope does NOT "represent" them, he handles their social media presence), then that changes perspecitve dramatically as that could've been a large chunk of their budget.
And I don't expect a mea culpa, problems happen.
What I do expect is a reasonable degree of accountability and engagement with those that have actually funded the project.
I've said this before, but one of the largest problems the project has had has been abysmal PR/Community relations/communication with backers.
Had there been dialogue along the way, we wouldn't be sitting here two years later hearing that 1/3rd of the project is "complete" and wondering what the hell happened or what they've been doing with $500K for the last two years.
But having spent years asking the "uncomfortable" questions in journalism and working in PR for a Fortune 100 company now, I'll freely admit I'm a cynical asshole, so...Maybe I'm the only one looking at it that way.
Bottom line, I'd love to see another game from Scott and Mark and by no stretch am I demanding a release in the immediate future or even a firm release date.
What I AM calling out is putting out a postponed update about the "release of the game" in which, not only do they not even attempt to address the issues that have delayed the project so substantially, but only say they anticipate the remaining 2/3rd to go much faster as they don't think they'll run into any issues?
And then, despite (worse, Chris even says due to) people complaining about the lack of substance in updates, they decide they're not going to commit to regular updates and only post when they feel like sharing something?
I mean...I'm sorry, but to make that sort of statement when you already have people complaining that you're not forthcoming/communicative enough is worse than not addressing the issue at all
I'd like to see a more substantive update that addresses the concerns that have been raised regarding their ability to fund an extended development period, but...I'm not holding my breath since I know we'll never see it.
I've rambled long enough, so I'll leave it at this: If I had reason to believe Mark & Scott had the budget to support taking another year or two or even three to see the game through, I'd happily wait. At this point, however, I have some serious doubts about the stability of the project which I suspect the company isn't willing to discuss to allay.
Jens Muehleisen on
When i first backed this game i mainly did it because i love point and click adventures and because i loved Sierra and pretty much everyone working there. Space Quest was a lot of fun so i thought yeah that should be nice, in the end every time i see a WIP of this game im like hey that turned out WAY cooler then i thought. So yeah take your time and make it right and cool, of course it would be nice playing it already but everyone who loves rushed shitty games can still buy a Activision and EA product yeah i am looking at you Battle Field 4 or should i say Bug Field 4 ? Just please don't make this Duke Nukem Never ever :p
Ohverture on
I have to admit I'm still surprised by the number of people who think they're actually owed a game. All kickstarter let's you do is buy into a possibility. You aren't buying shares, you aren't buying a product. You're owed nothing. Hell, look at Double Fine. They got six times the money this did, and then released half the game, fifteen months late, and they had a full team. I'm not excusing the delay, but I'm not under any illusions about what it takes, and I'm glad risked my bucks for the possibility of this game.
Brandon Blume on
People need to chill out. We're used to AAA game developers keeping to a certain timeframe (usually), but then what we get is bug-ridden garbage most of the time. Games take time when your an indie dev creating a full-length game like SpaceVenture. I have complete faith in and support for the SV team to give us something great. I'm busy enough that I don't really notice the time passing. There's plenty else to do and be distracted with while the Two Guys and Co slave away at creating something special for us. You can spout off other examples of games that have come out already via Kickstarter, but it doesn't always apply. QFI is still not out yet. Yes, its release is imminent, but keep in mind that the game was in development before the Kickstarter campaign. So was Mage's Initiation, and that's not finished yet either.
Every project has bumps in the road, some more than others. This isn't an issue or a danger to the eventual release when the people who are working on it are working as hard and as fast as possible.
Frederik Olsen on
@JasonJoyce: You deserve a proper reply to that, so let me try...
"All Kickstarter projects are plagued by a certain percentage of pledges that don't go through due to insufficient funds or what have you, so...That SpaceVenture was is somewhat irrelevant."
So something that happens to other Kickstarters is not relevant, but what... uh... happens to other Kickstarted games, per your last post, is... relevant? Colour me confused; I don't think argument holds up. The non-payers are as relevant here as everything else you choose to bring about about other Kickstarters.
"If SpaceVenture is getting their voice acting "pro bono" (and I believe you'll find Chris Pope does NOT "represent" them, he handles their social media presence), then that changes perspecitve dramatically as that could've been a large chunk of their budget."
True, I should've chosen my words more carefully. We may not be dealing with 100% pro bono, but I don't think they're paying full price for those people. If they are, they would've blown the budget from day one and that did NOT happen. Around October, Chris Pope confirmed that the only reason for the delay was found in the programming department. I have no reason to believe the money is gone. But their budget IS arguably responsible for the current delays, since they cannot bring another Unity developer on board, but have to make do with the staff they already have. I've offered my services (pro bono), but would need a Unity licence and a licence for the asset server. To me, that goes to show that the delays are being affected by the budget. Not the other way around.
"And I don't expect a mea culpa, problems happen.
What I do expect is a reasonable degree of accountability and engagement with those that have actually funded the project.
I've said this before, but one of the largest problems the project has had has been abysmal PR/Community relations/communication with backers."
