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Thread: Complete Mage
Friday, 2nd March, 2007, 01:39 PM #1
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Complete Mage
Complete Mage
Written by Skip Williams, Penny Williams, Ari Marmell, Kolja Raven Liquette
Published by Wizards of the Coast
160 full color pages
The Complete Mage claims to be A Players Guide to All Things Arcane. Published by Wizards of the Coast, Complete Mage boasts the usual benefits of being a WoTC book.
The book is competitively priced with other companies at 160 full color pages in hardcover format. Even counting the front page, which is a title page, and the second page, which is a list of credits page, and the last three pages, which are all ads, the book is no more expensive than say a similar sized Atlas or Goodman Games product, but with the benefit of better layout and artwork.
The full color art is done by fan favorites like Wayne England, Ron Spencer and Anne Stokes among others lend their talents to the book. The book also boasts the usual high-quality layout with clear indicators of what chapter youre on, easy to spot page numbers in circle gem form, and tabs at the outer page to let you know what section youre on. While there is no index, the three-column table of contents is fairly complete. The book does suffer from some waste including three pages of ads and the first page being a credits page which is then followed by another credits page.
Complete Mage follows patterns set by other books in the series by being six chapters long.
The book starts off with fundamentals. For me, this is a wasted section. For new players, its perfect. However, it probably doesnt belong in what is the sixth book in the series. Still, if youre a new player and youve been isolated from a gaming community or the internet, youll be curious to see what some of the arcane archetypes are and how they can be put toether as well as what the old spell schools are useful for. For me, this was all covered in pretty good detail in the old Complete Wizards Handbook many moons ago.
Chapter two is all about character options. See, the game keeps claiming that its not really a point based system but Well, remember not that long ago when we had racial levels? And then we had substitution levels? Now we have alternative class features. These are nifty little abilities that replace something your class has in exchange for something else. But remember, point buy systems are too complex!
The abilities are broken down not by class, which would, you know, be useful when trying to quickly reference something, but rather, by ability name. Abilities are themed around the magic concept and include hunting down mages, such as Arcane Hunter where your ranger bonuses apply to any character capable of casting arcane spells or using invocations, to Stalwart Sorcerer, where you reduce your highest spell level known by one and gain hit points equal to two times your sorcerer class level. And you gain martial weapon feat with a melee weapon, and weapon focus with that weapon.
Feats introduced in this section include heritage feats, reserve feats and tactical feats. Heritage feats take a racial type and allow you to gain some of those abilities in exchange for feats. The old fey and fiendish ancestors get the nod this time.
The reserve feats are an interesting idea. Hold a spell in reserve and gain a special ability. The special ability is usually a damage effect based on the spell youre holding in reserve that does 1d6 per spell level of the spell held in reserve that you can always draw on. The benefit of being able to consistently do some damage is offset a bit by the spell in reserve. Especially if youre holding onto a higher level spell. For example, would you rather have that 6th level spell ready to use, or inflict 6d6 points of damage?
I was disappointed in the format that the reserve feat takes though in that they break it down into feats of almost every type, including acid, fire, air, and electricity, among others, instead of providing a format and template that not only wouldve saved space, but been more useful overall.
Reserve feats arent for everyone. If you hate classes like the Warlock or the concepts introduced in Tome of Battle with abilities per encounter instead of per day, these feats will play havoc with most encounters that rely on traditional resource use.
The tactical feats were a surprise to me. They tend to stretch the rules in various ways and are generally good for representing specific fighting styles. These here are good for wizards and focus on the benefits of magic. Energy Gestalt for example, provides three tactical maneuvers that rely on you to deal damage with energy based spells in at least 2 successive rounds. Acrid fumes is an acid spell followed by a fire spell that turns left over acid into a chocking mists while brittle blast turns inflicts greater damage on constructs and improved conduction uses a cold spell followed by an electricity spell to fatigue living creatures.
Chapter three includes eleven PrCs. Each PrC includes a quote about the class in question, quick details on the class (i.e. what is it), how to enter the class, and how the class fits in the world. These details encompass different knowledge checks about the class, sample NPCs, and details on potential organizations and typical NPC reactions. Way overdone and taking up way too much space considering that several of these PrCs are only five levels and are not full professions as opposed to toe-dipping specializations.
The section makes me wonder what passes for game design in some ways as it starts off with the abjurant champion. This class has to have a bab of +5, combat casting feat, be able to cast 1st level arcane spells, including at least one abjuration spell, and be proficient with at least one martial weapon. Its a five level PrC that has full bab, d10 hit dice, good save, spell casting at every level, and a special ability at every level except the third level. While the bab might be a little difficult to enter, I see no other way this PrC doesnt completely dominate the poor old eldritch knight with its d6 hit dice, loss of one level spellcasting, stricter proficiency requirements and outside of a bonus feat, no special abilities.
Several of the PrCs act as backup to the Warlock class introduced in the Complete Arcane. Thats great if you have that book and are using it but for those who dont own it or arent using it, that expanded format makes for a lot of wasted potential.
The Eldritch Disciple must be a divine spellcaster that also uses invocations and can turn undead and worship a chaotic or evil deity (cleric/warlorck multi-class combo) and gains invocations at each level, and spellcasting at each level past first. Its invocations also are tailored for its type.
Eldritch Theurge is the arcane counterpart to the disciple but they dont lose that 1st level spell casting slot like the disciple.
The Enlightened Spirit is a good warlock and their invocations are themed to be on the side of the angles. For example, they can call on celestial flight, conjuring spirit wings or call on an aura of courage, making themselves immune to fear and providing a bonus to allies on saving throws against fear effects.
Admittedly, thats only three of eleven but those three classes quickly gobble eleven pages of material up.
I was more interested in two PrCs that focused on the mage. The first, the Master Specialists, is a full ten level PrC who has full spellcasting at every level, good will saves, d4 hit dice, and typical poor bab. Sounds pretty similar to a wizard right? They gain special abilities at every level. Some of these are minor, like a skill focus on spellcraft. Others are bonus feats like greater spell focus in your specialty school. Its the caster level increases that come in handy as they apply to your caster level when casting spells of your specialty school. Its the school esoterica that gives you special abilities for your school. For example, evocation gives you resistance 20 to any one energy type that matches a descriptor used by the spell you just cast. Good stuff.
The second one I like is the ultimate magus. You have to be able to not only spontaneously cast arcane spells, but also prepare arcane spells. Thats right a PrC that combines sorcerer and wizard into one PrC. You gain spellcasting for seven levels (not at 1st, 4th, and 7th) but at those levels, you gain spellcasting in your lowest caster level class.
You also gain bonus feats, augmented casting, and increased caster level. With such a class as this, if youre not afraid of the paperwork, its a good time to be a spellcaster.
Chapter four is all about spells and invocations. Spells are arranged by class, then level, and for the old wizard, by school. One thing I was surprised by, was the inclusion of spells for the Wu Jen, not to mention the Hexblade and Assassin. Spells range from 1st to 9th level and include the new style of providing an italic description of what the spell does, as well as the game effects of the spell. Spell descriptions and game effects dont overlap too much.
For example, when dealing with Adamantine Wings, You sprout a pair of dull gleaming wings made of overlapping feathers of a dark metal is immediately followed by You grow a pair of adamantine wings I think, well, at least they didnt say that the pair of adamantine wings had overlapping feathers right? And when looking at Caterwaul, You loose an earsplitting shriek that induces revulsion is followed immediately by You draw upon your primal emotions to emit a stomach-churning wail. An editor really needs to put the old foot down here. With the expanded PrC descriptions and the italic spell descriptions, and the ads, not to mention the loss of 32 pages from how the Complete series used to be, clear, crisp, and non-repetitive writing is needed.
Included in the spells are new polymorph spells such as Aspect of the Icy Hunter, a 4th level sorcerer/wizard spell that provides a boost of 20 hit points and turns you into a winter wolf. Many of the spells of course, are designed to incapacitate or kill. These include spells against undead like Dawnburst, a lowly first level spell that deals damage to undead and creatures with light sensitivity, to the 9th level Lash of Force that can strike creatures within 10 feet of you and does 5d6 points of force damage. On the other hand, you can unleash a 30-foot line of force that does 15d6 points of damage and knocks prone any creatures in its area unless they make a Reflex save, in which case they take half damage. In either case the spell is used up.
Warlocks get almost two pages of invocations. Try out Baneful Blast for an extra 2d6 points of damage against creatures of a type you select when you first gain the invocation. Use Call of the Beast, a 24-hour invocation that gives you wild empathy as a druid of your warlock level in addition to having the spell like effect, speak with animals.
Chapter five covers arcane items and starts off with magic items. Items are broken up into types. Items include background, description, prerequisite, activation, effect, aura/caster level, construction, weight, and price. Items range from the Stack of Tricks that can summon component, instrument, weapon, or unseen servant at the cost of one charge, to the Rod of Spell Channelling that allows you to use your familiar to deliver spells other than touch.
A few alchemical items are included, as are optional material components.
Seeds for arcane adventures include a few general ideas, as well as a table that has one hundred adventure ideas. Also included are magical locations as treasure. I was surprised that we didnt get a tip of the hat to the old Complete Wizard, but instead we get several locations that can act as magical treasure in terms of gold allocated per party level and provide a few special tricks not normally in a characters arsenal.
Abilities range from being able to use a Bigbys hand spell as a spell like ability once a day for a year (dependent on the level of arcane spells the character can already cast), to increasing a spellcasters level by one for all abjuration spells at the Shieldstone Cavern.
The Complete Mage isnt for everyone as its a companion piece in many ways to the Complete Arcane, but many of the locations, spells, and most of the PrCs will fit into a campaign without owning the Complete Arcane. Despite my distaste for the new format, and the method of treating readers like they were fresh players in the wrong place, I found myself impressed with a lot of what the Complete Mage has to offer and recommend it to anyone interesting in All Things Arcane.
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We had been living with my grandparents for about a month because we were building a home.
The day progressed, same as always, until my dad came to pick us up. That's when things went wrong, really wrong. My dad told my little brother, Oney, and me that we were going to a friend's house, and off we went. It was seven o'clock when I noticed the time. It was late. I had volleyball. Where were my parents? Finally my dad, mom, and older brother, Billy, arrived. Oney and I jumped in the van. A strange silence hung in the air. When we didn't turn to go into my grandparents' driveway, I questioned, but my parents remained like statues. We pulled into the Fred Meyer parking lot; then they dropped the bomb.
My dad told us that Gramma had died. The silence that once hung in the air seemed to crash down on me like a ton of bricks. Shock struck me like a bat does a ball. My hands got sweaty. My head began to throb. I was screaming, "NO!" inside. I couldn't move; I wanted to wake up from this terrible nightmare. I didn't understand. I had seen her just the night before, and she was fine. I must have asked my parents a million times, "How?" but they refused to answer.
We pulled into Wendy's to grab a quick bite to eat. It was there I grasped the reality behind things I couldn't even begin to think were true. My gramma had taken her own life to escape depression. This depression was increased by alcoholism. All these things I had never known. My family and I went to a friend's house to spend the night, ending the worst day of my life.
My gramma was a wonderful person, kind and loving. She made a mistake, like all humans do. Unfortunately, she couldn't learn from, nor correct, this mistake. I know this is a loss that will never just "go away," but it can get better.
The mistake my gramma made was a good lesson to me. It will always be a reminder that living is a gift. Finding the little things to enjoy goes a long way. So, live your life to the fullest, and don't throw it away.

