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Items from the Mail Bag – In the Material World June 26, 2013Posted by Wilhelm Arcturus in entertainment, Hardware, lego, Mail Bag.
Tags: D-Link, DOOM, FitDesk
7 comments
Another visit to the mail bag, which for some reason features a lot of actual things. It also shows that press releases will go out to just about anybody these days.
A Love Letter to DOOM
I am always a fan of people who tackle gaming topics in actual printed book form. Being over a certain age, getting somebody to publish that sort of thing lends legitimacy to the whole genre, even if it isn't likely to make any best seller's list. So I was interested to see a press release for DOOM: SCARYDARKFAST.
According to the press release, this 200 page book covers the creation of DOOM, how it impacted the industry, pushed online multiplayer and modding, and spawned many imitators. The book jacket quote:
This book is a love letter to DOOM and its various creators, written by a highly educated and devoted scholar and player. The book offers a well-grounded sense of the game and does an excellent job working its way through a range of topics: from the software company to the graphics engine to the story to the sound to the final game."
—Katherine Whitlock, California State University-Chico
Never having actually played DOOM (I was working on Mac OS at the time, so Bungie's Marathon kicks off first person shooters for me) and not being a particularly dedicated shooter fan, some of this will no doubt be lost on me, but it is nice to see it getting recorded somewhere.
D-Link Router for Gamers
D-Link sent me a press release for their new router for gamers.
This one interests me because we have to share a rather small pipe to the internet at our house and the tools available for apportioning out bandwidth seem to be to be rather primitive. Looking at the we page for the router, it looks like they are headed in the right direction. And, frankly, things like Quality of Service shouldn't be rocket science at this point. I am not going to run out and pre-order one, but I will look for reviews to see if it actually works as described.
FitDesk for the Happy Family
FitDesk is a company that sells equipment that allows you to use your electronics while you exercise. A noble calling, or at least one with some merit. I recall a story from a few of years back about a guy who bolted his laptop to a treadmill and spent all his World of Warcraft time walking. He lost weight and got into shape while raiding. So I have nothing snarky to say about the idea really, except that the picture they attached to the press release they sent me is a bit… odd.
The thought process that lead to this would be interesting to map. Put dad in the chair. Have him smiling, happy that his son is getting exercise. Hand him a laptop to show he is tech savvy. Give him a smiling trophy wife about his son's age. Have those two gaze fondly at the son while he plays his game completely undisturbed by this attention. And no sweating! We don't need to remind people that exercise makes they moist and smelly.
Life in the world of advertisements.
LEGO Middle-earth Rolls On
And the people at LEGO continue to send me pictures of their latest and greatest stuff, like this Tower of Orthanc set.
Unfortunately, the age of LEGO seems to be pretty much over at our house. My daughter is in the pre-teen stage and becomes quickly bored when forced to do things like assembling LEGO kits with dad. Time marches on. Now we're worried about paying for college.
Items from the Mail Bag – Press Releases and Special Offers Edition April 8, 2013Posted by Wilhelm Arcturus in Blizzard, entertainment, Mail Bag, World of Tanks, World of Warcraft.
Tags: Assault on Wall Street, Darkfall, MegaWars III, Stellar Emperor, Twitter
9 comments
Digging into the mail bag, another reminder that I haven't felt inspired to write about much new of late.
Darkfall: Unholy Wait
Aventurine sent me the press release announcing that Darkfall: Unholy Wars would finally launch on April 16th, after a five month delay.
Back in September of 2012 they announced that the original Darkfall would shut down on November 15th to make room for Unholy Wars, which was slated to launch on the 20th of the same month. And then… well… the Aventurine reputation needed to be maintain. So here we are, seven months after that announcement, and the game should launch next week.
Now, the press release points out that this time was well spent, that much was learned from the beta. We shall see next week. Maybe.
Blizzard Remains Steadfast
After running out my seven free days of World of Warcraft, I remained on the fence about whether it would be worthwhile to subscribe or not. And then, ten days later, I received an email from Blizz with a subject line asking me to resubscribe to the game.
I was intrigued. I wondered if Blizz might sweeten the deal now that they had me thinking about the game. A special offer might have been enough to tip the balance.
But there was no special offer. It was just a link to the standard subscription page. Blizz isn't at a point right now where it feels the need to anything special to get people to come back.
Twitter Pushes Advertising
Twitter has decided that I am a small business and, as such, I need to advertise on their service. So I received a whole stream of messages from them offering me a free $50 advance on my advertising.
I have not taken them up on their offer, having no idea what I would even promote.
Mega Wars IV
Crimson Leaf Games, which recreated the classic CompuServe game Mega Wars III that I poked my nose into ages ago, has taken the idea a step further and created Mega Wars IV which includes a full graphical client done in Microsoft Silverlight.
Interestingly, Stellar Emperor, the version of the game that ran on GEnie, which I have also covered, went this route in the early 90s, adding on a graphical client and updating the game, thus diverging it from what stated off as its twin, Mega Wars III.
Populist Wish Fulfillment
I keep getting press releases around a film titled Assault on Wall Street. The synopsis for the picture is:
Jim is an average New Yorker living a peaceful life with a well paying job and a loving family. Suddenly, everything changes when the economy crashes causing Jim to lose his job, home and wife. Filled with anger and rage, Jim snaps and goes to extreme lengths to seek revenge for the life taken from him.
The poster shows the star, Dominic Purcell a pistol in one hand, a combat rifle in the other, with bullet riddled NYPD cars and SWAT teams deploying in the background.
So, yeah, gun violence. I guess that takes Occupy Wall Street up a notch. Let's go kill the 1%!
Given that the only name I recognize in the cast is Eric Roberts, and that they are sending press releases to random gaming blogs, I am going to guess they couldn't get any funding from those in the 1%.
World of Tanks Rolls On
Wargaming.net is very good about sending out regular press releases. Two big things they have coming up are the World of Tanks 8.5 update, which includes more German tanks, redone maps, and changes to what non-premium accounts can do. There is a preview over at The Mittani.
And then there is World of Tanks Blitz.
This is Wargaming.net's attempt to bring World of Tanks to mobile platforms. Featuring 7 vs. 7 battles, I will be interested to see how they translate their Windows shooter to that mobile world.
Items from the Mail Bag – Barrel Scrapings and the Like January 29, 2013Posted by Wilhelm Arcturus in entertainment, Facebook, Mail Bag, Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Tags: Australian Open, Aventurine, Darkfall, 해외커뮤니케이션팀, Kia Motors, Raptr
10 comments
Mail bag was going to be a regular monthly feature, but frankly the mail I have been getting on the blog account really hasn't been living up to the role. Still, I do get something amusing now and again. A pity none of it showed up recently, so this is all you get.
Three Kias, One Cup
The Kia Motors Overseas Communications Team ( 해외커뮤니케이션팀) wants me to go connect with their Facebook page so I can play a flash based tennis game featuring players that are, if I understand this correctly, anthropomorphized versions of their cars. The Soul, Sorento, and Cerato to be specific. Except I think that last one is sold as the Forte here in the US.
All because Kia sponsors some aspect of the Australian Open… which is a tennis tournament.
I had to look that up.
I almost want to go play this, just to see how they get that lumpy Sorento to move its ass around the court. But a surge of apathy has stayed my hand so far.