I *partly* agree, but for the past few years, I've known Chris Pope and the Guys to be completely transparent, and they answer you best as they can when you ask them about something. I'm privileged in that I can Skype any of them when I choose to, but most of my communication with them has been going on in public on Twitter, so there's always a channel there. I suppose that transparency comes at the price of one having to ask the questions. I agree, the PR could've been better, but at this point, I can't fault them for spending the majority of their time on actual game development. But yes, you're right that the dialogue could possibly have been better. However, the game might have been even more delayed had they spent more time on PR. Double-edged sword, cause if they'd had a person on board solely to do PR, THAT would probably have made you go "Well, they've clearly blown the budget on all the PR" instead.
"What I AM calling out is putting out a postponed update about the "release of the game" in which, not only do they not even attempt to address the issues that have delayed the project so substantially, but only say they anticipate the remaining 2/3rd to go much faster as they don't think they'll run into any issues?"
Problem is, they're only human. Some have mentioned how they've been out of the business for more than a few years and while that's true, that's partly why we all pledged. So I don't find that very relevant. But I honestly don't think they anticipated it would come to this. Did they see it coming too late? Probably. Was that a mistake? Sure. Do I blame them? No - their plate is already full. They're still trying, so I'm gonna remain positive. If they had thrown the towel in, however… that's when you'd see me disappointed.
"And then, despite (worse, Chris even says due to) people complaining about the lack of substance in updates, they decide they're not going to commit to regular updates and only post when they feel like sharing something?
I mean...I'm sorry, but to make that sort of statement when you already have people complaining that you're not forthcoming/communicative enough is worse than not addressing the issue at all"
Sometimes, there's just not gonna be anything spoiler-free to show. I can deal with that rather than them spending ages to blur out spoilers in screenshots, videos or whatever. I liked the regular updates. Even the "no-substance" ones because they served to remind me that the project is still ongoing. If there's no more stuff to show, the only way to accommodate the naysayers is to do more meaty updates more rarely. An odd decision, maybe, but I think the argumentation for it makes sense and hey - the negative people in here are finally getting SOMETHING they want. Enjoy it.
"I'd like to see a more substantive update that addresses the concerns that have been raised regarding their ability to fund an extended development period, but...I'm not holding my breath since I know we'll never see it."
No, of course we're not. Asking them to pretty much lay out their budget for all to see goes way beyond what even the backers on the highest level are "entitled" to (again, owing to Kickstarter's terms and conditions, we have no claim to anything whatsoever). It would also lead to even more baseless cries about a blown budget and mismanagement and would likely result in the cancellation. Maybe, once the game is out, I'd like them to do a sort of retrospective like someone else suggested. This whole process would make better documentary material than most stories of game development.
"I've rambled long enough, so I'll leave it at this: If I had reason to believe Mark & Scott had the budget to support taking another year or two or even three to see the game through, I'd happily wait. At this point, however, I have some serious doubts about the stability of the project which I suspect the company isn't willing to discuss to allay."
I've enjoyed reading your "ramblings" and I hope my responses have at least provided a little food for thought. While I agree that this is not a pitch-perfect example of a Kickstarter campaign, I STILL trust the Guys and I just urge everyone else to. You've only really got anything to lose if they become convinced that no one wants the game, and that'd be a damn shame. But no, I don't believe we'll be seeing the information you want to see any time soon. Simply because the negative backlash would be way, way bigger than what we're seeing right now, no matter which numbers they put forth.
Jochem Menting on
To me, it's great to hear the design stuff and big programming hurdles are taken. It seems the project is finaly in a shape that you can estimate a time of delivery. And, that is great news. I chipped in to play this game when it's done. In the meantime, I have other things to do in life and gaming. Goodluck with your next and important step in development of the game. I'll be happy to read further updates!
Jochem Menting on
To me, it's great to hear the design stuff and big programming hurdles are taken. It seems the project is finaly in a shape that you can estimate a time of delivery. And, that is great news. I chipped in to play this game when it's done. In the meantime, I have other things to do in life and gaming. Goodluck with your next and important step in development of the game. I'll be happy to read further updates!
Philippe Jandot on
Keep the good work guys, thanks for this update, rather you take your time than release thinks like moebius or lsr ...
Rob Vincent on
Your fans from the SQ days have waited many, many years for a new Two Guys From Andromeda game; another one certainly won't kill us, and the knowledge that you guys are doing it without half-assing it for the sake of a quicker release, succumbing to clueless executive meddling, etc. is heartwarming.
I'm confident SpaceVenture will be worth the wait! Keep being awesome, folks.
jfrisby on
I'm happy with the delay. I guess I passed through concern>worry>fear sometime last year? This is still a "better make it count" type of project, and things seem fairly stable these days. It's not like fancy updates or adherence to development-workflow-acronyms has yielded much good adventuring from other Kickstarters, IMO. Hopefully we've faithfully recreated the torturous development processes of the classics?
I liked the updates from Chris, and didn't really think they were 'too light' or anything. It would help to have more sense of scale... x out of x number of locations... is the whole game designed/written... Is Gary Owens still on board?
BluScreen_Jason on
Yeah, about the only thing I "don't" like about this update is that we'll be getting fewer updates. I don't care if it's a simple "The game is being made, thank you for waiting", I like that. I don't care if there really isn't much to share that is spoiler free. It has honestly been a highlight for me to check on the updates every first and sixteenth of every month. I'm sad to hear it's not going to be that way.