subset: commoncrawl


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Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town and more...
Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town
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Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town
Nick Reding
"It's one thing for a drug to be associated with sloth, like heroin," Nick Reding observes in his harrowing journey across the ragged edges of dysfunctional American society at the turn of the 21st century, "but it's wholly another when a formerly legal and accepted narcotic exists in a one-to-one ratio with the defining ideal of American culture." The defining ideal that Reding writes of is the trite adage that hard work offers its own rewards and the narcotic that he finds destroying the fabric of Oelwein, Iowa (Pop. 6,000) in this breathless offering of immersion journalism is methamphetamine or "crank". Reding spent four years in the agricultural and railroad town of Oelwein and four intersecting stories emerge: the deregulation of agribusiness and its impact in lost jobs and lower wages in an economically challenged corner of the nation, the enticement of undocumented workers across the US borders, the war between lawmakers and pharmaceutical manufacturers to control the legal sale of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, and the monster-in-the-box: meth, "once heralded as the drug that would end the need for all others". Reding's tale of economic despair and drug abuse in America's heartland is violent, sobering, explosive (literally and figuratively), as unstoppable as a meth-induced seizure, and not for the faint of heart. Rodger Jacobs
News, Nudity & Nonsense: Irresponsible Writing for Awkward Youth: The Best of Vice Magazine Volume Two, 2003-2008
Vice Magazine
News, Nudity & Nonsense
Vice Magazine
I was never a big fan of Vice magazine. In fact, in my mind as a lifelong New Yorker, nothing epitomized the whole snide transplant hipster vibe that invaded Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan for the lion's share of the '00s than this lewd, crude Canadian pop culture rag which canceled out its occasional dashes of good taste in music (a belated thanks for turning me onto Growing) with irritating pieces on chicks who wear stuffed animal backpacks, glory holes, disturbing photo essays featuring dead cats and passed out immigrants. I wrote Vice off in 2004, utterly repulsed but grateful their back copies were going for big bucks on eBay. Which is why it came as quite a shock when I picked up the second volume of the publication's anthology of News, Nudity and Nonsense after a good five years of not reading Vice to discover the editors seem to have been bitten by the William Murrow bug. Sure, the layout is a blatant rip off of The Believer, and there is still plenty of no-brow, quasi-intellectual juvenilia to remind you with whom you are contending. However, it is rather excellently balanced with some amazing, insightful pieces of literary journalism, including interviews with such a wide swath of subjects from autistic animal scientist and HBO docudrama muse Temple Grandin to legendary Life Magazine photojournalist Harry Benson to Ghostface Killah. There are also profiles on Bangkok street gangs, North Korean refugees, survivors of bear maulings, a reporter who was embedded with the IRA, and even a guy who served as the body double for Uday Hussein. They even have a story about Sammy Davis, Jr. and his alleged ties to the Church of Satan in the early '70s. While many Vice loyalists certainly would much rather read yet another parade of Do's and Don'ts than an interview with American novelist Harry Crews, it's certainly good to see these guys transcend their own immaturity and utilize their overblown cultural sway to educate their readers rather than bludgeon them with shock and awe. And hey, it certainly doesn't hurt to have Sasha Grey on your cover, either. Ronald Hart
Portable Grindhouse: The Lost Art of the VHS Box, Vol. 1
Jacques Boyreau
Portable Grindhouse: The Lost Art of the VHS Box, Vol. 1
Jacques Boyreau
Do you remember the first time you ever went to a video store? I'm not talking about Blockbuster, either. I mean those little mom-and-pop joints that sat right beside the laundromat and the Chinese restaurant at your local strip mall, where you would spend a good hour browsing the aisles and studying the interesting, unorthodox artistry that graced the covers of those old VHS boxes. This awesome picture book brought to us by the comic strip scholars at Fantagraphics celebrates that microcosm of our youth with this 200 page book filled with a delightfully odd array of vintage video covers ranging from the well-known (The Terminator, Robocop 2, Death Wish) to the mega-obscure (Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS, Naked Prey, The Blood Spattered Bride). VHS cassettes may be treated like toxic waste in the age of the Blu-ray, but Portable Grindhouse offers that micro minority who still remain faithful to their trusty VCR a long overdue reprieve. Ronald Hart
Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Premier Zhao Ziyang
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The year 2009 marked the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and Zhao Ziyang's Prisoner of the State was published just one month in advance of the date it happened. Ziyang's posthumous memoir is his attempt to break the official silence and offer us a fascinating insider's look at the confusion, bitter debates, and infighting about how the government should have responded to the student demonstrations. Premier Zhao Ziyang was the man who brought liberal change to that nation and who, at the height of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, tried to stop the massacre—for this he was removed from office. Zhao was placed under house arrest shortly after the shootings on Tiananmen Square and remained so until his death in 2005. At some point in 2000, he began to dictate his memoirs. Prisoner of the State provides an excellent history lesson that should be impressed upon one's mind, much like the famous image of a solitary man standing in front of a line of tanks at Tieneman Square. The courage of that unknown man, of all the demonstrators, should always be remembered. Carmelo Militano
BookTV interview[Video]
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Raymond Carver: A Writer's Life
Carol Sklenicka
"Courageous" is not an adjective often applied to biographers, but Carol Sklenicka has earned it. In writing the biography of one of America's most influential writers, Sklenicka has taken great risks; both in choosing such a beloved subject and in her willingness to delve deeply into his complex, sometimes cruel character, which impacted many people still alive to read her words. The book is not only unflinching, but meticulously researched and compulsively readable. Ultimately, it's impossible not to judge the behaviors of others. In this case, we learn that a writer who was a primary influence for many of us was in fact often a thoughtless, selfish man. But we also learn of his kindness to young writers. What emerges in this biography is a surprising portrait of one our greatest writing talents. Diane Leach
Red Star Over Russia: A Visual History of the Soviet Union from the Revolution to the Death of Stalin
David King
Red Star Over Russia:A Visual History of the Soviet Union from the Revolution to the Death of Stalin
David King
At first glance, one could easily dismiss David King's Red Star Over Russia: A Visual History of the Soviet Union from the Revolution to the Death of Stalin as a work of commie propaganda porn, a celebration and sensualization of images that were created specifically to mask the repression of a failing ideology. Yet even with its artsy, fetishistic trappings, Red Star constantly reminds its readers to see the posters as propaganda as well as art, so that the longview comes into focus. After poring over Red Star Over Russia, it's hard to deny the power of the poster. What is also hard to deny is the fact that, if there are any true Communists left, they won't be rushing out of their hovels to stand in line for King's book. If you can afford this hardcover, you probably aren't a real fellow traveler. But for $50, you can proudly display this book on your coffee table and create your own workers' paradise—without the blood, without the snow, and without fear of offending the 'Cheka' (secret police). Josh Indar
Rising Appalachia 'Alive' (album stream) (premiere) // Music
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Jean Caffeine "Winter of Hate" (video) (premiere) // Music
Jason Molina's Mythological Palette, Warts and All
// Re:Print
"Osmon lights the oil lamps on the process of Molina's creative wonder, from toddling on the shores of Lake Erie to the indie folk pedestal he so deservedly sits upon today.READ the article


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HEARTLESS grandma Janet Strickland allegedly enlisted her teenage grandson in a heinous plot to kill her husband – the kid's 72-year-old grandpa!
William Strickland, 19, agreed to the sick scheme, and then pumped six slugs into his grandfather's back as he waited to catch a bus for his dialysis treatment, say prosecutors.
Later, the two used the dead man's money to go on a shopping spree – buying a flashy car, furniture, tattoos, a cell phone and more, the authorities add.
"There's a special place in hell for people like this," said a source. "Stone cold hearted isn't the word for it. This is pure evil."
The vile story apparently began when grandma Strickland, 64, told her grandson that she was "sick" of his grandfather, also named William.
"She stated that she wished he was not here and she wanted him gone," said Assistant Cook County (Ill.) State's Attorney Jacqueline Kwilos.
On Feb. 28, Strickland told her grandson that she wanted the shooting done two days later. The creeps had talked about hiring someone to kill the elder Strickland. But the teen told his grandma that he would do it, said Kwilos.
The grisly grandma, who suffers from lung disease, later admitted that she knew her husband was heading to his death when she watched him leave for his dialysis appointment on March 2, say the police.
She also said she knew her grandson had stolen his grandfather's handgun, according to authorities. Callously, she watched him grab a bag stuffed with money as her husband lay dead on the street, the authorities add.
Police recovered 25 bullet shell casings at the scene.
"It's the ultimate betrayal," said the source. "Grandma and grandson kill the grandpa for his money. How low can you go?"
Bad-boy Strickland has admitted he is a member of the Black P. Stones street gang, according to court documents. In a sickening twist, he has the words "Legacy," "Loyalty" and "Respect" tattooed on his arms.
Cops say Janet Strickland was a beneficiary of her husband's assets, including his bank account. Now she and her grandson await trial for murder.
Neighbors of the elderly couple remain shocked at the bizarre killing.
"He loved her," said next door neighbor Theolene Shears, 84, of the elder Strickland. "He always praised her, the things she did. She was a good cook and housekeeper and kept him well-fed. He seemed very happy with her and she with him."
Grandpa William, a retired steelworker, had even tried to get his grandson a job after the boy's mother sent him to live with the couple.
"He was a family man," added neighbor Denine Cross. "He loved his grandson. I would have never imagined this. I've got headaches just from thinking about it."