Still, don't let me stop you! You can find the page on Facebook here. Just be quick, as the game only runs from January 16th through the 31st. Of course, they only sent me this note on the 29th, so clearly my participation was not all the important.
Aventurine Fails Again
Aventurine sent me a "Media Alert" to invite me to come and explore the world of Agon, which I am afraid always brings up images of Larry Storch.
Unfortunately for Aventurine, all they actually had for me was a link to a dev diary video about their upcoming (some day) Darkfall: Unholy Wars reboot.
Then they listed out the price of the game ($14.95 if you are a Darkfall Online returning player or $29.95 (25% off) if you are new to this game) like they expected me, a member of the media (who else gets "media alerts" right?), to actually pay for it myself. This is how you get 2/10 reviews. (Though I still suspect there was a method to their madness.)
Haven't we all learned by now that companies can get game journalists to degrade themselves and their profession with a few simple freebies? Playing it straight is a mug's game.
The Soda Sipping Inside Joke?
I keep getting press notices about a game called Soda Drinker Pro, but cannot tell if this is just the internet yanking my chain or not. The quotes sound tongue in cheek.
Soda Drinker Pro is the most advanced soda drinking simulator ever created
While sites like Gamasutra have reprinted the press releases due to contractual obligations.
Mashable has a brief write up, but it still ends up sounding like an internet goof.
I have to think that the only reason I got this was that I have written about soda, and soda experiments, here in the past.
Somebody Sued Facebook
Which probably isn't news, but the announcement showed up in my email. It was something about sponsored stories.
Why did I get this notice? This Notice relates to a proposed settlement ("Settlement") of a class action lawsuit ("Action") filed against Facebook relating to a particular Facebook feature called "Sponsored Stories." According to available records, you may be a "Class Member."
What is the Action about? The Action claims that Facebook unlawfully used the names, profile pictures, photographs, likenesses, and identities of Facebook users in the United States to advertise or sell products and services through Sponsored Stories without obtaining those users' consent. Facebook denies any wrongdoing and any liability whatsoever. No court or other entity has made any judgment or other determination of any liability.
You can read more about it here. If Facebook used your likeness without your consent, it could be worth a sawbuck to you.
Meanwhile if the suit succeeds the lawyers will all get paid for the hours they billed and Facebook will have to change their terms of service so that by accepting them you allow Mark Zuckerberg to do whatever he damn well pleases with your likeness.
So who is going to win here?
Raptr Has a List!
Raptr sent me a list of awards they made up and gave out for 2012 based on their game tracking stats.
- Most Played New Game – Borderlands 2
- Most Played Game (Released Anytime) – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- Biggest Boost from User-Generated Content – Portal 2
- Most Played Long-Awaited Sequel – Borderlands 2
- No Bathroom Break – Borderlands 2
- Most Played XBLA Game – Minecraft
- Most Played New IP – Dragon's Dogma
- Most Successful Paid to Free-to-Play Game – Star Wars: The Old Republic
Some of those make sense, while others… I am not so sure. The "Bathroom Break" bit probably relates to a measurement of play sessions, but how did they come up with "Long Awaited Sequel?" Was Borderlands 2 really that long in showing up? Relative to what?
Meanwhile, their last category almost always reflects a sentiment of "crap, we'd better mention MMOs!" They used the same category as 2011, but this time they managed to combine it with an attempt to suck up to EA/BioWare. Or does somebody think if you were going to mention MMOs that there weren't other categories or titles you might choose? "Most played MMO" or GuildWars 2 certainly springs to my mind.
Anyway, you can read their full post here, which includes some additional details.
The Rest
Finally, I seem to be getting more and more messages asking me if I would like to come write for other sites. These invites are rather transparent requests to please provide free content for such and such a site to exploit for ad revenue.
It is the sources of these requests that are getting more interesting. I had one from a web media group from everybody's favorite Germans, ProSiebenSat.1 and another from a group that purports to run the largest MMO gaming site in China.
All I can think is, "China?" My Larry Storch jokes are probably too obscure for Cracked.com, how would they possibly play in China.
Anyway, send me something interesting that isn't about your 99 cent iPhone app and maybe I'll make fun of it. As always, contact info is on the About page.
Items from the Mail Bag – Prizes, Discounts, and Volvo November 9, 2012Posted by Wilhelm Arcturus in entertainment, Mail Bag, Rift, World of Tanks.
Tags: EQInterface, Raptr, Volvo
4 comments
Time for a return to this irregular feature where I pull items from the blog's email in box and display them for all to see.
I haven't done this for a bit because most of the blog email has been music industry press releases or people asking me to please review their iOS or Android app. However, aside from the Pet Shop Boys (and I am sorry for you guys if it has come to sending press releases to the likes of me) I haven't a clue about any of the musical acts. And as for iOS and Android apps… well… most of them were unimaginative knock-offs of other games from indie devs and I have a general editorial policy of not posting about such things if I do not have anything nice to say. Big companies or big names can survive some mocking.
Still, a few items worthy of mention or mockery have shown up, so on to that.
Raptr Gives Me Some Hats in Rift
Raptr is the game time tracking tool I have been using since late 2010. (See me here) It is a competitor to Xfire and was, in fact, created by some of the same team that originally created Xfire. My main complaint about Raptr is that they do not display game time stats the way Xfire does, so you cannot do things like Nosy Gamer's weekly Digital Dozen.
Instead they are trying to be more of a social network. They want you to interact with your friends there. They want you to do reviews there. They want you to blog there. And the really want you to hook Raptr into your other social networks.
I have done the latter primarily because I have a special crap Twitter feed you should not follow and a Facebook profile you probably shouldn't be friends with. (Because look what happens.)
And, they offer up special deals, which usually amount to "please come play this game, we'll give it to you at a steep discount and/or free." But once in a while, something I actually want comes up, like hats. I just got this in email last night.
This was part of a push to get you to connect Raptr to Facebook I guess, but it actually came with a prize I might wear in Rift. While I can run around with awkward mis-matched armor, I will go out of my way for a good hat. So I get this next week when Storm Legion goes live.
I am also eligible for a helm that looks like it was inspired by Half-Life 2.
I think I will just stick with the hat and goggles. I wonder if they can be dyed?
Meanwhile, if Trion is going to work with Raptr, I wish they would get Rift achievements hooked up into Raptr the way Steam and Blizzard have. Ah well.
World of Tanks and Veterans Day
Wargaming.net is doing a special for Veterans Day and Remembrance Day. They have a charity offer for veterans organizations, plus the usual buffs; 5x bonus experience for your first win of the day in each of your tanks and they are giving credit bonuses to a few tanks I do not own. (B1, T-34, M4 Sherman and PzKpfw VI Tiger) Details here.
And they are giving away 24 hours of Premium service, which enhances your experience and credits earned even further. The code for this is VETERANSDAY and you can read about how to redeem the code here.
LOTRO – Spend More, Save More
Lord of the Rings Online also has a deal going this weekend which basically amounts to the false economic proposition of "the more you spend, the more you save!"
If you were planning to buy something expensive, this might be a boon. However, I cannot see myself spending 3,000 Turbine Points just to save 30% off of something.
EQInterface Prize
The team at EQInterface, which hosts UI mods for EverQuest, along with sibling sites for EverQuest II, Vanguard, and World of Warcraft, was celebrating their 10th anniversary back in… August I think. They had a trivia contest about the site and I apparently was a winner. I got a notification about it back in September. However I still haven't gotten anything because they are still trying to get in touch with all of the winners.