As far as the game itself goes. I'm fine with you taking longer. I'm a very patient individual who believes that games these days are rushed out too quickly anyways. It's refreshing to see that degree of pride in your work. *claps*
LuckyLuigi on
Try to finish it in my lifetime, that's all I really care about :P
Joshua Carmody on
Sounds fine. I've backed enough Kickstarter projects and worked on enough Software projects to know how it goes. March 2015-ish is acceptable. I absolutely *do* want a good game after all.
Looking forward to playing.
Dan Cerulo on
Don't usually comment on my backed projects, but count me in the "Take All The Time You Need To Make An Amazing Game" camp. Every game I have backed on Kickstarter has been delayed from a few months to over a year. Some of those games needed to be delayed longer and I have been very disappointed in their quality. Some of the games with ultra-delays turned out to be amazing and totally worth it. I want the latter from my Guys from Andromeda.
Bottom line here: I didn't use Kickstarter to "pre-order" a game with an exact release date. I used Kickstarter to give money to two guys who have developed games that I loved growing up with and that I know with the time needed can do it again. If I wanted to pre-order it, I would have waited until it was on Steam. So take the time, I invested money into SpaceVenture as a concept and I knew it would be a while until I played it. I don't want to play it now and be sad, I want to play it when Scott and Mark want me to play it so I can be amazed and recapture that childhood excitement.
Best of luck to the whole SpaceVenture crew! I'm behind you guys 100%
Jeremie LariviereSuperbackeron
Thanks for the update!
Corey Cole on
In reply to exoScoriae and others: In general, your comments are completely true. Mark and Scott, despite decades of game-making experience, greatly underestimated the time and money it would take to make a new adventure game. Lori and I are in the same situation, although our specifics are slightly different.
So our "Estimated delivery" dates were ridiculously optimistic. That doesn't mean that the projects are ridiculous or that we won't deliver eventually. I know Mark, Scott, and their team are working very hard on their project; as are Lori, I, and our team on Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption. With 20:20 hindsight, we could have all done better.
But do not assume that big companies are any more competent at getting games out the door. In 1990, Sierra had an established game engine, which cost millions, and all of the projects used it. As a result, we got games out in a year for under $1 million using those tools. By the late 1990's, they had to rework all of the tools for 24-bit graphics, 3D, and modern computers. The system development cost millions for *each* game, and the games themselves took years and millions of dollars to develop. Quest for Glory V shipped two years late and at triple the original budget. Sierra, with all its experience and expert developers, came nowhere close to accurately predicting either costs or schedule.
King's Quest: Mask of Eternity shipped the same year, far behind schedule and with massive cost overruns. They also had a custom game engine which ran into development problems - There was no communication to develop one engine for multiple games as there was in 1990. Let's also not forget that it was ludicrous to ship two major fantasy titles in the same year. Sierra did it because nobody at the company had any idea when either game would be complete. The following year, Sierra closed their in-house development.
I mention Sierra because I was there, but I could give dozens of examples of major game companies falling completely on their faces, missing deadlines by years, and spending millions of dollars over budget. Wildstar, anyone? Its spend was approaching $100 million when I interviewed their several years ago. Carbine started development on it in 2005, I think for a planned 2008 or 2009 release. Wildstar is getting excellent reviews, so they may have placed the right bet. A mediocre game released five years ago would have just wasted all the money put into it.
Then there was the game company - started by major industry figures whose names you would all recognize - that asked Lori and me to propose a game design. We spent weeks at it, on spec, and presented what we still think is a great game idea. They decided they didn't need outside game designers, and instead had the executives and art directors do the design. That game cost millions and sold fewer than 1,000 copies in its first six months. It's beautiful; the game play is... let's just say "bad". Word of mouth got out quickly and the game failed.
Ref major films, William Goldman famously said, "Nobody knows anything." That is even more true in the game industry.
So yeah, if we'd been smart, we probably would have written some adventure game books rather than a computer game. We believed people when they told us how easy it was to develop a game under Unity. We thought Unity would replace most of that multi-million dollar game system development at Sierra. Instead, we found out that it is just a subset of what is needed for a full graphic adventure.
Making games is hard. Making great games is completely unpredictable. Planning a schedule for a large game has so many unknowns that nobody gets it right consistently. Finding great animators and programmers who will work for a fraction of their industry-standard paycheck is very hard. We are all doing the best we can.
How did Jane Jensen do it? She signed a publisher contract to supplement the Kickstarter income. And was still about a year late. How are Lori and I making a game long past the original deadline? We have key team members who are deferring pay while they support themselves with day jobs. We are borrowing money to keep food on the table and to pay other team members and project expenses. We hope we can sell enough copies of the game to pay for all that and hopefully reward our loyal team. But it's impossible to predict.
I'm personally a bit relieved that SpaceVenture is having such a hard road to release. It and Hero-U have had many of the same problems with engine, animation, and team. All it shows me is that we have not taken on easy or predictable tasks. Large-scale creative development is difficult, expensive, time-consuming, and unpredictable. But I trust Mark, Scott, and Chris; they will finish the game and it will be good. It will also have cost far less to develop than any current AAA game from a major studio. I can say this because I know it's true of Hero-U as well.