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"We encourage everyone to plan ahead and allow more time to get where they need to go," Bay Bridge spokesman Andrew Gordon said.
BART spokesman Jim Allison urged the public to "do a little research ahead of time" so no one has to wait in line to buy tickets. He said BART expects very busy ridership while the bridge is closed, especially today, Friday.
Caltrans has closed the bridge in both directions to complete additional work that must be finished before the new eastern span can be opened to the driving public. Caltrans tentatively is planning to re-open the bridge at 5 a.m. Tuesday but there's a chance it could re-open before then if the work is completed early.
However, Gordon said Caltrans cannot promise that the span will open early, saying, "The bridge will open when it's ready."
Allison said BART is trying to fill part of the gap caused by the bridge closure by running longer trains today and having 24-hour service at 14 stations.
However, BART won't provide overnight service from Monday night into Tuesday morning because it needs to close its tracks for a short period to perform maintenance work and inspections and it's expecting the bridge to be reopened by that time, Allison said.
He said the transit agency's overnight trains are operating hourly on a modified schedule from Concord and the East Dublin/Pleasanton stations. All trains are meeting at MacArthur Station in Oakland, where passengers may transfer to reach any of the 14 stations that will be open around the clock.
He said BART expects its ridership to increase significantly because its ridership has surged by up to 30% during past Bay Bridge closures.
AC Transit spokesman Clarence Johnson said the bus agency isn't able to provide transbay service while the span is closed so its transbay buses instead will stop at four BART stations to drop off passengers going to San Francisco and pick up passengers coming from San Francisco. Those stations are MacArthur, the Oakland Coliseum, West Oakland and North Berkeley.
He said many local buses operated by AC Transit, which serves parts of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, are also bringing riders to BART stations as part of their regular service.
San Francisco Bay Ferry spokesman Ernest Sanchez said his agency has also increased its service while the Bay Bridge is closed. There is expanded service from San Francisco Bay Ferry's terminals in Oakland, Alameda Main Street, Harbor Bay in Alameda, Vallejo and San Francisco.
He said there also will be direct service between Alameda Main Street and San Francisco and Oakland and San Francisco. Normally Alameda Main Street and Oakland share a boat.
"We're staffed and ready to go," Sanchez said.


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Sculptra was injected under lips though mouth creating jowls. I can now feel soft beads of product that I can slide around. Are there any doctors who can excise this? A few... READ MORE
Will ultherapy reduce scarring from bad sculptra and HA injections I had years ago? Could you recommend a laser expert? (Photo)
My face is covered with scar tissue and granulomas after bad injections with a board certified dermatologist over two years ago. I am 31 years old and used to look young for my... READ MORE
Recent comments from depressedgirl
Sculptra can be permanent. Doctors aren't always honest about that. READ COMMENT
You are right. I am still very much disfigured and can't look in the mirror without feeling horrible. I am past three years now and some parts of my face have actually gotten worse! has anyone had success trying to remove it? READ COMMENT
Urgent-who removed your granulomas and how much sculptra did you have? READ COMMENT
Are you doing any better? have you found a doctor to help? READ COMMENT
How much were you injected with READ COMMENT


text:
so I played the first few campaign mission last weekend
I saw numerous times the AI teammates push open doors with their back
ain't that kinda dangerous thing to do? if someone is behind the door won't they get shot in the back or something?
any tactical duders can enlight me on this? thanks


text:
Zack Gala…Gale…Galifinikia…Galif…*looks on Google*…Zach Galifianakis is unquestionably a comic force – his role in The Hangover has been highly regarded and is expected to be his breakthrough role, while his role in HBO"s Bored to Death was similarly enjoyable. But when it comes to why Galifianakis makes such an interesting "Saturday Night Live" host, the reason is quite simple: he is a comedian.
It"s a simple fact that, combined with the rather great Vampire Weekend, makes this an episode of "SNL" that I"m actively execited about, which is both extremely rare and extremely dangerous. On the one hand, it means there is plenty of potential; on the other hand, it means that the show has that much further to fall.
Full details on just how far "SNL" managed to fall from those expectations after the jump…
I went through a calamity of errors trying to watch SNL tonight, including the realization I left my Macbook charger at home and that turning off the lights in one of the rooms in my current location shuts off the internet and thus the television, so I missed the Coldd Open. However, according to Twitter, it sounds like I was better off: Jaime Weinman wrote that "this SNL opening sketch is excruciating. In point of view, joke style and take on politics it's literally on the level of a Leno monologue." Burn, no? The Obama sketch, featuring Harry Reid at the very least, did nothing for me in the thirty seconds I saw, so I figure it"s worth skipping if you"ve got it sitting on the DVR. [Grade: D-, based on Twitter feedback]
From the monologue on, this is an episode that leans heavily on its host: if you find Galifianakis funny, then you probably enjoyed his monologue which was effectively a scattershot standup routine. It seems like he is basically testing material, which is fine if you like that material; personally, I think he"s quite funny, so this was an enjoyable monologue. However, the lack of structure kept it from adding up to anything, so while I enjoyed the idea that he Febrezes his beard, or his "Hoobastank is here!" gag, it wasn"t an all-time classic or anything.[Grade: B]
Next up came two sketches that were entirely one-dimensional, which seems like poor planning: the kissing sketch relied entirely on a single joke that might shock the audience
(a family who kisses one another way too often) and drove it into the ground before the disturbing "making out with a corpse" conclusion, while the "Bidet" sketch was a word that isn"t as funny as they made it out to be, and the skit relied too heavily on the word rather than the elaborate plan they seemed to be hatching. If they"re going to go with these kinds of sketches, they need to be later in the show when we"re tired enough to mistake them for real humor. [Grades: D for both]
"Zach Galifianakis: On TV for Over 30 Years" was just a lot of fun: you had him behind Brian Williams, you had him on the set of Dr. Oz, you had him on the set of 30 Rock and Law & Order, and you even had young Zach in the audience at SNL thirty years previous. No, the sketch wasn"t complex, but it was effective, and I"ll take that most days. It"s clever enough to seem like it took more than a few minutes to come up with, and the delivery (especially on the sets of the NBC shows) is more than worth it. [Grade: B+]
I"ll also give the Today Show sketch some credit for providing some continuity as Zach makes an appearance in the window to stalk Hoda. And to be honest, and a little bit depressing, this might have been the more "complete" sketch of the night: Wiig"s Kathie Lee is still pretty spot-on, and they did a lot with both the movie titles turned into insults and Zach"s stalker potential. It wasn"t good, per se, but it wasn"t objective, and that says a lot. My one issue is whether they couldn"t have perhaps taken some tweets from Twitter live at the time of airing in order to bring a nice bit of realism: surely someone was tweeting something negative about "SNL" that would have been generic enough to read off. [Grade: B-]
In terms of Weekend Update, there wasn"t much in terms of great lines, although we did get another installment in the running "Huh, because that"s what is on their state flag!" jokes. The two "interviews," however, weren"t terrible: Forte"s "Herstory" song was clever at points (basically all those unrelated to the running joke about High Schools who turned him down), and I thought that Kenan"s Mo"nique was actually maybe his best impression in a while. The voice was good, the intonations were solid, and the commentary on Oscar speeches never got too trite. [Grade: B]
But then Kenan lost all of that goodwill with the unfortunate "What"s Up With That?" The problem is not that the sketch has no pleasures: seeing Frank Rich (a New York Times culture writer) sitting there trying to keep a straight face was enjoyable, and I always enjoy Jason Sudeikis" dancing. The issue is that they are the same pleasures: every time there"s a celebrity guest (here Paul Rudd) whose appearance is wasted, a gag that we enjoy because it"s a cameo, but which seems like a waste of someone funny in a sketch that isn"t really that enjoyable. It"s the same sketch every time, and the idea that this is a good thing is sort of unfathomable. This grade will keep getting longer so long as the show keeps driving it into the ground. [Grade: C-, although it would be a D+ if not for the great line "the sexy and seductive Frank Rich." Comedy gold.]
There was nothing about the CNN Situation Room sketch that was even close to being subtle: it"s about how reliant they are on new media and audience reporting, and how that opens them up to some questions about the legitimacy of their journalism. That"s a good idea for a sketch, but it never really came to fruition: the "Galifianakis dancing in English and French" were sort of pointless, and I"d rather they had tried to do something clever with the various social media sites (like Chat Roulette, which is rife for parody) than just place them into the context of CNN, especially when they didn"t have any really interesting content or impressions therein (the Amanpour was particularly bad). [Grade: C]
Unfortunately, the show ended on a low note: Pageant Talk was listless, with a few faces from Kristen Wiig and Zack"s line readings being the only things close to highlights. It seemed like Zach was given quite a few skits that felt like Horatio Sanz rejects, the sort of characters that are funny in theory or funny for a single line but never really add up to anything. Here, the sketch never got off the ground, and the constant pageant talk/wife anger was just too one-dimensional to make any lasting impression. [Grade: D]
Thankfully, as Galifianakis disappointed, Vampire Weekend did quite well: "Cousins" is a fun first single, but "Giving Up the Gun" is a great song and it worked better than I expected in the "SNL" context. If you have not yet listened to their newest album, Contra, I"d suggest checking it out: really solid stuff.
Other Thoughts
** The one benefit of this episode of "SNL": I can now spell Zach Galifianakis consistently…tonight. We"ll see if that stands in the morning.
** Next week brings Jude Law and Pearl Jam, which I"m hoping goes somewhat better, but I have very little faith in that potential.
What'd you think? Did Zach Galifianakis come through? Or was he the victim of the "SNL" writers?