So I continue to wait, but I still endorse their site for UI stuff.
Crash with Volvo
I keep getting notices from Volvo about their new iOS/Android game called Volvo Transporters. I suspected it would mostly be an ad for Volvo, but I grabbed it because it had the virtue of being free.
And, yes, it is something of an ad for Volvo. It throws little Volvo factoids at you like how much food in the EU is hauled by Volvo trucks or that if you lined up all the Volvo buses ever made you would be well on your way to simulating the 405 freeway at 5pm on a Friday.
Basically, you drive a truck… a Volvo truck no doubt, but it is too small to see the logo… and have to drive over power ups to transform your truck into the vehicle appropriate for the hazards in the area. So for fires, you need a fire trucks, garbage requires a garbage truck, piles of muck require a front loader and so on.
I will say I was happy the game was not one of those tilt-to-steer apps. I find that the iPad has too much mass to steer smoothly or accurately and so the big reason I think that Sonic the Hedgehog racing game is horrible is because I cannot steer very well. That and it is such a complete rip-off of Mario Kart games I am surprised that Sonic doesn't feature a mustache and a little red hat.
That said, it requires a finger swiping action to steer which, combined with the odd "two-thirds off the rear quarter and fluctuating" viewing angle, wasn't exactly winning me over. But then again I have big hands with all the agility of a cinder block, so maybe I had best stick with board games like Ticket to Ride on the iPad. You can see a video of somebody who can actually play the game here.
All in all though, I came out of the game having crashed often and with no additional desire to buy a Volvo.
Which is to say, I would still like an 1800ES. But that desire goes back a long ways.
Items from the Mail Bag – Absence Makes The Heart Something Something Edition August 14, 2012Posted by Wilhelm Arcturus in entertainment, Mail Bag.
Tags: Harry Potter, Iron Sky, Kickstarter, Little Caesar's, Planes of Merinia
5 comments
I started up "Items from the Mail Bag" as a regular feature a while back, and then totally dropped it for the last few months. This was primarily based on the quality of items showing up.
For example, I already mentioned Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess once, so the next 9 emails to me on that topic were something of a waste. I have also already mocked a couple of people who were essentially offering to let me write free content for their ad-driven site under the guise of "giving" me better exposure. Again, some jokes are only funny once.
In addition, I seem to have gotten on the distribution list for some PR group handling album releases for bands I have never heard of. Of course, I am old, so bands I have never heard of is a pretty large category I suppose. Still, I was amused to see that the title in the press release for deadmau5 did not, in fact, indicate that there was some sort of mail merge issue.
Do people still use mail merge? Do they still call it that? It was a big deal in the 80s, but I am going to guess there is a Web 2.0 term for it now.
Anyway, I think I have accumulated enough interesting/pathetic/amusing notes from my in box that are close enough to the topic of games and gaming that it is time again to share. So, in reverse chronological order, I give you:
Planes of Merinia MMO – Budget Slightly Less Than SWTOR
Phillip sent me a note asking me to publicize his attempt to fund his MMO project via Kickstarter. So, there is the link.
Called Planes of Merinia, it offers… well… this:
In Merinia, you do not choose a class. Instead, you can learn skills, spells, and crafts from multiple classes. You can learn healing, fire magic, and sword master, for example. As you gain levels for your character, you can increase your set of skills. Your skills only level if you use them.
In Merinia, you can construct your own weapons, armor, artifiacts, items, etc. Included in the game is an item editor. Create a vorpal sword, or a golden bag. Whatever you can imagine. Items can have scripts attached to them, allow for animation, actions, and special events.
The game is allegedly 65% complete as is currently slated for a February 2013 release. The money being raised, $20K, is to get art assets and level (zone?) designer involved. The whole thing strikes me as a low budget Darkfall, but I am not sure I want to go there.
Master Blaster – The Gun for Your 5D Home Holodeck Thingy
It is a controller that looks like something a space marine should be carrying.
This is an Indiegogo project… which is something like Kickstarter I guess… where you can buy that gun controller thingy to use some sort of very expensive looking full room gaming environment made by a company called izone-3. And it works with the Wii.
iOS Apps I Haven't Bothered to Download
I've ignored them so you don't have to… or something. I don't think it works like that. Anyway, they all sent me press release-like messages asking for a mention.
SpaceWiz – Immerse yourself in the wonders of a visual/audio experience like no other! Take the role of viewer AND creator in a galaxy where you reign.
ExQuizit – The world's biggest quiz. (Can we get a Guinness ruling on that?) The guy spent 18 months writing the questions. There are 12,000 of them. Go nuts.
Carpet Ball – See, the AppStore is proving that either all the good names are taken or that people are bad at naming their apps.
Diptic – Create exceptional photo collages that can be shared with friends and family.
No endorsement of these apps should be assumed.
Because I Spend So Much Time Talking About Cables Here…
Megan at Canyon PR has sent me half a dozen messages asking if I would like to review the ACCELL's DisplayPort to DVI-D Dual Link adapter.
It works with 3D, which implies that there is some limitation somewhere. Or is this like labeling candy that is nothing but sugar "fat free" because it isn't even as nutritional as fat? Anyway, I feel better about deleting her messages now.
And Harry Potter Will Solve Our Economic Woes
Harry Potter "the most successful literary and film franchise in history" according to one press release, needs to pile on to its already impressive $7 billion in merchandise sales by throwing two pull-out poster books into the mix.
Now J.K. Rowling will be just that much richer than the queen. (Which I am pretty sure is why Elizabeth looked so grumpy at the opening ceremony of the Olympics.) I'm not even putting any links in for these two. Go find them yourselves.
Club Penguin Does… Something
I am not even sure how to parse this headline:
Make Your Mark: Ultimate Jam Follows Massive Success of Marvel Super Hero Takeover Event; Club Penguin's First Single Tops iTunes Children's Chart
It is one of those "I know what all those words mean by themselves…" moments. And the text of the press release just goes on in the same vein. It could easily be randomly generated for all I can tell.
In summing up what ever they were trying to tell me, it seemed that whatever it was involved 40 million play sessions across 200 countries.
The take away for me is that SWTOR could really use more penguins if it wants to succeed in F2P I guess.
Because It Is Better Than Eating Their Pizza
A PR firm representing Little Caesar's sent me a link to a video on YouTube. They want sites to run it on a… commercial basis. The message literally said that watching the video will make you want to go "Whoooo!" And it did indeed, though I am not sure I am pronouncing it in the way they expected. To my mind, their pizza is to "real" pizza what Chef Boyardee is to Italian food in general.
Space Nazis! What Is Not To Love?
As inexplicable as the music press releases, I received a couple of messages alerting that Iron Sky will be playing at select theaters in the US over the summer. The premise:
In the last moments of World War II, a secret Nazi space program evaded destruction by fleeing to the Dark Side of the Moon. During 70 years of utter secrecy, the Nazis construct a gigantic space fortress with a massive armada of flying saucers.
By this point however, the tour is almost over. In reading some related information I have to admit I was not aware that Space Nazis represented such a full body of work.
The same company sent me a similar press release about something called Unicorn City, which doesn't even have a Wikipedia entry, so I remain mostly clueless on the subject.
And that is about it, aside from the co-marketing pitches and one company who noted that the site lacked a forum and offered to set me up with one. Just what I need.