But we are sorry that we listed an Estimated delivery date that we had no chance of making. In hindsight, even if we had gone with our very simple original plan (essentially an animated board game with a lot of text), we would have missed the deadline by six months. Instead we are making a AA game and missing by two years. It's the best we can do, and few others manage to do better.
speedster -Armikrog Army Annelid- $4.96 on
I'm afraid there is some misunderstanding going on about "1/3 done", where some people are assuming that means that the other 2/3 will take approximately twice as long as the first, perhaps a little less because of "lessons learned", so 9-12 more months is still totally unrealistic.
A "vertical slice" of 1/3 of the game being nearly finished implies much more under-the-hood progress has been made, from custom tools to workflows that will largely be reused for the remaining part of the implementation. For instance, it was mentioned that the tools are now "nearly complete" so only minor tweaks are expected to complete the rest of the game.
As an analogy, suppose somebody were building a little single-story house -- the house has 1 out of 3 rooms totally finished, everying from paint and flooring to electricity and plumbing, while the other 2/3 rooms are just the frame... but *all* the foundation was dug out and poured as a prerequisite before getting that one room done.
Palindrome Bob-XSF-I'm in AGL589-BG5.22Superbackeron
I have no qualms with the estimated delivery date way off base and won't even budge if your soft release date falls through (even though I hope not, naturally).
I echo Jason Ferron's "complaint" that the updates will be fewer. :(
### Member of the Pinkerton Road Cavalry ###
### Dreamfall Traveller ###
DZ on
Although I appreciate you guys taking the time to produce the "best possible game you can," I am now a bit concerned about the condition of the final product. Let me qualify this by stating categorically that I have no doubt that you guys will deliver a quality game. Full Stop.
My concerns are to do with the lack of creative and time constraints to which a typical successful creative enterprise must adhere to, and to which--apparently--KickStarter projects are not subject.
I loved the Space Quest series. Loved it! And I would pay money for anything that the "Two Guys From Andromeda" produce. However, as a game designer myself, I do understand that, although passion, skill, and creativity played the largest role; the value, quality, and success of those past games can also be attributed in part to other factors. Among these are the pressures to constrain the design and ambitions in order to deliver a practical product in time and on budget.
Sure, we all know that those time and budget constraints are not always reasonable, and we all know that given a bit more of it, we can always do much better. However, this is not the same as a complete lack of such pressures. (For an example of this, see what two other very creative guys pulled out of their ass when given virtually unlimited funds and cart blanche at production, mangling a beloved and very popular sci-fi classic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix_Reloaded)
In summation, let me say that I love your work, I respect your approach, and hope (with some trepidation) that the graciousness of your backers in giving you the funds, the leeway, and the time to make your dream project, does not go directly to your head. I rather see you produce the "best game we could do in X time," than end up with an all-but-the-kitchen-sink-and-a-bag-of-fries "Space Quest Reloaded."
- j.
Brian Pennington on
Keep up the hard work, guys! Glad to hear you're not rushing the game, I'd rather have a good game than a quick one.
Marie-Andree PoissonSuperbackeron
Grimfarrow on
Kckstarter isn't a pre-order scheme. It's an investment. And like any kinds of investments you do, you should be willing to lose that money you've invested - it's always going to be a crapshoot. So I find the people complaining about getting their game late to be disingenuous - if you didn't know what you were getting into, you should have never bothered to kickstart this at all.
For me, I gave to Mark & Scott due to the years of enjoyment I got from their previous games. So even if I lose that money, it's ok, because at least I gave them another shot at making a game they wanted to make.
DZ on
@Grimfarrow: Kickstarter is indeed an investment, and as an investment, you expect it to be treated responsibly and with respect.
However, people are not "complaining about getting their game late"; people are frustrated because they invested in an enterprise that seemed sound in principle, with a well thought-out and reasonable and realistic project plan, and trusted that Mark and Scott could execute on that plan.
Not being able to do so reveals that the plan was not as carefully composed, and reduces the "Two Guys SpaceVenture" to just another "crapshoot," by-the-seat-of-your-pants project in Kickstarter. I can imagine how this can disillusion a few.
As much as I respect and admire Mark and Scott, the funding they received wasn't a gift. I did not throw money at them to go play, as thanks for their past work. I, and many others, believed in Mark and Scott's potential, passion, drive, and creativity to follow through on this project, and want to see it succeed.
By your same token, I find that people who support and cheerlead bad planning and lackluster project execution for the sake of not disappointing their heroes, are naive at best. Don't you know that by rewarding this behaviour, Kickstarter will never move past the unreliable, amateur "beg-a-thon" reputation it has earned?
In the end, you are right, this is just another Kickstarter crapshoot: over-promised and under-delivered; where the hint of a successful funding went straight through people's heads and turned the project from a practical possibility, into a pie-in-the-sky "dream project" where everything and the kitchen sink is thrown in, for good measure.
*THAT* is what is most disappointing.
To Mark, Scott, and the rest of the project team: You guys have great creative potential, and your past work was outstanding. Just do your best and deliver a good project; and consider the true possibility that this may involve toning down your ambitions. Always remember that the success of the Space Quest series was not attributed to having every technical or creative element you ever dreamed of.
- j.
Brendan Sydney Hughes on
Thanks for promising to update us less frequently, that feels good.