text:
Concerts will return to Jannus Landing sometime in the spring.
At least that's the goal for Jeff Knight as he reinvents the shuttered outdoor concert venue in the block bounded by Central Avenue and First Avenue N, and Second and Third streets.
Knight is chief executive officer of Knight Enterprises, a large Clearwater-based cable installation provider partnered with Bright House Networks. He also owns the Middle Grounds Grill in Treasure Island.
Knight's partner, Bill Edwards, owns independent record label Big 3 Entertainment LLC in St. Petersburg. Edwards also is chairman and chief executive officer of Mortgage Investors Corp.
"Jannus Landing is the jewel of the city but it got a little banged up and needs a facelift," Knight says. "But it really won't change. It is still about music, tradition and affordability."
He envisions the entire block becoming an "entertainment complex" with services and events for all ages and all musical tastes.
Knight says he is also working closely with city officials to ensure both adequate parking and a safe environment for Jannus Landing visitors.
He says he has arranged for free parking for concertgoers in city parking garages and has been assured there will be a strong police presence in the area.
"Our new mayor (Bill Foster) is very pro-business and seems very committed to keeping the city's police department and businesses on the same page," Knight says. "We want to make it safe for couples, for people to come down here."
Key to the success of the new Jannus Landing is the courtyard, billed as "Florida's oldest and largest outdoor concert venue."
There haven't been any concerts at Jannus Landing since October after former operator Jack C. Bodziak ran into both financial and legal trouble, including charges that he had failed to pay more than $200,000 in sales taxes to the state.
Knight and Edwards stepped in to buy Bodziak's business and 10 percent interest in Jannus Landing, as well as contract with Jannus Landing owner Tony Amico to take over operations of the venue. The two partners also purchased a building on the northwest side of the courtyard.
Once renovations of the courtyard are completed, Knight says there will be more than a dozen concerts every month featuring a wide range of music groups from country to blues to rock 'n' roll.
Edwards is expected to draw heavily on his music contacts to book groups into the courtyard.
"He knows production, knows concerts. He will bring Jannus to a whole new level bringing in both new and up-and-coming acts as well as established talent who played here in the past. His passion for music is incredible," Knight says.
The courtyard also will be available for rent to charity groups, corporate get-togethers, weddings and birthday parties.
Right now, the courtyard is getting a complete makeover — new stucco and paint, leveled flooring and even a plexiglass-covered koi pond.
Renovations to a building at the northwest side of the courtyard will include eight luxury skyboxes with open-air balconies that will be available for rent to upscale-minded concertgoers.
To the casual observer, the stage area may look much the same, but the concerts will sound very different because of a new surround-sound system. Knight also is considering installing a retractable fabric canopy.
Other venues at the Landing are either already open or getting a major renovation.
The Tamiami Bar behind the courtyard stage will become Pure Saki, a combination bar, sushi restaurant, nightclub and dance club, featuring both house and celebrity DJs.
The Pelican Pub, which Knight envisions as a destination for preconcert and post-concert gatherings, opened this month.
Located next to the Jannus Landing courtyard entrance near the corner of First Avenue N and Second Street, the popular watering hole still greets visitors with its brick wall interior and eclectic bar.
But now the Pelican also has a new state-of-the-art, multimedia sound system and six flat-panel televisions for sports fanatics.
"Premium" drinks are still reasonably priced, Knight says.
For well-watered guests, there also will be updated restrooms to replace the infamous "Courtyard trough" where concertgoers often lined up to relieve themselves.
Detroit Liquors is scheduled to reopen after Christmas.
Plans for the Garden are still not complete, Knight said.
When concerts return to the courtyard in the spring, Knight says he expects to be the venue's biggest fan.
"I love music," he says. "I am enjoying this immensely."


text:
THERE ARE FIVE MILLION PEOPLE in the United States suffering from chronic heart failure, with about 550,000 diagnosed each year. Using state-of-the-art advances in cardiac care, New Jersey's top hospitals are saving lives and improving the quality of life for survivors and their families.
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
By Grant Simons, M.D.,
Chief, Electrophysiology
My patient Patricia Alberque has a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation, which puts her at risk for blood clots that can lead to stroke. Mrs. Alberque experienced sudden severe bleeding, a dangerous side effect from a blood-thinning medication which was prescribed to prevent blood clots. In the past, she would have had two options: either stop taking the medication but remain at an increased risk of stroke, or continue to take the medication and risk another severe bleeding episode. She decided to try an alternative approach. Mrs. Alberque's cardiologist, Dr. Dennis Katechis, and I recommended a new procedure in which an FDA-approved device, The Watchman, is permanently implanted in the heart to prevent blood clots from exiting and entering the bloodstream. We successfully performed the procedure, and a month later, Mrs. Alberque is feeling great. This device will allow her to remain off blood thinning medications, thereby lowering her risk of bleeding, while still reducing her risk for stroke.
Hackensack University Medical Center
By Joseph Parrillo, M.D.,
Chairman of the Heart & Vascular Hospital
A groundbreaking technology offered at HackensackUMC called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) gave 88-year-old, Kenneth Donoghue a second chance at life. He had shortness of breath, high blood pressure, and no other treatments available to him to alleviate his aortic stenosis. Without treatment, he would have been sent home in hospice care. His physician, Dr. Thomas Cocke gave him hope with the TAVR procedure, a revolutionary new way to replace an aortic valve without the use of a heart lung machine or open-heart surgery. During the procedure in HackensackUMC's new state-of-the-art Hybrid Operating Room, the physician inserts a valve through a small cut in the patient's leg. The valve is advanced on a balloon catheter placed in the upper leg and advanced along the arteries to the heart and through the native aortic valve. The balloon is then expanded leaving the new aortic valve in place. With our rapidly aging population, a growing number of patients suffer from severe aortic stenosis, and we have the ability to do something to help them lead a more productive lifestyle in this phase of their life. Six months after the procedure, Kenneth walks three miles a day and actively volunteers in his community.
Holy Name Medical Center
By Angel Mulkay, M.D., FACC, FSCAI,
Interventional Cardiologist and Vascular Specialist,
Director of Cardiology and the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
Holy Name Medical Center is one of the first hospitals in New Jersey to use a new, miniaturized wireless monitoring sensor to manage heart failure. We are implanting the CardioMEMS heart failure monitoring device into the pulmonary artery of congestive heart failure patients to better treat and improve their outcomes. Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's demands. Heart failure patients have frequent hospitalizations, a reduced quality of life and a higher risk of death. Prior to this device we would rely on symptoms such as shortness of breath or weight gain to detect worsening heart failure. The new system directly measures pulmonary artery pressure—an indicator that occurs earlier than weight or blood pressure changes—and allows us to actually treat heart failure before a patient is symptomatic or requires hospitalization. This technologically sophisticated device automatically and remotely transmits critical information about the patient's heart failure status from the patient's home, eliminating the need for additional doctor's office visits. On a larger scope, CardioMEMS allows our clinical staff to detect a patient's worsening heart failure sooner, allowing for expedited adjustments to medications, which will lessen the recurrence of symptoms and reduce hospitalization.
The Valley Hospital
By Alex Zapolanski, M.D.,
Director of Cardiac Surgery
Eight weeks to the day of his quintuple cardiac bypass surgery at The Valley Hospital, Steven Weissman fulfilled his promise to his daughter, Marisa: to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. Later that night, Steven and Marisa danced the traditional father-daughter first dance.
"Right after surgery, I told him, 'I need you to dance with me,'" she laughs. "Of course, I cried during the actual dance. We might never have had that important moment if it wasn't for his phenomenal doctors, nurses and staff at Valley."
Superior care and high-quality outcomes are just two of the hallmarks of Valley's cardiac program that led Cleveland Clinic—the No. 1 heart hospital in the country—to choose Valley as its regional cardiovascular affiliate. After experiencing chest pains, Steven, 70, was taken by ambulance to Valley where diagnostic tests showed five blockages in his coronary arteries.
"To hear your father needs heart surgery is very traumatic," says Marisa, a third-grade teacher in Mendham. "But Dr. Zapolanski told us very calmly that this is what Dad needed and that everyone at Valley would take wonderful care of him."
Steven attended Valley's cardiac rehabilitation program to strengthen his heart and improve his fitness, and is happy to be back at work with his son Micah and wife Rona in the family book distribution business.
Trinitas Regional Medical Center
By Fayez Shamoon, M.D.,
Medical Director of Cardiovascular Services
By chilling the whole body, therapeutic hypothermia can slow brain damage or even prevent it from happening. At Trinitas Regional Medical Center, appropriately identified cardiac patients benefit from a rapid interdisciplinary response that dramatically increases the rate of positive patient outcomes. Known as "Code Frosty," this protocol is used in the first few minutes following a cardiac arrest. One such case involved an elderly patient who experienced cardiac arrest and received CPR from our paramedics. En route to our ED, the paramedics treated him with icepacks and cooled IV solution to lower his body temperature to 91 degrees. In the ED, he was wrapped in a specially designed vest and leg coverings where he continued to undergo the bodycooling process. While under sedation in the ICU in the next 24 hours, he remained in a cooling mode while his normal body functions were monitored. His body temperature was warmed gradually and finally returned to normal level. Thanks to Code Frosty, the patient received a steady supply of oxygen from his heart to his brain and, after a few days of care, he was able to leave the hospital and rejoin his very happy family.