Items from the Mail Bag – Rainy March Edition March 28, 2012Posted by Wilhelm Arcturus in entertainment, EVE Online, Mail Bag, Path of Exile.
Tags: Badass vs Robot, Blacklight:Retribution, EON Magazine, FindTheBest, Fnord, Mistborn
6 comments
It is that time again! Time to sort through my mail archives to see what has come my way in the last month that wasn't worth a post by ought to get a mention, whether for real or comedic value.
Path of Exile Open Beta
In a very timely email, the folks making the Diablo-esque online game Path of Exile, a game about which I have written, have announced that this coming weekend, March 30 through April 1, beta access will be thrown open to everyone. There is, of course, a FAQ posted with details.
So if you are totally jonesing for a Diablo fix and cannot wait for May 15th to roll around, this might be an opportunity to get some click-action RPG time in.
Badass vs. Robot vs. Roger Ebert
Trexx Robotnyk wanted to let me know about the "truly unique, precious art" that is encompassed by Badass vs. Robot.
I am not even sure where to go with this, so I'll just quote the message in full.
A one-man operation. Destined to reshape the world order. Badass vs Robot has been temporarily unleashed to fund future development (episodes 1-3, about 1-5 playing hours, available in a week or so). In its brightest moments, small glimpses here and there, this robotic art project from Sweden sort of reminds me of mass effect 3/starwars/whatever but with heavier guitars and a cheaper price tag. Anyway, if you wanna join the fans around the globe and make this amazing space action robot saga turn into an uncontrollable behemoth on rockets, please buy a copy (you set the price). Note that this is a separate work-in-progress tech/devel funding/sneak peek release with awesome music, learn more at the homepage. And to those that hate this project solely cause it's a difficult to grasp kinda space-art exhibition (e.g. nude politicians and a laser themed forced sterilization scene), are encouraged to share it with all of their friends. Please note that I'm not looking for investors, truly unique, precious art like this must be completely independent at all costs.
So there you have it. Nude politicians, the laser themed forced sterilization scene, and Roger Ebert need not apply.
Blacklight: Retribution Open Beta
Back to the open beta scene, Blacklight: Retribution went into open beta… well, a month ago. But I got the note AFTER I did last month's mail bag. See, timing is everything. B:R is an online first person shooter game, a niche that seems to be growing into very non-niche like proportions. Anyway, if you are interested, their web site is here.
EON Magazine Joins the Digital Age
Naturally, as soon as I subscribe to the physical magazine again, the folks at MMM finally deliver on their digital aspirations.
For those interested, you can find more details on this at the EON Magazine site. There is currently a special offer to get people interested.
Unbiased Reviews, For Specific Values of "Unbiased"
Leslie, a business development intern at FindTheBest, wanted to let me know that their site now has video game reviews as part of their engine that… I guess… allows you to find the best. Per the email:
It allows users to filter by price, console, ESRB rating, and more. All of the information is completely unbiased and certified from sources such as Gamespot, Metacritic, and IGN.
Claiming a lack of bias on their part, I suppose, could be correct. But when GameSpot, the site where no advertiser gets a bad review (or we'll fire the reviewer!) is part of your sample, bias is clearly part of the equation. Garbage in, garbage out as they say. Anyway, I asked on that and actually got a response.
In the smart ratings algorithm, expert reviews only account for a small portion of a balanced rating system which takes into account things like number of copies sold, other metacritic ratings, as well as others. After doing considerable research we will take this feedback into account and discount GameSpots rating moving forward.
While I appreciate the attempt to quantify things, selling the most units is not always an indication of quality. The literary works of L. Ron Hubbard and William Shatner spring to mind. Still, it is nice to see somebody out there trying something new.
Oh, and the highest rated MMORPG on their list; the Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria expansion. Take that for what it is worth.
Digital Kids Conference – You Need to Know!
Those in charge of the 6th Annual Digital Kids Conference, which despite its name is focused on child safety in the digital world and not the creation of electronic children (which presumably would come with an "off" button, every parents dream on occasion) seem very concerned that I be made aware of the agenda and specific events pertaining to the conference. Hence the six email in two days things.
Consider me brought up to date, especially on the mobile app safety front.
The unsubscribe link, it does nothing!
Mistborn: Birthright – Not Wheel of Time
Brandon Sanderson, perhaps best known as the writer to pick up and (I desperately hope) finish Robert Jordan's epically drawn out Wheel of Time saga, is having some of his own work made into a video game. (The Wheel of Time series was also supposed to be made into an MMO. What happened with that?)
Called Mistborn: Birthright, it will take place 100 years before the Mistborn series of books. A quote from the author:
"As an avid gamer, I'm extremely excited by this opportunity," said Sanderson. "The chance to write the story for a Mistborn game while working with a team of talented developers is, quite literally, living a dream."
The game is scheduled to come out in the Fall of 2013. Such information that there is available is on the game's web site.
Items from the Mail Bag – Drunken Home Theater Install Edition January 26, 2012Posted by Wilhelm Arcturus in blog thing, entertainment, Mail Bag.
Tags: Lord of Ultima, Namaste, Storybricks
8 comments
This column, while I try to do it regularly once a month, is really an event driven item. Generally it only occurs to me to write it when I either don't feel like writing anything (when you have nothing to say, let somebody else say it for you I guess) or when somebody sends me something so ridiculous that I am compelled to put one in the "mail bag" category.
This month, it is the latter condition. So this month we'll start off with the grand prize and then taper off into obscure stuff so the whole post will seem like a let down by the time you get to the end.
Sorry in advance to the focus of the end story.
Where DUI Meets Home Theater
I am no stranger to the sponsored blog post offer, but this one this one seemed to deliver a new twist.
I'd like to inquire about doing a sponsored blog post – about 150-300 words that talks a little bit about DUI law and links back to our site [redacted]. We provide premier Custom Design, Engineering and Installation for home theater and I thought we might be a good fit for your readers/visitors on tagn.wordpress.com.
That's correct, we are speaking of a post about DUI law that links back to a custom home theater which would be a perfect fit for an online gaming blog.
(Apologies to McIntosh Labs, makers of completely awesome high end audio equipment which does not in anyway endorse this blog post or, I am going to guess, the selling of home audio equipment via blog posts about DUI law. But I am pretty sure that if they did make breathalyzers, they would be the best you could get.)
But this custom home theater site does have a budget for this sort of placement thing.
Our budget is around $15 for the post. Is this something you'd be open to?
Also we might be interested in a small banner ad if the price is right.
Our budget is $40/year
Woo hoo! That will get me a case of Lucky Lager and some pretzels to go with! I just love the puzzles in the cap.
I'm sorry, but at one point I was getting like $22 a month per link to put URLs in my side bar from a company trying to game Google Page Rank. (It was $30 a month when I was page rank 5, but I fell down to 4.) Granted, they stopped returning my calls after a while, but while it lasted that fat PayPal payment spoiled me and now I won't even get out of bed for less that $10.
Still, if this sounds like a deal to you, I can put in a good word.
Also if you have some other sites just send them over and we might be interested in doing a sponsored post on there as well!
Just drop me a note and we'll talk!
More Press Releases!
Laura at Cision US, Inc. dropped me a note to tell me that my blog has caught their attention and they are adding it to their database. I will be henceforth known and listed by them as:
Mr. Wilhelm Arcturus, Blogger of the Computers & Video Games Beat.