William McDonald on
I believe you will finish and that it will be good, whether that's 2014 or 2016 I don't care, just as long as it's done and reminds me of Wilco ;)
Eric L Beyer on
By your most optimistic estimate, the game will be two years and one month late by the time it publishes. That, and your pledge to give us fewer updates is what I find most grating.
Scrofa on
For some reason I feel sorry for you. Just imagining all the pressure from the fans. But please, take your time, stay frosty and make a game YOU guys want to make. I almost forgot it's even in development, so I can cope with more waiting. Hell, I've been waiting since SQ5 release. And for all the fans - hype is your enemy.
KSimms ✵ ✵ on
Updates should be provided at least once a month. Why are you worrying about whether they're "drool-inducing" or what cool things you can share in each update? Just give progress reports at least every month, whether there is something "drool-inducing" or not. This update was better than usual with more specifics and the nice bullet points, but the most recent update (July) slid backwards in quality.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass.—Despite holding an early 3-1 lead, UMass Boston women's tennis couldn't hold on against in-state rival UMass Dartmouth, falling 5-4 Saturday afternoon at the UMass Dartmouth Athletic Complex Tennis Courts.
With the loss, the Beacons fall to 2-7 on the year and 0-4 in conference play. The Corsairs, who were picked to finish second in the Little East preseason poll, move to 4-2 and 2-1 in Little East play with the win.
UMass Boston opened the match with a two wins in three matches in doubles play, marking the first time the Beacons have earned more than one point in doubles action in a conference match this year.
Anitra Kloczewiak (Newton, Mass.) pushed the lead to 3-1 with her fourth straight singles conference win to start the year, but the Corsairs responded with four straight singles victories to clinch the match.
Freshman Nuha Muntasser (Braintree, Mass.) earned a victory in the final and most competitive singles match of the day to join Kloczewiak as the only undefeated Beacons on the day.
UMass Dartmouth opened the match with a convincing 8-1 win at number three doubles, as Rosalie Kimba and Hannah Schulze easily defeated the Beacons pair of Nurcin Celebi (Istanbul, Turkey) and Kathleen Conroy (Quincy, Mass.).
The Beacons responded in turn with two straight victories behind their two most experienced pairs.
Kloczewiak and fellow co-captain Samantha Counts (Bridgewater, Mass.) earned a swift 8-3 win at top-flight doubles, before Solveig Castelli (Precojo, France) and Muntasser picked up an 8-5 decision at number two doubles.
UMass Boston carried the momentum over to singles play, at least to start, as Kloczewiak dominated Hannah Schulze 6-0, 6-2 to win their number two singles match.
From there the host Corsairs quickly took control of the match, as UMass Dartmouth swept all four of the bottom singles matches.
Alison Firtado downed Castelli 6-2, 6-1 at number four singles, before Katelyn Capone downed Conroy 6-0, 6-2 to even the match score at 3-3.
The Corsairs moved into the lead at 4-3 when Casey Auman took down Celebi 6-2, 6-1.
Angela Pollard clinched the win for UMass Dartmouth at number three singles, when she outlasted Counts 6-4, 6-1.
Muntasser closed out the match with a big win for UMass Boston at number one singles.
The freshman just off a trip to the ITA New England Regional Championship Friday night, overcame three match points and and a three-game deficit in the third and final set (5-2), to earn a 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 victory. Muntasser came all the way back from 5-2 in the third set to win five straight games.
UMass Boston will return home Wednesday afternoon when they host Western Connecticut State University in a must-win Little East Conference matchup.


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Globe Cooking & Holding
Globe cooking and holding equipment provides perfect solutions for smaller venues like pubs, concession stands, and cafés. Or, they can be used in larger commercial kitchens for expanding the menu. This selection includes countertop griddles, hot plates, rice cookers, and panini grills for cooking smaller batches. You'll also find soup warmers and roller grills for warming and merchandising snacks and sides.


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Job Description of a Medical Technologist
Medical technologists are an integral part of nearly every medical diagnosis. Most diagnoses come by way of information ascertained through blood work or tissue samples and medical technologists are the people who perform these tests. Most medical technologists work in hospital laboratories and use complex medical testing equipment, so they need college degrees with heavy science emphasis. Medical technologists are in high demand and are expected to be in high demand through the year 2016 and beyond. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, excellent job opportunities should continue in the filed for years to come.
Medical technologists need to have at least a bachelor's degree in science. They need to have a basic grasp of scientific laboratory procedures, including using laboratory equipment and generating reports from laboratory tests. Many first obtain associate's degrees in science, then work as medical technicians, who assist medical technologists, as a means of entering the discipline and gaining experience. Medical technologists who hope to advance to laboratory managers and those who wish to work in highly specialized areas of fluid and tissue examination need to obtain a master's degree. Some states require their medical technologists to be licensed through an agency like the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel. There are several accrediting bodies for laboratory technicians, and requirements vary by state and specialty.
Medical technologists spend the bulk of their time testing blood and bodily fluids. They use complex laboratory equipment to ascertain a wide variety of information. For example, medical technologists may examine specimens for bacteria, viruses or parasites. They may measure levels of drugs or other chemicals in the blood to help ensure medications are at their most therapeutic levels. They look at the chemical content of the blood to determine deficiencies in nutrients or excesses of cholesterol or blood sugars. They make use of cell counters, cultures, microscopes and various other equipment, which they must also know how to calibrate and maintain. They must also follow the lab's protocol for analyzing, interpreting and delivering test results.