text:
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution
Lau by DuelMasterNG
Version: 1.0 | Updated: 03/25/05 | Search Guide | Bookmark Guide
Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution
Lau Chan Movelist, Series and Combos v1.0
by DuelMasterNG
Unpublished work Copyright 2002-2005 Nicholas NG
This document is protected by US Copyright Law, and the Berne Copyright
Convention of 1976. It is for private and personal use only--it cannot
be reprinted in part or in whole, or reproduced in any way or in any
form, written or otherwise.
It is a free document that cannot be used in any sort of commercial
transaction, including selling it or giving it away as a gift. This FAQ
cannot be referenced, altered, or used by anybody (including webmasters,
publishers, and magazine staff) without my express written permission.
This FAQ was created and is owned by me, Nicholas NG (a.k.a DuelMasterNG,
All copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged and respected that are not
specifically mentioned herein.
Plagiarism is a crime and is punishable by law.
| Contents |
- Contents
- Preface
- Background
- Legends
- Movelist
- Training
Series 1 - [f,P,P] -> [f,f,P+K]
Series 2 - [d,P+K] -> [b,f,P]
Series 3 - [b,df,P+G] -> [d,K+G]
Series 4 -
[b,P+K,P+K+G] -> [P+K] (from Kokei)
Series 5 - [P] -> [df,P,P,K]
Series 6 - [d,P] -> [D,df,P,P,P+K+G] -> [K] (from Kokei)
Combo 1 - [D,df,P,P] -> [F,P,b,P,P]
Combo 2 - [D,df,P,P,P+K+G] -> [P,P,P+K] (from Kokei)
Combo 3 - [df,P+K] -> [df,P,P,P,d,K]
Combo 4 - [df,P+K] -> [D,f,P,P,b,P,P]
Combo 5 - [df,P+K] -> [f,P,P] -> [D,df,P,P+K]
Combo 6 - [D,b,f,P] -> [D,df,P,P,b,P,P]
Combo 7 - [f,P+K] -> [D,df,P,P,b,P,P]
Combo 8 - [b,f,P] -> [F,P,b,P,P]
Combo 9 - [b,f,P] -> [d,P] -> [D,df,P,P+K]
Combo 10 - [b,f,P] -> [F,P,P,P,K]
Reward for completing the exercises
- Miscellaneous
| Preface |
First of all, I would like to clarify that I am not an expert player of
Virtua Fighter series... I just like this game a LOT :) This reference
material is free for personal use and I hope you'll find it useful.
Please do not hesitate to email to me at email@example.com should you
have any suggestion.
Cheers :)
P/s. Don't forget to send USD1 to my paypal account, email@example.com
... just joking (but I don't mind if you really do so :p)
| Lau Chan |
| Background |
Country : China
Gender : Male
Blood Type : B
Job : Cook
Hobby : Poetry
Stature : 172 cm
Weight : 77 kg
Fighting Style : Koen-Ken
After losing against Kage-Maru in the final round of the Third Tournament,
Lau found himself incurably ill. Fearing his individually developed style,
Koen-Ken, may be forever lost upon his death, Lau began looking for a worthy
successor. His main ambition in entering the fourth tournament is to find
that successor and offer them a chance to master his powerful martial arts
| Legends |
Directions and Movements
[lowercase] indicate player should only TAB the directional pad/stick towards
the specific
direction, whereas [UPPERCASE] indicate a player should HOLD the
pad/stick towards the specific direction.
[u] = tab direction UP [U] = hold direction UP
[d] = tab direction DOWN [D] = hold direction DOWN
[f] = tab direction FORWARD [F] = hold direction FORWARD
[b] = tab direction BACK [B] = hold direction BACK
[df] = tab direction DOWN+FORWARD [DF] = hold direction DOWN+FORWARD
[db] = tab direction DOWN+BACK [DB] = hold direction DOWN+BACK
[uf] = tab direction UP+FORWARD [UF] = hold direction UP+FORWARD
[ub] = tab direction UP+BACK [UB] = hold direction UP+BACK
[n] = Neutral
[BF] = Buffered, input the command during the execution of previous move
[HCB] = half circle backward, same as [f,df,d,db,b]
[HCF] = half circle forward, same as [b,db,d,df,f]
[270B] = 3/4 circle backward, same as [u,uf,f,df,d,db,b] or [d,df,f,uf,u,ub,b]
[270F] = 3/4 circle forward, same as [u,ub,b,db,d,df,f] or [d,db,b,ub,u,uf,f]
[FC] = Rising from crouching position
7 8 9 There are also some FAQ uses the numbers on a keypad as shown at the
\|/ left to indicate movement direction.
/|\ Since the numbering system is more for advanced player and
not so
1 2 3 suitable to be used on this FAQ, I would use the direction abbreviation.
[f,f] = Forward dash
[b,b] = Backward dash
[df,df] = Crouch dash forward
[db,db] = Crouch dash backward
[f,F] = Run forward
Movement Substitution
[D,f,...] can be substitude by [df,df,f,...] and [db,db,f,...].
H = High P = Punch
M = Mid K = Kick
L = Low G = Guard
EL = Elbow KN = Knee
SH = Shouder SK = Sidekick
HD = Head SS = Summersault / Back-flip Kick
DH = Double Hand BT = Back-turned
DL = Double Leg
CK = Circular Kick
BC = Body-check (Akira only)
PFUH = Player down, Face-Up, Head OFUH = Opponent down, Face-up, Head
PFDH = Player down, Face-down, Head OFDH = Opponent down, Face-down, Head
PFUL = Player down, Face-Up, Leg OFUL = Opponent down, Face-up, Leg
PFDL = Player down, Face-Down, Leg OFDL = Opponent down, Face-down, Leg
PBKW = Player back near wall OBKW = Opponent back near wall
| MoveList |
Striking Attacks Command Hit Damage
------------ ------- --- ------
Chusui P H 12
Renshou P,P H,H 12,10
Raigekishou P,P,P H,H,H 12,10,12
Renkan Tenshinkyaku P,P,P,K H,H,H,H 12,10,12,40
Renkan Tenshin Soukyaku P,P,P,d,K H,H,H,L 12,10,12,30
Renkan Haitenkyaku P,P,P,b/ub,K H,H,H,M 12,10,12,20
Souken Senputai P,P,K H,H,H 12,10,20
Haisen Renshou P,b,P H,M 12,20,BT
Tenshin Soukoshou P,b,P,P H,M,M 12,20,22
Renkentai P,K H,H 12,20
Souchuken d,P L 9
Chugeki f,P M 19
Hou'ou Soushou f,P,P M,H 19,20
~Kokei [,P+K+G]
Kosouken b,P H,M 10,12
Ko'en Souyokushu b,P,P H,M,H 10,12,15
Kosoushou b,f,P H 20
Fukko Sougeki D,b,f,P M 23
(substitution) df,df,b,f,P
(substitution) db,db,b,f,P
Hi'en Tenshinshou b,b,P M 22,BT
Hi'en Renshou b,b,P,d,P M,M 22,14
Hi'en Soukyaku b,b,P,d,K M,L 22,12
Hi'en Senpukyaku b,b,P,K+G M,M 22,28
Shakashou df,P M 15
Renshou df,P,P M,H 15,10
Renkanshou df,P,P,P M,H,H 15,10,12
Renshou Tenshinkyaku df,P,P,P,K M,H,H,H 15,10,12,40
Renshou Tenshin Soukyaku df,P,P,P,d,K M,H,H,L 15,10,12,30
Renshou Haitenkyaku df,P,P,P,b/ub,K M,H,H,M 15,10,12,20
Renshou Senputai df,P,P,K M,H,H 15,10,20
Shajoushou D,df,P H 20
Shajou Chusui D,df,P,P H,H 20,12
~Kokei [,P+K+G]
Renkan Ko'enshou D,df,P,df,P+K H,M 20,18
Junho Chushou df,df,P M 22
Junho Renshou df,df,P,P M,H 22,12
~Kokei [,P+K+G]
Katsumentai K H 25
Renshu Senpu K,K H,H 25,16
Taitou Risenkyaku FC,K M 30
(substitution) df,df,n,K
(substitution) db,db,n,K
Kasoutai d,K L 15
Ko'en Kasou Renshou d,K,P L,H 15,23
Sensaitai D/db,K L 15
Tenshin Risenkyaku D/db,K,K L,H 15,19
Chisoutai f,d,K L 25
Senchutai df,K M 21
Senkyaku Chushou df,K,P M,H 21,16
~Kokei [,P+K+G]
Senkyaku Renkan Koshou df,K,P,P M,H,H 21,16,15
Kokyaku Haiten ub,K M 30
Touku Kosenkyaku uf,K M 20
Enshishou P+K M 20
-Charged M 40
~Kokei [,b]
Ko'en Souken d,P+K M 27
Tenshin Sengchugeki f,P+K M 25
Souko Sensou f,f,P+K M 19,10,BT
Sakosoushou b,P+K M 22
~Kokei [,P+K+G]
Ko'en Tenshin Utanchu b,P+K,P M,H 22,22
Souko Reppa df,P+K M 30
Honshin Hekiken db,P+K M 21
Senpuga~Kokei K+G H 25
Ensenshu d,K+G L 20
Koryu Tenshinkyaku f,K+G H 32
Enjin Senpukyaku b,K+G H 30,BT
Kukokyaku uf,K+G M 32
Koushkuhi Ko'enshou evade,P+K+G M 21
From Kokei Command Hit Damage
---------- ------- --- ------
Senshinken P M 19
Senshin Shajoushou P,P M,H 19,13
Senshin Shajou Sougeki P,P,P+K M,H,M 19,13,23
Kokyaku Haiten K M 20
Kosou Gekishou P+K H 30
Haichuken BT,P H 12
Haigo Shakashou BT,d,P M 20
Haichutai BT,K H 30
Zaka Sentai BT,d,K L 22
Gekihouchu BT,P+K M 35
Back-Turned Attack Command Hit Damage
------------------ ------- --- ------
Haichuken P H 12
Haigo Shakashou d,P M 20
Haichutai K H 30
Zaka Sentai d,K L 22
Kokyaku Haiten ub,K [BF] M 30
Touku Haishou u,K+G [BF] M 30
Gekihouchu P+K M 35
Throw Command Hit Damage
----- ------- --- ------
Kensha Touraku P+G H 25
Raishin Nyurin f,P+G H 45
Raishin Nyurin PBKW,f,P+G H 60
Houshin Soukosouhou D,f,P+G H 65
Ryusha Senten b,P+G H 45
Ryusha Senten PBKW,b,P+G H 60
Tenshin Ha'inshou b,f,P+G H 50
Daichi Toushu df,df,P+G H 60
Ryushu Katou b,d,P+G H 10
Ko'en Renbu b,df,P+G H 50
Tenshin Souhashou side,P+G H 40
Mouko Haishu back,P+G H 50
Down Attack Command Damage
----------- ------- ------
Toushugeki df,K 13
Kosou Raishu u,P 25
| Training |
| Trial - Series |
Series 1 - [f,P,P] -> [f,f,P+K]
Exercise: After hitting the opponent with [f,P,P], follow with [f,f,P+K]!
After hitting the opponent with [f,P,P], use [f,f,P+K] to hit the opponent
again, and avoid [P] and [d,P] at the same time. Succeed 3 times to complete
the exercise.
Series 2 - [d,P+K] -> [b,f,P]
Exercise: After the opponent gurds your [d,P+K], use [b,f,P] to crush their
After your opponent blocks your [d,P+K], follow it with [b,f,P], in order to
crush their counterattack. Succeed 3 times to complete the exercise.
Series 3 - [b,df,P+G] -> [d,K+G]
Exercise: After your throw, use [d,K+G] to attack the opponent's recovery
from the fall!
After the throw [b,df,P+G], use [d,K+G] to hit the opponent as they try to
hit you with [d,P]. Succeed 3 times to complete the exercise.
Series 4 -
[b,P+K,P+K+G] -> [P+K] (from Kokei)
Exercise: Use
[b,P+K,P+K+G] to change stance, and attack with [P+K] (from
Kokei) to break the opponent's guard!
[b,P+K], use [b,P+K,P+K+G] to change stancem then use [P+K] (from
Kokei) to break the opponent's standing guard. Succeed 3 times to complete
the exercise.
Series 5 - [P] -> [df,P,P,K]
Exercise: Watch your [df,P,P] hit, and complete [df,P,P,K]!
After using P, follow with [df,P,P], and if the attack hits, finish the
series with [df,P,P,K]. If the opponent guards the attack, stop the series
at [df,P,P]. Succeed 5 times in a row to complete the exercise.
Series 6 - [d,P] -> [D,df,P,P,P+K+G] -> [K] (from Kokei)
Exercise: Use [D,f,P,P,P+K+G] to change stance, then attack accordingly!
After attacking with [d,P], use [D,df,P,P,P+K+G], and if the opponent floats,
follo with [P,P,P+K] (from Kokei). Otherwise attack with [K] (from Kokei).
Succeed 5 times in a row to complete the exercise.
| Trial - Combos |
Combo 1 - [D,df,P,P] -> [F,P,b,P,P]
Exercise: Use [D,df,P,P] -> [F,P,b,P,P] to make a combo!
Your [D,df,P,P] will connect as a counter hit. Attack the floating opponent
with [F,P,b,P,P]. Succeed 3 times to complete the exercise.
Combo 2 - [D,df,P,P,P+K+G] -> [P,P,P+K] (from Kokei)
Exercise: Use [D,df,P,P,P+K+G] -> [P,P,P+K] (from Kokei) to make a combo!
[D,df,P,P] will counter hit. Use [D,df,P,P,P+K+G] to go to Kokei stance,
then make a combo with [P,P,P+K] (from Kokei). Succeed 3 times to complete
the exercise.
Combo 3 - [df,P+K] -> [df,P,P,P,d,K]
Exercise: Use [df,P+K] -> [df,P,P,P,d,K] to make a combo!
After floating the opponent with [df,P+K], finish the combo with
[df,P,P,P,d,K]. Succeed 3 times to complete the exercise.
Combo 4 - [df,P+K] -> [D,f,P,P,b,P,P]
Exercise: Make the [df,P+K] -> [D,f,P,P,b,P,P]combo!
After floating the opponent with [df,P+K], finish the combo with
[D,f,P,P,b,P,P]. Succeed 3 times to complete the exercise.
Combo 5 - [df,P+K] -> [f,P,P] -> [D,df,P,P+K]
Exercise: Use [df,P+K] -> [f,P,P] -> [D,df,P,P+K] to make a powerful combo!
When the foot position is open, use [df,P+K] to float the opponent, follow
with [f,P,P], then finish the combo with [D,df,P,P+K]. Succeed 3 times to
complete the exercise.
Combo 6 - [D,b,f,P] -> [D,df,P,P,b,P,P]
Exercise: Make the [D,b,f,P] -> [D,df,P,P,b,P,P] combo!
After using [D,b,f,P] to beat down the opponent, follow with [D,df,P,P,b,P,P]
to make a combo. Succeed 3 times to complete the exercise.
Combo 7 - [f,P+K] -> [D,df,P,P,b,P,P]
Exercise: Make a combo with [f,P+K] -> [D,df,P,P,b,P,P]!
[f,P+K] will counter hit. Use [D,df,P,P,b,P,P] against the opponent during
the gut collapse. Succeed 3 times to complete the exercise.
Combo 8 - [b,f,P] -> [F,P,b,P,P]
Exercise: Use [b,f,P] -> [F,P,b,P,P] to make a beatdown combo!
After hitting with [b,f,P], use [F,P,b,P,P] to finish the combo. Succeed 3
times to complete the exercise.
Combo 9 - [b,f,P] -> [d,P] -> [D,df,P,P+K]
Exercise: Use [b,f,P] -> [d,P] -> [D,df,P,P+K] to make a combo!
The combo will start from open foot position. After beating the opponent
down with [b,f,P], use [d,P] followed by [D,df,P,P+K] to complete the combo.
Succeed 3 times to complete the exercise.
Combo 10 - [b,f,P] -> [F,P,P,P,K]
Exercise: Make a combo wih [b,f,P] -> [F,P,P,P,K]!
After hitting with [b,f,P], use [F,P,P,P,K] to finish the combo. Succeed 3
times to complete the exercise.
Reward for completing the exercises
Dunno... Didn't manage to complete the exercise...
| Miscellaneous |
Website : http://www.geocities.com/DuelMasterNG/
E-mail : email@example.com
GameFAQ User ID : ngcheechong
View in:


text: Students sing with State Fair Youth ChoirWOOSTER Cody Brown, Derek Warner and Katie Rotuno were selected to sing with the 42nd edition of the All Ohio State Fair Youth Choir. They were among the 200 high school singers from all over Ohio who sang with the choir at the 12-day Ohio State Fair, Aug. 4-15.Brown is the son of Sandy Wallace of Wooster. A student at Wooster High School, he has participated in productions of "Oklahoma," "Grease," "Ten Little Indians" and "I Never Saw Another Butterfly." He studied privately with Kay Raplenavich and under WHS choral director Amy Gilbert.Warner is the son of Bob and Terri Warner of Shreve. He is a student at Triway High School.Rotuno is the daughter of Chuck and Kathy Rotuno of Wooster. She has performed in the Wooster High School Concert Choir, the Women's Chorus, and many high school productions as well as community theater. Some of her most recent appearances have been as "Glinda" in "The Wizard of Oz," Titania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and Gertie in "Oklahoma!"She was recently awarded the Dilgard Vocal Scholarship, the Wooster High School Music Parents Association Summer Scholarship, Outstanding Choral Musician at WHS and, for the second year in a row, has been awarded "Chorister of the Day" in the All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir. She attended the Summer Music Institute at Baldwin Wallace College in July.


text:
The Supreme Court ruled to protect the Mojave Desert Memorial Cross from an ACLU lawsuit demanding it's removal. On Sunday night, thieves with bolt cutters took it down anyway.
The 7-foot-tall, 75-year-old cross was first placed on the rock at the Mojave National Preserve in 1934 by the Veterans of Foreign Wars as a memorial to honor the American soldiers who died in World War I.
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the lower courts ruling in California on the ACLU lawsuit which ordered the US Park Service to remove the cross due to separation of church and state.
However, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said the first amendment does not call for a total ban on symbols of faith but a middle-ground "policy of accommodation", the LA Times reported. The Christian cross on government land was allowed to stand since the Constitution "does not require the eradication of all religious symbols in the public realm," the US Supreme Court ruled.
On Sunday night, two weeks after the ruling, the cross was removed.
"This is an outrage, akin to desecrating people's graves," said Kelly Shackelford, president of the Liberty Institute, which represents the caretakers of the Mojave Desert War Memorial. "It's a disgraceful attack on the selfless sacrifice of our veterans. We will not rest until this memorial is re-installed."
Authorities are saying the motive could have been thieves wanting scrap metal or people involved in the case. Or better said, people who disagreed with the ruling. The latter seems more likely since scrap metal thieves have somehow been able to keep their hands off the cross for 75-years.
"The American Legion expects whoever is responsible for this vile act to be brought to justice," said Clarence Hill, the group's national commander. "While the memorial has been attacked, the fight will continue to ensure that veterans memorials will remain sacrosanct."
The Liberty Institute is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction in the theft case.