That is almost validation of my existence. And I love to get press releases!
Thanks Laura!
I'll have to send her a thank you note.
Treasure Awaits, My Lord!
Lord of Ultima sends me a note reminding me that I have a daily prize waiting for me if I fail to log on for a week or so. That always prompts me to actually log on, collect my prize, check what has happened to my empire, which is generally nothing.
Still, this seems to be working for me. I have moved from around 350th place in the rankings to about 200th place by doing nothing. I play on world 31 which is a truncated world with extra small landmasses, so basically about three weeks into the game all available room to build on was taken. Since then the game has been a matter of waiting for people to give up so you can take over their abandoned towns and castles. This has been going on for somethings like six months! Whee, a hell of a ride! I'm sooo drunk!
The Gamingo PR Team sends me lots of press releases about their browser based games. They just aren't all that interesting to me. None of them would warrant a post by themselves. But since they are so nice and persistent and no doubt live for the days when I deign to acknowledge their existence, and never use DUI laws as a troll for links, here is a list of the games they mentioned to me in January.
It Is So Komplex!
Ioana Buliga, a musical name if ever there was one, wanted to let me know about her company, Lucid Philosophy, and their new free to play browser based game, TwinKomplex. Probably the coolest thing about them is that there offices are in the old Tempelhof Airport in Berlin. I am tempted to sing "Ten Tons to Templehof" and other songs of the airlift, which I learned in my mis-spent youth. Don't ask.
Simply Unpronounceable
The site… or company… the email isn't clear… named Gamelosophers wants me to be a partner in… something. DUI legislation maybe? All I know is that they are from Amsterdam and that they need a new name. Really. I once worked for a company called "Smarketing," so I know.
Oh, and make your damn URL resolve correctly without the "www" prefix. Amateurs, I swear!
Amplify This
Emma with Amplified Media has… well… something coherent and possibly true to say about the site that implies that she or somebody at her company might have actually visited.
We love your collection of thoughts and stories on the world of online gaming. Your insights on the gaming highs and lows of 2011 was a great end-of-year piece.
If nothing else, that actually makes this email stand out from many of the others than don't even get posted with a DUI reference. I might have to respond to that one and find out what opportunities Amplified Media has in mind.
Always End With Namaste
Kelly Heckman, Community Manager and Cat Herder for Namaste Entertainment wants me to know beta is still coming up and that they have forums now so they can answer all of your Storybricks questions.
And, judging from the side bar, they might be at GDC or something. I'm not sure I will make it to GDC this year. The usual source of Expo passes for Potshot and myself, Darren, seems to have gone off MMOs completely. Instead he is all philosophical these days and is, if I understand it right, about to launch an offensive on the Twilight franchise.
Hey, this last entry wasn't such a let down after all, now was it?
Anyway, until next month, respect the mail bag!
Items from the Mailbag – End of the Year, I Almost Forgot Edition December 30, 2011Posted by Wilhelm Arcturus in entertainment, Mail Bag.
5 comments
December is almost gone and I have items in my mailbag I forgot to mention! So without further ado, I give you:
Warp Plus
Spectrum at Crimson Leaf Games sent out a notice announcing Warp Plus, a sequel to and extension and modernization of MegaWars III. Bullet points:
- Space exploration with planet colonization and ship to ship combat.
- Play in a galaxy that can expand to over five million stars.
- Work independently or as a member of a team.
- Learn the game without being preyed upon by other players.
- Compete on a level playing field. Everyone has an opportunity to win including free players.
- Levels of play allow for casual or hardcore players.
- Every campaign is unique as the players actions decide the game outcome.
But, like MegaWars III, it needs players to gel and become a community to be a worthwhile game to play.
Trion Hacking
There was the obligatory note from Trion Worlds telling me that they may have been hacked and asking me to come change the password to my account. Their solution to the hacking apparently involves making sure that everybody's password was longer, and contained a capital letter, a number, and a special character.
Somehow I doubt the strength of individual account passwords was what got them hacked, though if it was, they have bigger problems than I care to imagine.
Tactical Carnage
Mike from the Tactical Carnage Gaming Community sent me an invite to become a "combat liaison" at his site, or to at least move my blog there, since he could offer me free hosting and I would get more exposure.
He did not explain what a combat liaison was, the site only listed StarCraft II and Counter-Strike as related games (that has been updated since), and judging from the ticker on the front page, he get fewer views in a week as I get in a day (and I do not get that many views in the grand scheme of things) so the "more exposure" seemed a bit dubious. Plus I am never keen to put my content into the hands of some random stranger or change my URL, probably the most valuable asset on the blog.
Still, he was persistent, following up the next day wanting a response already, so I outlined the above and asked if he had ever, you know, actually read my blog, since it did not seem to fit in at all with his site. I signed my response "Wilhelm SynCaine de Cayeux" to see if that would cause any confusion, but there was no follow up. Ah well.
Namaste sent me a note letting me know that Storybricks would be going into beta.
I am just not sure I want to play with their story development tool so much as I want to see what really smart people can do with it. Still, it might give me the opportunity to recreate my most reknown MUD mob ever, the one named "My Ex-Girlfriend," an NPC that would follow me around and complain loudly about all my faults and shortcomings.
Windows Phone
Not technically a mailbag item, but as I was finishing up my Looking Back at 2011 post, I got a call on my cell phone (eh?) from an evangelist at Microsoft wanting to get me interested in developing games for the Windows Phone platform. There were all sorts of incentives and Windows/XBox Live tie-ins and he was very excited about the whole thing. He seemed a little sad when I had to tell him I did not develop games nor did I have any tangible experience on mobile platforms, Microsoft or otherwise.
I can only imagine that he got my phone number from a resume I submitted to Microsoft for a position with the TellMe group, which actually does things I have years and years of experience with, like VXML, speech recognition, and speech app tools, design, and implementation, all of which was pretty clear on my resume. But I guess he just saw "phone stuff" and gave it a shot.
In hindsight, I should have pointed him at Lord British.
Angry Boys with Lettuce and Tomato
Raimy of BLT & Associates (their URL is BLTomato.com, so yes, that sort of BLT) wanted to tell me that HBO was making a Facebook game related to their show Angry Boys and that I should watch their Facebook page right here.
I don't actually get HBO, I had never actually heard of Angry Boys until that email, and I am really about done with Facebook games. But, you know, if you are into any of that, there it is.
See what a sandwich based URL will get you?
My Phone is Developmentally Disabled
I keep getting messages asking me to download, try out, or review various iPhone and Android apps. There were literally a dozen in my December list. The problem is that I do not have an iOS or Android device. I have an el-cheapo LG phone that is mostly a phone with some texting capabilities and a Bejeweled knock-off game that came with it. So, no, I will not be trying out your phone app.
And that is it. Now it is time to go play Laser Tag, which was my daughter's choice for a birthday activity with her friends. Go figure.
Items from the Mail Bag – I'm Full and Feeling Generous Edition November 24, 2011Posted by Wilhelm Arcturus in Diablo II, entertainment, Facebook, Mail Bag, Sony Online Entertainment, Star Wars: The Old Republic.