Working Conditions
Most medical technologists work in laboratories contained within hospitals. They analyze specimens collected and delivered on site by phlebotomists, nurses and doctors. Because they come in contact with infectious waste on a regular basis, medical technologists are required to follow a long list of laboratory safety protocols, including mandates on how to handle specimens and what types of protective gear are required. Because of the testing equipment involved, medical technologists spend a great deal of tie on their feet. Because medical services are needed at all hours, many are required to work overnight or weekend shifts.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2006 the average salary for a medical technologist was between $41,000 and $58,000. Those in the highest salary bracket earned more than $69,000, while those in the lowest bracket earned around $34,000 per year. Medical technologists who worked for the federal government earned the highest average salaries at around $57,000. The lowest paid worked at universities and earned $45,000. Hospitals, the largest employers of medical technologists, paid their workers an average of $49,000.
The Department of Labor anticipates that job opportunities in this category will grow rapidly in the near future and that a large number of medical technologists will be needed to keep up with the demand. It is expected that the majority of these opportunities will remain in hospital settings, however; the rate of employment will grow faster at private laboratory testing facilities. It is estimated that the field will experience a 14 percent rate of growth, which far exceeds average job growth for other occupations. This is attributed to a larger number of tests being developed, the influx of services needed by baby boomers and above average population growth. The number of open jobs is expected to exceed the number of available workers.
Biospace.com: Biotech and Pharmaceutical News & Jobs
United States Department of Labor


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There is also a separate lounge area. This included a television with a view into the reactor containment vessel. It was noted in the press releases that the colors of the equipment in the reactor containment vessel were chosen to provide good contrast on this black and white television. The lounge was also used as an art gallery showcasing American artists.
Copyright © 2011, Maritime Park Association.
All Rights Reserved.
Legal Notices and Privacy Policy
Version 1.02, 28 Mar 09


text: It has been one year since Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza engaged in an eight-day exchange of bombings and rocket attacks in which about 180 people were killed and 1,000 wounded. Analysts say, since then, Gaza has been calmer than at any time in the past decade, although neither side has lowered its guard. VOA's Scott Bobb has this report from Gaza City.


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02-06 Acura RSX
* Brand new in the box, 100% authentic AEM products.
* Dyno tuned to produce maximum horsepower and torque for your vehicles.
* AEM short ram intake kits will usually include an dryflow air filter.
* Feature CNC mandrel bent 6061 aluminum pipes.
* Not actual picture*


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James Wan's "The Conjuring" will make it's big debut at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 21st. The film is supposedly based on a true story of two paranormal investigators who try to help a family being terrorized by an evil spirit. The film will then see a wide release on July 19th. I will be on a podcast shortly after that talking about how the whole thing is BS.
I've been holding off on seeing the Hammer classic "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" for 35 years because there has yet to be a US Blu-Ray release for the film. I know, it's weird that I would take a firm stance for so long considering that Blu-Ray hasn't even been around for 10 years. Well good news for me because the Christopher Lee blood sucker is finally coming our way thanks to Millennium Entertainment on September 3rd. I'll be chock full of commentary, behind the scenes features and other extras. I don't pretend to understand my madness.
Daniel Radcliffe doesn't have half the forehead that Christina Ricci has but still he's going to play Igor in Paul McGuigan's "Frankenstein". I'm not really sure why you need a big forehead for that but the film has been slapped with a October 17, 2014 release date so let's see how Radcliffe does with this bold casting move. Again I don't really know why Ricci's big forehead would make her a better choice but I stand by my statement.
Adam McKay , the guy who produced "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters", has let out that director Tommy Wirkola is being let loose to make the sequel as balls out as he'd like. I guess that also means if the follow up is a pile of doody it's all Wirkola's fault but let's look on the positive side here.
I like my Daniel Radcliffe with a size of sassy wizard but it sounds like he might be landing himself the role of Igor in the upcoming Fox revision of the classic "Frankenstein" tale. Nothings confirmed yet but this version is said to focus more on the mad doctor's assistant so it might be a solid role for the little fella. I hope they get that ginger kid to play the monster. I bet that kid needs work too.
Gary Oldman, who is a wonderful actor but seems bat shit insane in real life, has officially been cast in "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes". No word on what role Oldman will play but he'll either be a giant monkey or a member of the last few survivors of the human race after the giant monkeys have taken over. This could really go either way.
Remember when "Teeth" taught us all what vagina dentata was? Yeah that was fun huh? Well the films director, Mitchell Lichtenstein, is now going to teach us about "Angelica". The film is based on a book with the same name and tells the story of a family being terrorized by an apparition from the perspective of each member. Jena Malone is set to star.
I had no idea "Sexy Evil Genius" was a thing but it stars Seth Green and he's just adorable so I'm interested in seeing it when it hits DVD and VOD on April 9th. The film tells the tale of a group of individuals brought to a bar by their ex-girlfriend who is plotting her revenge. I assume the sexy evil genius is the ex-girlfriend and not Green. He's cute and all but his face makes everyone ill. Right?