text:
Tampa Catholic: Timmons helping out Crusaders' young players
TAMPA - In terms of state championship game experience for Tampa Catholic, senior lineman Taylor Timmons is becoming a rarity. He is one of two Crusaders players returning this season who started in their last appearance in the title match, the 2009 Class 2B state final against Jacksonville Bolles. Which is why TC coach Bob Henriquez will be counting on Timmons this fall to show this very young Crusaders squad the type of work and attitude it takes to reach the state championships. "We're going to be leaning heavily on Taylor this season,'' Henriquez said. "He's such a great example for our underclassmen, especially his work ethic. In fact, he's the kind of player you have to tell him to stop working out because sometimes you find him doing a second workout after finishing ours.'' Timmons says it's something he has grown accustomed to doing. Yes, he was born with certain attributes, including size. But the 6-foot-2, 275-pound Timmons you see now was not so strong, fast or sculpted when he was a freshman. He took what was given to him naturally and, with persistence and patience, worked his way into becoming a Division I recruit who this fall will play both sides of the line.Patience is something Timmons says he's learned from his parents, as well as favorite pastime, freshwater fishing for bass. And the work ethic he is trying to pass on to the young TC players he learned from those who became through the program before him. Timmons is the first to remind his teammates that for all his interest from colleges, he has lots of room for improvement. And he's not afraid to admit he didn't start playing football until he was a freshman. In that short time, however, Timmons has become a standout, earning top defensive lineman honors last summer at the University of Central Florida camp, and rising to a leadership role for TC as it strives for a return to the state finals. To travel the long road to that stage, guys like Timmons will be the ones Henriquez is counting to show the way. "This is a guy who had remarkable size but someone who essentially had to remake his entire body to become the athlete he is now,'' Henriquez said. "He's the type of player you can always count on and one you are proud to build a team around. He's just a quality person all-around.''
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Florida university chancellor forced out for pretending to be on campus during Hurricane Irma evacuation
More headlines


text:
After another request i will start this thread about growing mealworms. It may sound strange, but I really enjoy raising mealworms. I have been growing worms for many years. Recently, I got my best crop so far.I wanted to tell you about my success and, hopefully, encourage others to give worm farming a try. I found that raising worms in clear plastic tubs filled with bran works well. I buy my bran cheap from foodstore. I like the tubs from Wilko because they are very clear, have a good depth and a lid 16Lts.( i started with smaller ) The other necessary supplies are mealworms, potatoes, carrots, apples, and yams.
To begin your own farm, you will need to get some live worms. You just need to find someone with a mealworm farm or try pet shops. Next, fill your tub with about six to eight inches of bran.( i did start with only a few inches )
After your farm is prepared, it is time to add the food. The worms will get their nutrition and hydration from the fruits and veggies that you provide. Their main diet needs to begin with raw potatoes sliced in half. This is where they will feed and turn into pupae. The potatoes need to be placed, cut side down, on top of the bran.
They will seek out the potatoes and begin to feed or they may just eat the bran. Soon, they will turn into pupae and then beetles (straw coloured at first but they will turn black) mate then lay eggs and then die. I remove the dead ones from the surface without disturbing the potatoes as the old ones begin to shrivel. Do not remove the shriveled potato pieces. This is where your hatchlings will be. After about a week, gently look underneath the oldest potatoes. You should see very tiny worms. Unless you began your farm in order to get hundreds of wiggly little pets, it will soon be time to harvest. Prior to using you worms as food for other creatures, they need to be "gut loaded". This will make them more nutritious. This is done by offering other food besides the potatoes, such as apples, carrots, and yams. Be sure to remove any uneaten pieces often to prevent mold from entering your farm.It is important not to over harvest your first crop if you wish to continue farming. As the worms mature, they will begin to look like little shrimp. This happens before they morph into beetles. The whole process only takes a few weeks. Ideally, you may want to set up more than one tub in order to maintain a large supply of worms. Two colonies will also provide you with many sizes of worms to choose from. Unless you are a bug wimp, growing meal worms can be easy and fun. It will also save money and provide you with a convenient and nutritious supply of worms. Deciding how many worms to harvest and how many to let continue their life cycle will depend on your rate of usage. You may need to experiment a little in order to raise the correct number of worms for your needs. The rewards of being a mealworm farmer are worth a little trial and error. Any questions then please ask.


text:
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|23rd December 2011, 02:56 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Hello people this is my first post
Found this post very enlightening and in fact I think oppo company should hire some of you, at least Cory for sure as most surely this r&d would benefit from your findings as well as us the end customers
I will be getting a 95EU soon. My main concern will be fan noise / trigger.
Incidentally I thought of the fan controller even before I found this post as I have one of those to control my computer psu, made by thermaltake
Will not be doing (not knowledge on electronics at that level) or hiring big mods at first, but being an IT person used to build my own computers I would like to just replace the heat sink (no one would use a plate with thermal stickers on top of a cpu that is a fact) with the setup you conceived Cory
From a photo back up I see you raised the plate to accommodate the larger finned (makes sense) heat sink so I´d like to ask you this if you please (thks in advance for the great concept):
- which heat sink is it, any brand ref / model, which cpu is it for ?
- did you use thermal compound or thermal self adhesive stickers ?
- are you pushing it in using the plate as pressure point and some threaded metal headers ?
- how are you able to pressure in the heat sink center ?
- how did you get those threaded headers or where from ?
- a parts list would be most helpful !
- Do you have any idea where is located on the board the temp sensor that triggers the fan ?
- For the fan speed/voltage regulator what did you have to bypass to not trigger the temp sensor, if any ?
Dont know about the quality of the stock fan but maybe will also try to find a higher grade ball bearing fan or higher flow/lower speed one, what do you think ?
sorry for all the questions and thks in advance for you help
best rgds
Nuno from Portugal
|23rd December 2011, 03:32 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Maybe I made a mistake, I see now you where able to up the plate because you do not have the top board anymore.. but still hope to improve the heat sink anyway..
|25th December 2011, 07:13 PM
diyAudio Member
Yes, the fan is to be a quite big concern... It had also an well audible noise for my ears, from that original Oppo`s fan... Is just not possible to enjoy the music with that running... The original one is not running all the time, but when is running is to be heard..
First action to get rid of the fan noise is to cut that cover in front of it (as to be seen in the picture). The cover in front of that fan generate much turbulence in to the air flow, and then generate the noise... Cutting it that out will help much to lower the noise of that fan.
The temp sensor for that fan is inside the main CPU... Here is something stupid from the Oppo`s designers part. They chosen to run hot that CPU to make it easy to trigger that fan to run it... So, that fan run only when the CPU`s temp is to high. This is very often... And this fan do not help very much at all to cool that CPU.... This make that it is a quite high temp inside the BDP95 box. If you will install that heat sink on the CPU first, you will notice that the fan do not run any more... This is bad too! It have to be ventilation inside that box....
So, that fan it have to run all the time, but in that way to not be audible.
To make it running all the time, just disconnected from its connector, and coupled it to a dedicated power supply. I used an very small (but enough power) consumer PSU (which is to be coupled in to the wall). Removed its plastic box and installed that small transformer (it have to be that type PSU with transformer, not a switching one!) inside the Oppo`s switching PSU (as to be seen here in the picture). Is enough an such 6vDC PSU for that fan. Is better to use also in between an "fan silencer" from the computer world. In this way just set the speed of that fan so to be efficient at the lowest (disturbing) noise. As is to be seen in another picture, I have now a second fan coupled in parallel with that original one, through the same silencer, to ensure the air flow over the CPU heat sink. In this way, the ventilation is very effective inside the box. The fan for the CPU heat sink is set to an lower working tension than another one, only for assure a movement of the air inside the box, over the CPU heat sink. I`ve used also so called low noise fans for both (not ball bearing ones). Quite easy to find those as computer spare components.
When about CPU heat sink, I used an P4 processor one. I think is possible to use another type so long is good for that place/space. You know? Those Oppos`s designers intended in the beginning to use an such heat sink for that CPU. The board is designed to this! There is good place inside for using a such heat sink over that CPU. This heat sink have to be "adjusted" a little bit to not come "in conflict" with the flat cable/connector beside... Is not difficult to cut it as in the pictures. One have to find a spring which is accordingly to the purpose. I used one from an old computer CPU cooler system. Make a hole, a little bit bigger (0,5 - 1mm) than the spring diameter in to that heat sink. Just in the centre of it. Is to be noticed here that the presure of the heat sink on the main CPU do not have to be very high. Not to low either... It is difficult for me now to say how much... Just enough I`ve used that spacers (pictures) to assure the right distance for the (original) plate, to have the right pressure over the heat sink when the screws are screwed in completely and the spring compressed (a little bit). Note that the screw through the original plate (which will hold in place the spring and the whole system) have to be right in the centrer of that plate. You can see in the pictures how to find that centrer... In this way the whole system is placed right in to the centrer of that CPU surface.
One have to take in to consideration that the heat sink keep its position quite good when whole the air in between it self and the CPU is out (when pressed). Yes, is to be used cooling compound here. Just use that compound only before final mounting. Note that is quite difficult to take out the heat sink after it was pressed in to the CPU chip, and is not any air in between... I think one can understand quite well what about from those pictures.
VERY IMPORTANT: connect your self to the ground in one (good) way to avoid ESD problems with the components inside the player, when is to tear it down. Care match about this aspect!
This modification (and another) void the warranty of your player!
Last edited by Coris; 25th December 2011 at 07:26 PM.
|26th December 2011, 08:40 AM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
thank you Cory!
That is really a masters work!
Again as I said being a PC tech I totally understand the flawed heat dissipation design on the Oppo, and that is more serious in the 95! If you take care of the cpu heat alone then the sensor will not trigger the fan anymore
My guess is the rotel power supply dos get warm too, right ? I suppose it has to, these electronics are made up to work in an ideal temp which is warm of course
Could you comment just a bit more on the last posted photo with a drawn arrow, is that an additional heat sink fo the ac/dc stage area, or the condenser close to it? does it get warm ?
best rgds
|26th December 2011, 12:29 PM
diyAudio Member
The last photo shows (the red arrow) where is the PSU/transformer (as described in previous post) for the fans. That`s all. There is coupled the speed controller for the fans. Is no any warm problem in this switching PSU. Here is only to be changed out some capacitors to have a quite big impact in video/image stage of the player.
Last edited by Coris; 26th December 2011 at 12:32 PM.
|26th December 2011, 04:51 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
ok great work Cory. I think you could consult for Oppo so they have better designs in the future. If it is for the benefit of everyone why not ? why don´t you write them to show your findings ?
best rgds
|29th December 2011, 03:59 PM
diyAudio Member
I think they will not admit even in private eventual (design) faults.
In fact it is a good enough player, which is working well enough. In my opinion, with the same (production) price, and almost the same hardware, it could be much, much better. Both in picture and sound. Many people knows already this!
They are enough many (even companies) which tweak this player. Why? They are so stupid people this tweakers? No (at least a part of them...)! They know much better than Oppo him self about the big potential of this "collection of hardware/components and software" named BDP95. A good product, with very high performances is not possible to be tweaked for even higher quality... Is not the case of BDP95...
Is classical now this example about the main clock in BDP95. So many changed out the stock clock the player come with from the factory, and suddenly one got an huge increasing in picture and even sound quality. Is not necessary to use very sophisticated clock oscillators to get a better result. I`ve used an conventional oscillator, a little better quality than the stock used in BDP95 (and a little more care for its power supply). Was enough to have a much better picture, and better sound. Why Oppo do not do it this? Mystery... They prefer to invest for have good reviews...
Another example is this famous Rotel transformer. Every review mention that this player has inside this named component. It become a legend now that if an product have inside a Rotel component then is automatic a high end product. FAULT!
This Rotel transformer inside BDP95 has nothing special and is a very standard one. Its contribution to the player performance is minimal and (more) its stated performance is just cancelled by the very bead design of the serial PSU which it is coupled to. What for have a good quality transformer (a Rotel one...) if the following PSU work under big ripple currents, and generate noises/heat because this?
The examples are many... But anyway...
|30th December 2011, 06:38 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
going back to cory´s posts in august I researched a bit more on the buffalo dac and on page 38 of the integration guide 121 it says
Shunt power supply
The Placid and Placid HD series of power supplies are shunt regulators. This means the power supply
delivers more power (refered to as CSS current) than is required at any time. The excess power supplied
is shunted (shunt current) and usually transformed into heat. As one might understand this is not the most
efficient use of power, but it does offer a very clear advantage: the output of shunt regulators usually has
extremely low amounts of noise. This makes it a favorite choice for audio applications.
should I take this is the case with the base default bdp-95 or its power path is a noisy one ?
|30th December 2011, 10:04 PM
diyAudio Member
An shunt regulator is a better (noise point of view) power supply, but is not practical to be used when is about quite high current consumer. It just get to hot and it need special care to take out that heat... All become much complicated and quite big. In a case of a Buffalo kit is something else. In this case of BDP95 is no way to use a such regulator. I know, I`ve tried...
The best here is a quite simple and efficient serial regulator PSU. One do not have the best quality power, but is good enough and the best solution in this particular case. I`ve used 3 such PSUs: +/-15v and an +9v one for the analogue board power needs of this player. I wanted to use an accordingly power transformer for those 3 PSUs. The Rotel one could only deliver 2x18vAC. I`ve replaced with an transformer which can deliver 2x15vAC and 9vAC. One may chose a good balance between AC delivered from the transformer, and the final needed/regulated DC to minimise the heat dissipation inside the box. I`m very satisfied with my last solution to power the player... As is to be seen in one picture here, I use a quite big heat sink which do a very good job now inside my BDP95. Heat dissipation is very low.
Last edited by Coris; 30th December 2011 at 10:06 PM.
|31st December 2011, 08:48 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
My experience has told me that regulator types, unless outright faulty design, don't have any effect on the sound if you've done a properly generous job of installing post regulator filtering/energy storage. Experience also tells me that virtually ALL manufacturers NEVER have adequte post reg capacity, and very few diy/modders go far enough, thus different regs change sound.
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text:
Pulaski County High School Baseball Boosters will hold a pancake breakfast fundraiser Saturday at Dublin United Methodist Church.
PCHS baseball players will be serving the full pancake breakfasts from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Adult plates are $7, $5 for children ages six to 10, and children ages five and younger eat for free.
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text:
Redbridge Council awarded more than £300,000 to repair potholes
PUBLISHED: 13:10 09 July 2014 | UPDATED: 13:43 09 July 2014
PA Wire/Press Association Images
A grant of more than £300,000 has been given to the borough to repair potholes.
Redbridge Council has received almost £325,000 from the Department for Transport to tackle the problem.
Cllr Baldesh Kaur Nijjar, cabinet member for the environment, said: "I am delighted to announce that the council has secured this grant money.
"We are at this time assessing which areas will be treated with the money available. We estimate that the council will be able to repair around 8,000 potholes by March 2015.
"We understand potholes aren't just ugly and inconvenient; they also represent a potential hazard for motorists, cyclists and those crossing the borough's roads.
"We are committed to ensuring Redbridge's roads are as safe as possible and this is a real step forward in improving their safety."