3 comments
It is Thanksgiving Day here in the US, a favorite holiday of mine because I happen to like turkey… and most of the traditional staples of the day aside from yams… and because there is no giving of gifts or sending of cards involved. That can wait until tomorrow. Plus we always host, so there is no need to leave the house, though we are expecting a mere dozen around the table this year, down from double that number in some past years.
So in a fit of tryptophan fueled generosity, here is some of what has dropped into the blog mail bag.
- BioWare let me know I am in again for the SWTOR beta. Maybe playing a jedi this coming weekend can redeem what failed to charm me with blaster combat. A pre-order hangs in the balance.
- Mike sent me five (5) special keys for their Facebook game D&D Heroes of Neverwinter to hand out to readers. The first five people who follow me on Twitter and tweet to me the phrase "Gimme gimme gimme I can't help myself" in reply to the twee that links to this post will get those keys. Figuring out my Twitter account is the only mild barrier to entry. (It is in the side bar. And you must follow me so I can reply directly to you with the key. You can unfollow me once I give out the codes. I probably would.)
- The above mentioned Mike is also trying to connect with me in Linked In. While I have created a net persona for Wilhelm Arcturus, I haven't really gone that far. I did, however, continue to build such a back story for a persona I create in high school. It is easy in Silicon Valley. I just had him working for companies like Taligent, General Magic, and Silicon Graphics. People from those places have actually connected with him too.
- Violeta from Best Games Media Group Ltd. wanted me to mention a new site called Gamingator.com, which looks like it sells games. It is probably some sort of scam. Sure, fine, just pass me some more pumpkin pie.
- Danny wanted to tell me about a new "infographic" he made showing the relative difficulties of the Diablo and Diablo II bosses. Not sure what it really means, but I happened to install Diablo 2 again this past weekend, so you cannot fault him on timing.
- I have a note from The Sims Social offering me 2000 simoleons (one of the in-game currencies… and not the good one) if I will come back and play, proving that no matter how many ways you tell Facebook to disconnect you from an external app, once that app has your data you can never be rid of them.
- On the same thread of never being free from a game once you play it, Night Owl Games wants to let me know that Dungeon Overlord, their Facebook game, has left beta and launched a new world. They even have a video on YouTube. I tried this game back in June. I could have sworn it was an SOE game. Was SOE just publishing it, or was this related to the great big downsizing at SOE this summer?
- Tracey, who might actually read the blog, wanted to know if I had seen anything about Continent of the Ninth Seal, a Korean MMO action MMO that might make it to the US next year. Timing-wise, this might have be related to comments I made about blaster combat in SWTOR. Amway, the answer is… well… I have now!
- Christine Kane wanted to tell me about her article comparing Facebook to Tag. However, the analogy breaks down really fast (when did the "cool kids" ever play tag?) and, frankly, aren't we a little past something that says, essentially, "Hey, Facebook is popular!" Sorry Christine.
- And then a number of people… bots… mailing lists… whatever… somehow I got a bunch of press release about iOS or Android games which I am not going to bother to link because I do not own a device that runs either operating system… though if I had to pick one, it would be the Atari's Greatest Hits because it works with the iCade.
That's it. Time for some more pumpkin pie.


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In Reply to: Re: melatonin as treatment of hepatitis c posted by thanbey on September 14, 2000 at 21:31:46:
: : Yes, melatonin is a sleep aid, but it apparently has immune system enhancement properties (as well as others). What I have found on the net indicates that melatonin aids in the rapid regression of fatty infiltration and reconstitution of liver tissue as borne out by biopsy and enzyme measurements.: : I have recently found some relatively scant information on the effectiveness of treating chronic Hepatitis C with melatonin. What I've seen looks extremely positive and I would greatly appreciate as much clinical and/or anecdotal information on this treatment as possible.
: What does this purport to do for HCV? It is a sleep aid, isn't it?
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السلام عليكم ..
احاول إضافة إضافة بالموقع .. ولكن لم يتم القبول .. ويوجد خلل بالموقع اتمنى من الإدارة حل المشكلة شكراً لكم
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السلام عليكم ..
احاول إضافة إضافة بالموقع .. ولكن لم يتم القبول .. ويوجد خلل بالموقع اتمنى من الإدارة حل المشكلة شكراً لكم
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but where is the code to check the captcha?
Hi Will the pro add captcha to buddypress forum where users can submit data?
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text:
Written by Nina Mansfield. Directed by Adyana de la Torre. Choreographed by Carlos Neto.
Gymnos: A Geek's TragedyHERE Arts Center (145 6th Avenue, New York, NY) Map it $18
Show Summary: Led by his subconscious (a bikini clad chorus), our "Hero", an out of shape playwright --- heads to the gym for the first time to conquer his writer's block and attract his muse. As he ventures off to find the perfect gym, he is subjected to a host of obstacles including a receptionist who mocks him, a gym manager who insists on a urine test and oddities in the locker room. Can coming face-to-face with some of his worst fears ultimately lead him to inspiration?
GYMNOS: A GEEK'S TRAGEDY by Nina Mansfield will be presented by Ticket 2 Eternity Productions at HERE on September 26-October 6, 2013. The production features personal trainers and fitness models, Adyana de la Torre, Facundo Rodriguez, Jay Rivera and IFBB Pro Bodybuilder, Eugene Mishin (Mr. Russia). Produced, Directed & Conceived by Adyana de la Torre and choreographed by UK Hip Hop Choreographer, Carlos Neto. Original music by Brett Thomas Miro. Equity Approved Showcase.
All 25 of the Cast members of this original comedy, GYMNOS: A GEEK'S TRAGEDY are getting fit for the production by participating in a 60-day Nutrition and Fitness program created by personal trainers, Eugene Mishin, Adyana de la Torre and Jay Rivera. PARIS FITNESS NY, 752 West End Ave, NYC 10025 is hosting the cast as they train and rehearse for a production that requires them to be in top notch shape. What better way to create a sense of community and inspire others to be healthy and fit than cast members taking on the challenge for the stage!
This production features BRETT THOMAS MIRO*, GEORGE WALSH, AUSTIN YOUNG, CATE WEINBERG, BRENDAN WAHLERS, NICK ADDEO, JENNIFER WAITE, JAY RIVERA, FACUNDO RODRIGUEZ, ALEXANDRA CREMER*, ADYANA DE LA TORRE, CATHERINE TAORMINA*, YVONNE CONE, LUCIA GOMEZ ROBLEDO, EUGENE MISHIN, MEGAN MAGEE, CHRISTINA TOTH, TAYLOR D. MARTIN*, LIZ SO, CARLOS NETO, ALISSA CARLUCCI, ALEXANDER STINE, PAIGE GRIMARD*, MARISA MERLISS, AND MANDY MOSS. *Actors appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association.


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Emergency Management
Gilliam County's Emergency Management is a department located in the Gilliam County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff is the director and Chris Fitzsimmons serves as the coordinator. Gilliam County deals with different disasters such as droughts, wildfires, winter storms and floods.
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Regency - Dinette SetProduct Id: 460153 Phone Code: AA57-5BC4
Product Description
Sit down and enjoy lunch on this regency cherry 36 inch square table that is matched with four stack chairs. The plastic seats on the chairs sit on top of M style steel frames. As a matter of fact, the Cain style leg of the table is also made from steel material that is very strong.
- Cain X Base
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text:
The body of a shooting suspect was found in Riverside yesterday.