If you're waiting for Shawn Levy's new "Frankenstein" movie then I've got some bad news for you. The good people at Fox have decided to pass on the project based on the fact that the budget was looking to be upwards of $80 million. This sounds like a giant mistake to me. When you get the guy who made "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" you give him any amount he wants and just watch the magic unfold.
"The Thing" remake's Mary Elizabeth Winstead looks to be teaming up with "The Last Exorcism" director Daniel Stamm for a new film called "The Darkness". Winstead will play a girl babysitting her tutor's two children in a large mansion that looks to be haunted. Do you think they'll play that "I Believe In a Thing Called Love" Song during the opening credits? I hope so, that tune is always fun.
Glenn Close, Elizabeth Olsen and Tom Felton (or as I like to call them the dream team) are all confirmed for roles in Therese Raquin, a new film about a wife who murders her sickly husband with her lover so they can be together. Oh but the husband comes back to haunt them. Just like I'd do if I ever get murdered by my wife. You reading this, honey!? I'll get you!
If you liked "The Woman in Black", and I did, then you might be giddy to find out that hammer Films has picked up the rights to "Gaslight" a new Jack the Ripper film which is said to be a mix of "From Hell" and "Silence Of the Lambs". You liked both of those movies didn't you? Or at least 1? That's 50%! I can confirm you'll love 50% of this movie.
Bill Nighy, who is apparently not "the science guy" has set his sights on the villain role in "I, Frankenstein". A new film which will starting shooting soon and tells the tale of everyone's favorite reanimated monster and what would happen if he popped up in the modern world. No news as to what the specific role would be but I don't think it would kill him to show us how magnets work or something.
A few months back it sounded like a big screen version of the video game "Bioshock" has some real potential to be made but from the way game creator Ken Levine is talking now it sounds like the film just isn't in the cards. Levine says in a recent interview that there's no real "desire" to have the movie get made and then goes on to give all the reasons as to why it would be bad. What about my desires, Ken? Those don't mean anything to you any more?!
We've all been waiting for a sequel to "Bikini Girls On Ice". Hell I heard some local schools are shutting down in protest until a new film is confirmed. Well get back to math class kids because we've got some new images from "Pin-Up Girls On Ice" for your viewing pleasure. This time around a group of pin up girls are asked to perform at a secluded camp that just so happens to be hunting grounds for a killer obsessed with ice. I can finally get some sleep tonight.
Valentina Cervi, who I'm not familiar with but based on pictures I assume reads a lot, is the latest name to be added to the upcoming season of "True Blood". Mrs. Book Worm will play an ancient vampire with the power to seduce men with all her worldly charms. But then the men get to her house and see she doesn't own a TV and fake some early morning meeting or something. Maybe ask if she has a sister.


text:
Last week I snatched an hour here and there to work on my Feedzilla app. I like Feedzilla because it has an api that is free for me to use, so it's easy to write the app. However, I'm not totally enamored with the content, it seems like it is often out of date, though I suppose I can apply a filter to limit the content to new stuff from this week, or whatever.
However, what really stopped me working on it was that my implementation was just depressingly ugly. I'd look at all the cool and beautiful things that other people were doing with their apps, and be totally unmotivated to work on TechNews. Last week, I decided to ask for some help in how to improve my app, and I was told about ListItems. For TechNews, it was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds.
Now, the thing abut Ubuntu.Components is that the project is fundamentally a design project. Yes, the components need, and have, an awesome development team that makes them "real", but the components are really about providing developers with the tools for making a well designed "Ubuntu App". This couldn't be more clear than when using ListItems.
For an example, to turn the categories list from this:
|My very ugly list which was my honest best effort without design help.
to this:
|My now lovely list that I got to be that way just by using the right components and inheriting all of the designers' knowledge and talents.
I just had to use Standard list items. First, I went ahead and imported the ListItem namespace:
import Ubuntu.Components.ListItems 0.1
Then this is what my delegate for each list item looks like. The "progression: true" declares that the item will navigate somewhere. The designers ensured that this means the list item adds that ">", so it is standard navigation in all apps!
delegate: Standard
progression: true;
text: articlesListView.model[index]["title"]


text: Let's face it: a lot of people aren't used to hiring a band, and most bands aren't accustomed to the business end of things. That's where we come in. Our agency takes the guesswork and the legwork out of booking music for your special event. Being musicians ourselves, with decades of experience in the wedding and special event market, we have faced and problem-solved every scenario imaginable. We realize that the keys to a successful event are organization, communication and coordination of the myriad details that are bound to come up.


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As much as many people may hate it, or rather it is perceived to be hated, email is still an effective way to not only communicate with your customers, but also drive sales for your retail business. There are a variety of stats and figures to the contrary to show that email marketing is STILL an effective way to increase consumer engagement and potentially drive sales for a business.
Retail Tip 126: Take Advantage of 'Webrooming'
The latest retail buzzword is "webrooming," which describes a fast-growing phenomenon that retailers should come to like—when customers research a product online, then purchase it in a brick-and-mortar store. It's the opposite of "showrooming," where consumers browse in a store, then buy online.