text:
Beginning Saturday, February 8, 1997, I embarked upon another hot springs adventure. I had been wanting to go visit the active geothermal area around Safford, Arizona, which is east of Tucson in the Gila River Valley. There are several natural hot springs in this area, most of which are accurately described in Marjorie Gersh-Young's 1995 edition of "Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Southwest". All of these can be accessed by 2 wheel drive vehicles.
After leaving San Diego and overnighting at the Chaparral Hotel in Tacna, Arizona, east of Yuma, I arrived in the Safford area Sunday and got a very nice $28/night motel room at the Motel Western, and immediately went searching for Watson Wash Hot Well northwest of town. I found the directions to this location quite accurate in the book. This is a newly (1993) reconstructed, above ground, circular stone tub with 101 degree water flowing out of a well casing into the pool. The inflow and outflow rates are very high promoting a natural cleansing effect that maintains clean water. This location has a reputation as a party location, but there were only two local residents, a wayward traveler from Durango, and a dog the day I was there. Because the location is a few hundred yards up a wash off the road, nudity is commonplace. This earns 4 out of 5 stars.
Monday I took about a 40 mile drive to both Eagle Creek and Gillard Hot Springs. These are both described in the aforementioned Hot Springs book, but the directions are not quite concise enough to locate either of the Springs. Even though I didn't locate these, I will attempt to enhance the directions for future explorers among you. After parking at the power plant at the end of the 5.3 mile unmarked Eagle Creek Road north of Morenci (past the huge copper pit and turn left about 200 feet after the cemetery on the left), walk to the left (south) past the farmhouse and look for Hot Springs Canyon on your RIGHT after about a mile of hiking down the dirt road adjacent to Eagle Creek. Do not hike the side canyon on the left side of this main canyon like I mistakenly did, it has a
very small cold spring. The best suggestion I can make is stop at the BLM offices in Safford and pick up the appropriate USGS quad sheets and/or forest service maps which show this spring and Gillard. Nudity is acceptable in this area, even though the springs are owned by Phelps-Dodge, who run the nearby open pit copper mine.
The directions for Gillard Hot Springs in the Hot Springs book are again slightly incorrect. After turning off Highway 191 (formerly Highway 666) onto the Backcountry Byway/Old Safford Road, proceed down this road about 3.5 miles, not 2.1 miles as indicated in the Hot Springs book, then turn right at the BLM sign marked "Gillard Hot Springs". Then go about a mile to a three way dirt intersection, take the middle fork for 0.3 mile and park on the right adjacent to the wash on your left. Walk down the wash until you come to a closed gate. Use the pedestrian access and continue down the wash to the Gila River. Please don't hike alone in this area, because there are
several mountain lions that live near the springs. Although they have a plentiful food supply, you never know. The springs are located to the right of the end of the wash. Nudity is acceptable due to the remote location and BLM land.
Tuesday I got an early start and drove down a 25 mile well graded dirt road to Hot Well Dunes Recreation area. This area is predominantly a mid desert sand dune environment on BLM land. The two hot springs are located within the small camping area. The springs have undergone a historic metamorphosis and are now what I would consider semi-developed. 105 degree water flows out of an artesian well into the two fenced cement soaking tubs. The first tub is 104 degrees and the second furthermost tub is 101 degrees. When I arrived, I noticed that one tub was definitely for nude use while the other was for users more comfortable in bathing suits. The campground host was a nice BLM senior volunteer who stated that even though permissible nudity is not advertised, it is acceptable. So I soaked au naturel for at least 4 hours and enjoyed the conversation and ambiance of fellow soakers(only a few) from all walks of life. Extremely nice place, Highly recommended. 5 Stars.
Late Tuesday, I decided to try the small stonework hot springs soaking pool at Roper Lake State Park south of Safford. Although I didn't have high expectations, I was pleasantly surprised. Although there supposedly is a $4.00 day use fee, no rangers were at the entrance so I drove right in and found the spring at the south end of the park. The sign clearly states bathing suits are required, however, when the sun went down it was mutually agreed upon with the other 3 soakers that clothing optional would be OK. No rangers ever checked on us, even though the soaking pool is open until 10:00 PM. This location earns high points for cleanliness and availability of nearby camping, but slightly lower score for bathing suits required policy. Overall, 3 1/2 stars.
Wednesday I found Buena Vista Hot Well. Unfortunately, this is essentially a horizontal well head of 130 degree water that drops off directly into an irrigation canal. I suppose it would be possible to sit in the irrigation canal near the hot water flow, but the canal looked pesticide laden. This site is also directly across from a house, and overall, not really worth the visit. One star.
Thursday, I visited the last natural hot spring in the Safford area known as Thatcher Hot Well. Located 1.2 miles north of the town of Thatcher on First Avenue (unmarked, turn right at the Union 76 station off of US 70 westbound), this is a delightful large sandy bottomed soaking pool which receives its hot water from a large vertical well head with a very high flow rate. The temperature of the pool varied depending on the proximity to the wellhead, but generally ranged from 98-110 degrees. There were only two locals here. The site has lots of room for more soakers. It is maintained and kept clean by the Town of Thatcher. Nudity appears to be the norm.
4 stars.
There are several "developed" hot springs resorts in this area. Several of the people I met truly enjoyed the "Essence of Tranquillity" south of Safford. Typical activities there include massage, reflexology and numerous soaking tubs. Policy is clothing optional.
Friday, upon returning to San Diego, I stopped at the Highline South Hot Well at the corner of Interstate 8 and Van Der Linden exit. Two large soaking pools and a hot shower emanating from a pressurized pipe flow out of an adjacent artesian well. The temperature of the larger pool is about 106 degrees and the smaller shallower pool is about 102 degrees. The height of the hot shower can be adjusted by manually turning the pipe. The flow rate is sufficiently slow that a good scrubbing of the pools is required every week to remove the algae. Volunteers usually do this every Tuesday. This site is frequented mostly by seniors who stay in the primitive BLM RV campground across the street. Because of this and the proximity to the highway, bathing suits are advisable during the day and early evening. Later in the evening, however, nudity is more common.
About myself: I have been a natural hot springs aficionado for the last 15 years. I have visited virtually all the natural hot springs in California, Oregon, Arizona and New Mexico. -- Kim Sturmer