According to the Riverside Police Department, there was a reported shooting Sunday. When they arrived, officers learned that 43-year-old Donald Littlefield had been shot in the legs. The person suspected in the shooting was Littlefield's stepson, 20-year-old Wesley Westcott.
Westcott and his wife were missing Sunday.
Around 3:30 a.m. Monday, there was a report of a person hit by a train that was identified as Westcott's wife, Christian Stipes Westcott. At that point, Wesley Wescott was still missing.
On Wednesday, Riverside Police, along with help from other law enforcement agencies, organized a search for Wescott. At, 11:30a.m., authorities discovered the body of Wesley Westcott in a pond area down Main Street West in Riverside.
On Thursday, the Riverside Police Department held a news conference to discuss the series of events.
"Our heart goes out to the family members of these two young people. It's a sad way for us to conclude our cases that way," said Riverside Police Chief, Rick Oliver.
The body of Wesley Westcott is currently undergoing an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
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text:
Blue Bomber Report Record: 6–3–0
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Five storylines as Bombers take on Argos tonight
Toronto -- Five storylines to consider as the Blue Bombers prepare to battle the Argonauts tonight at Rogers Centre:
1. Buck or buckle?
If Winnipeg Blue Bombers QB Buck Pierce finishes the game he starts at Rogers Centre this evening, he will have to overcome the odds to do so.
Pierce has started just five games for the Bombers in 2012 -- and he's had to leave early in three of those. Overall, injuries have now knocked Pierce out of 26 of the 80 games he's played in during his CFL career, including 23 games in which he was the starter.
That's an awful lot of history working against Pierce and his performance this year suggests it's getting worse, not better.
2. SAM I am
It is without a doubt the single most complex defensive position in the Winnipeg scheme and the Bombers will have a raw rookie -- in the league and at the position -- performing it for them tonight.
Demond Washington will become Winnipeg's fourth strong-side linebacker this season and that sound you heard this week was Argos head coach Scott Milanovich and quarterback Ricky Ray licking their chops at the prospect of isolating Washington the way Calgary did to his SAM predecessor, Jovon Johnson, last week.
Expect to see Washington tested early and often.
3. Road warriors?
The Bombers have won just once on the road this season, but what a win it was.
Winnipeg's victory over Montreal at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium two weeks ago was an epic upset and exactly the kind of clutch victory diehards thought might finally enable the Bombers to turn the corner on this miserable season.
The elation was short-lived as the Bombers promptly lost at home to Calgary last week, but the Montreal win still proved victory on the road is at least a possibility.
What's more, the Bombers are 2-2 in their last four games when you add a win over Hamilton in mid-September to the mix -- a vast improvement on the 2-9 start they posted to begin this season.
4. Kito comes alive?
Kito Poblah has provided rare glimpses this season of the promising future the Bombers brain trust believes he will have in the CFL -- and he still completely disappears from the field of play much too often.
Poblah has just one TD and only 352 yards receiving this season, a production total everyone, including him, agrees is not even close to what he's capable of producing.
But with non-import slotback Cory Watson now out for the season, Poblah moved to slotback from his customary wide receiver position in practice this week.
If practice on Wednesday is any indication, the move agrees with Poblah, who seemed to thrive on being the middle of the action opposed to being at wideout.
5. Do or die
After bumbling their way to just four wins in their first 15 games, the Bombers' margin of error to make the playoffs has now been reduced to zero.
Winnipeg needs to win their final three regular-season games just to keep their tiny playoff hopes alive -- and even then it would be a stretch.
Still, where there's hope, there's life and the Winnipeg players have said for weeks they will not give up on making the playoffs until the prospect is a mathematical impossibility.
The impossible becomes possible this week. We'll see how Winnipeg responds.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 19, 2012 C3
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No way Willy was leaving game... stretcher aside2:03 AM 0
NOTES, quotes and anecdotes left over from the Labour Day Classic weekend:
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Posted: October 9, 2012
Husted Will Appeal to U.S. Supreme Court
Ohio Secretary of State Husted has decided to appeal last week's 6th Circuit ruling in Obama for America v. Husted to the U.S. Supreme Court. Today, he filed an application for an emergency stay of the 6th Circuit's decision pending the filing of a formal petition for the Supreme Court to hear the case. The case focuses on in-person early voting during the weekend before Election Day.


text:
CLEVELAND (AP) - Right-hander Blake Wood and the Cleveland Indians have agreed to a $560,000, 1-year contract, a raise of $58,000.
Wood was claimed off waivers from Kansas City on Nov. 2. The 27-year-old had elbow ligament-replacement surgery in May and missed the entire season.
Wood, drafted by the Royals in 2006, spent two seasons in the Kansas City bullpen and appeared in 106 games. He had a 5.07 ERA in 51 appearances as a rookie and a 3.75 ERA in 2011.
Cleveland had until midnight Friday to offer contracts to unsigned players, including eight eligible for arbitration: closer Chris Perez, outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, right-hander Justin Masterson, relievers Tony Sipp and Joe Smith, third baseman Jack Hannahan, catcher Lou Marson and infielder Mike Aviles.
Cleveland has not gone to arbitration since 1991.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Mountain Lion Notes Sync
I just got Mountain Lion installed this afternoon (thanks to the Up-to-Date program taking a few days to send out my code), and syncing notes using iCloud seems to be broken. I'm logged into my iCloud account, and I can see things from my calendar and Reminders, but when I try to sync notes, I'm asked to choose an @me.com email address to use with iCloud. Does the Mountain Lion Notes app not sync using my normal Apple ID the same way the iOS one does?
Any help would be appreciated.


text:
Ah, ah, ah--no looking or googling. Guess first please, then read it all.
Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal Episcopal Church (TEC) * Christian Life / Church Life Parish Ministry Ministry of the Ordained * Culture-Watch Education * Theology Seminary / Theological Education
Posted April 20, 2012 at 5:00 am
To comment on this article: Go to Article ViewThe URL for this article is http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/article/42422/
1. Bart Hall (Kansas, USA) wrote:
I guessed correctly that the key thing was going to be assorted aspects of post-modern political correctness and "social justice." What's fascinating is how they hide it as just one point amongst the others and then focus on "perception" of issues and "integration" of responses. IOW, you will not pass unless you can find away to apply the real stuff to what actually matters to our church.
Fair enough, but glad I left many years ago.April 20, 8:08 am | [comment link]
2. Dan Crawford wrote:
The GBEC and its GOEs are among the most expensive and useless activities of TEC. Fifteen years ago, I wrote a series of letters to the GBEC asking for data on, among other things, the reliability and validity of the tests, the accountability of the readers, the relationship of test performance to actual performance in ministry and several other issues, including information about the budget and how the money was spent. I would usually receive a lengthy response which in essence acknowledged that no studies on the reliability and validity of the tests was done, GBEC was bound not to disclose the identity of the readers, nor could they provide information about how readers were judged and held accountable. After three years, I gave up. In those days, GBEC was particularly concerned about wasting paper. The real problem goes deeper. In my view, it is a corrupt process that requires considerable transparency.