Retail Tip 125: Planning Your Holiday Gift Guide
Yes, it's that time of year again, time to create and distribute your holiday Gift Guide for your tennis store. You've probably noticed that some large retailers have had their holiday promotions in full swing for weeks already.
Retail Tip 124: In Today's Retail World, You Need to be Consumer-Focused
When it comes to your tennis retail business, is it about the "product," or the "experience"? Tennis products are important…right? Sure they are, and there is no question that a racquet well selected, with the right grip and strung properly, is an important part of any tennis player's game. But the process of selecting and purchasing the right racquet as part of a tennis lifestyle shopping "experience" with your store brand, that is, as the commercial says, "Priceless!"
Retailing 123: How to Find the Right Part-Time Employees
Part-time, seasonal employees can make or break your selling season. Your customers expect a great retail shopping experience from your store or facility, whether it is provided by you, a full-time employee or part-time seasonal help. Here are some best practices we've learned over the years from our clients and from living and working in retail environments where part-time summer employees are often the only way local businesses can make it through the season.
TIA Updates and Revises 'Retail Manager's Manual'
The TIA has updated its "Retail Manager's Manual" with new and revised chapters, an appendix with nearly two dozen "tips," sample worksheets and an enhanced "resources" section.
How to Put Shoppers in the 'Comfort Zone'
Consumers will decide in the first three to five seconds if they are comfortable in your store. Making shoppers comfortable in your specialty tennis retail environment as soon as possible is a critical factor in your conversions and your store's close rate and, of equal importance, in consumer satisfaction with your retail brand.
Retailing 121: How to Use Point-of-Purchase Displays to Increase Sales
Increasing the value of transactions is one way to actually grow your specialty tennis retail business, and point-of-purchase displays can attract shoppers' attention to merchandise. POP displays also serve as focal points for you and your sales associates to suggest add-on's to an initial sale and to assist in up-selling from good to better, or better to best.


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Hi there! Its been a while.
I last posted at Christmas, when I said that i was planning to go self-employed, and sell jewellery on street markets in London. Well my plans for self-employment are well under way. They have taken a few twists and turns, but I now have a new website and on-line shop.
Here is my story
|This was home for 5 months.
The decision to go self-employed was not a easy one, especially as i was living under extremely difficult circumstances at the time. But i feel that i want to be able to make my own money, rather than rely on others to provide employment for me. Anybody who has been unemployed during this recession, will tell you that finding new work is not necessary difficult, but the work you find is short term and very unstable. I now have a ridiculous CV with so much temp and seasonal work that, nobody will take me seriously, unless it is more seasonal or temp work. So this is my way of taking control of my life again.
Finding a name for my business was extremely difficult; everything i thought of had already been taken. That was until i hit on the name Lime Locket. The domain name was available, and so was Etsy, Storenvy, twitter and other social media names. So i became Lime Locket and suddenly the business had a focus.
At Lime Locket i am focusing on sourcing lockets, especially vintage style locket. These lockets are supplied to me as simple lockets and it is up to me to put them together and make them suitable to sell. My original concept for selling jewellery was to buy the jewellery ready made, because making them myself was just going to be too difficult living in a hostel. However, i was carrying a set of jewellery pliers with me (as you do) so I just got on with it, and realized that it was absolutely possible to make jewellery and live in a hostel. I also found that i had more control over quality making stuff my self. I then started making more, earring and pendants started coming off my pliers, and slowly my range started to expand.
Luckily for me my search for accommodation ended last month, when i found a room in a lovely shared house in South West London. I can now work solidly on Lime Locket and have space to work on making items in my shop more unique, by making the individual parts myself. Because i feel that for me handmade should mean handmade and not ready made parts beaded together.
This is going to be a long hard road but i am enjoying every step of this journey.
I have stayed and lived in hostels before, but as a backpacker. This experience living in a hostel, as someone who has nowhere else to go, has made me see the world and myself differently, and i believe i am better off for it. I met people who inspired me to pursue my business ideas, encouraged, and helped me. I learned that it is possible to do almost anything in the most tiny of spaces. Not to mention, i had a ready stream of backpackers to sell my jewellery to.
So thank you to all the hostellers who have supported me over that last few months.


text:
This is a virtual jigsaw puzzle. Here's how you play:
- Click the PLAY button.
- A puzzle piece will appear on the right side of your screen.
- Click and drag the puzzle piece to the frame on the left of your screen. Use your mouse to place the piece where you think it belongs. When you place the piece correctly, youll get the next piece.
- If you need help figuring out where to place any one of the pieces, click the HELP button on the right side of your screen. Be warned, however, that using this feature adds to your time!
- Once you complete the puzzle, your time will be displayed on the screen.
- You will have the option to re-do the puzzle and better your time.
- When you are happy with your completion time, move on to Level Two by clicking on the GO AHEAD button.


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Pursuing an LLM / Which Tax LLM - Placement?« on: March 06, 2011, 09:44:13 PM »
Im a 3L and planning on doing a tax LLM next year. I've gotten into several programs but I have narrowed it down to GULC, BU, NU and am waiting on NYU. I've received very large scholarships to GULC and NU. How do these schools compare in terms of placement? Ive been encouraged to go to NU as I'm told they place very well in chicago versus GULC sounds like it is struggling to place right now. BU is in the running as well...but really i don't think i am considering it.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!