BTW, I passed all 7 of the GOEs my first time through. It wasn't sour grapes that caused me to question them.April 20, 9:06 am | [comment link]
3. c.r.seitz wrote:
Check the 2013-15 Budget line for GBEC and GOE.April 20, 9:11 am | [comment link]
4. David Keller wrote:
How did Peter and Paul score on their GOE's? Anybody?April 20, 10:24 am | [comment link]
5. cseitz wrote:
They aced biblical content.April 20, 10:35 am | [comment link]
6. KevinBabb wrote:
Someone once told me that the best way to study for the Contemporary Society section of the exam was to read a years' worth of editorials from the New York Times.April 20, 12:24 pm | [comment link]
7. David Keller wrote:
#5 Dr. S—I bet they could have written the questions and graded the papers on Contemporary Society/ Racial and Minority Groups.April 20, 3:21 pm | [comment link]
© 2014 Kendall S. Harmon. All rights reserved.
For original material from Titusonenine (such as articles and commentary by Dr. Harmon) permission to copy and distribute free of charge is granted, provided this notice, the logo, and the web site address are visible on all copies. For permission for use in for-profit publications, please email KSHarmon[at]mindspring[dot]com
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As Time Goes BySeries Website »
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Lionel and Jean take a trip to Hampshire to meet his father, an 85 year-old outgoing eccentric.
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Tons of videos and games for children from PBS!
PBS Kids - Tons of videos and games for children from PBS!
Educator Resources - Lesson plans, online courses, and videos for teachers and parents.


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The Belgium bodybuilding championships were canceled this weekend after all the bodybuilders fled the building where the competition was being held. Their reason? Anti-doping officials had shown up...
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Ten world records in the first three days. Then six more on Wednesday. Thursday only resulted in two world records. In Sydney in 2000 a total of just 14 world records were set. Less than that many...
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Shifting Tides: Indigenous Responses to Global Climate Change was conceived to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change on Indigenous communities in Canada and in the South Pacific. Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to the social and economic impacts of climate change due to the nature of their subsistence-based economies and colonial histories.
Shifting Tides provides a forum for Indigenous peoples to share their stories and call fellow Canadians to take action on climate change. In November 2007, an international delegation of Canadian Aboriginal and Cook Islands Maori Elders, Youth, and Scientists took part in a month-long tour that involved visits to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands and various cities in Canada, including Victoria, The Cowichan Valley, and Vancouver, BC; Winnipeg, MB; Ottawa, ON; and Iqaluit, NUN. During the tour, the delegation had opportunities to meet with several Indigenous communities. From these dialogues arose the clear recommendation that Canadians need to take decisive action on climate change now. This web-based climate action kit provides tools and resources for the average-Canadian to start making changes now.
Shifting Tides is an initiative of Pacific Peoples' Partnership delivered in collaboration with the Kouto Nui council of traditional leaders in the Cook islands with sponsorship from the Canadian International Development Agency and additional financial support from the International Development Research Centre, the Mountain Equipment Co-op, BC Hydro, Canadian North, The British Columbia Council for International Cooperation, the United Church of Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada. We would also like to acknowledge the generous in-kind support of the Cowichan Tribes, the Kouto Nui as well the communities who generously hosted the Shifting Tides delegation during the public consultation portion of the project.
Want to know more about Pacific Peoples' Partnership?
Visit our website at: http://www.pacificpeoplespartnership.org.


text:
Home > Regions > Region 5 > Region 5 News Release > Region 5 2011 News Releases > News Release
News Release
Officer Charles Tinsley
Public Affairs Officer
CVE Regional Office
Kentucky State Police
Playfourt Place
Morehead, KY 40351
Click here to e-mail Officer Charles Tinsley
A Jeffersonville resident is arrested for warrants from Clark County District Court
Date of News Release: 07/15/2011
(Morehead, Ky.) -- On Friday July 15th 2011 at 10:05 AM Commercial Enforcement Officer Jerry Hudson stopped a Sunbelt Rentals Inc. vehicle for a safety inspection on Interstate 75 Southbound at the 96 mile marker. During the course of the safety inspection Officer Hudson discovered that the driver, Jeremy T. Holder, 34, of Jeffersonville, KY was wanted on a warrant from Clark County District Court. Mr. Holder was taken into custody and was also charged with operating a commercial vehicle without a fire extinguisher or traffic warning devices as required by Federal Safety Regulations.


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As National Signing Day is less than a half year away, I thought it wise to take a look at receiver recruiting. FSU is doing very well on that front, with two four-stars in Tony Stevens and Isaiah Jones, along with slot man Jesus Wilson.
There are varying ideas on how many receivers Florida State should take in this class. Some of those more extreme ideas are simply nonsensical and evidence a lack of understanding of roster construction.
Florida State is not a spread team. Jimbo Fisher is not a spread coach. Neither is attempting to become one. As such, there comes a point where it becomes a poor use of resources to carry a bunch of receivers. How many is a bunch? That's up for debate.
This year, Florida State has 10 on the roster. After 2012, FSU will lose Rodney Smith to graduation, and the roster will look like this:
J. Gehres*
J. Haggins
K. Shaw
G. Dent
W. Haulstead
C. Green* (WR)
R. Greene (WR)
K. Benjamin* (WR)
M. Bracy (WR)
T. Stevens (WR)
I. Jones (WR)
J. Wilson (WR)
2013 WR commit
I expect two of the listed seniors to leave the program for playing time or other reasons. Florida State would then return 7 receivers, with four newcomers added to the list. That makes 11. Is 11 too many? Probably not, but it's right up against it. Taking five in this class doesn't make much sense when one looks at what will be available in 2013. Taking six is downright crazy.
But what about the 2014 team? It's important to look two years down the line in recruiting.
@EasySquidsJR Strongly disagree with that. Taking 4 means 2014 will have 8 non-frosh at the position + any incoming 2014 frosh.— TomahawkNation.com (@TomahawkNation) July 25, 2012
I'll expand on this Twitter conversation just a bit, because 140 characters does not lend itself to a complete argument.
FSU projects to return eight in 2014, before any incoming recruits, assuming no attrition.
But what if Rashad Greene or Kelvin Benjamin turns pro early? What if Marvin Bracy gives up football to run track professionally? What if any of the kids make dumb mistakes and are no longer around? What if someone gets hurt? What if one of the players coming in as a receiver is actually going to play cornerback? It's possible.
Still, even if two were to leave (a pretty liberal estimate), FSU would still have six returning receivers who are not freshmen. That is not a bad situation. At all. It might be if FSU were a spread team, but the 'Noles are not.
And that's not even mentioning the three or four extremely talented kids Florida State will bring in as freshmen in the tremendous class of 2014.
Is it a horrible mistake to take five receivers in this class? No, but it might not be the optimal use of scholarship resources, either.
It's easy to be amazed by really fast, undersized kids wearing shorts in a camp setting. It's hard to temper the enthusiasm, realize that overloading one position, particularly a position of low injury risk like receiver, means another position group will be deficient.
I'm not convinced that taking a Rashard Fant or Levonte 'Kermit' Whitfield, if the take moves FSU to a total of five or six, is the best course of action. I think FSU would be better served taking a flier on a developmental tight end, another running back, or a defensive player.
Then again, if Florida State knows or suspects that one of the above scenarios is going to happen, the move would make sense.
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text: We LOVED "Chief's Camp" First time here? Use the CustomInk design lab to make your own t-shirts! Is it a winner? Current Score3.0 View full-size image Design Your Own < previous next > "The experience of working with CustomInk was Perfect! They called me to recommend a different shirt due to the contrast of the ink, and they actually saved us money. They also made sure that the delivery arrived well before our graduation date. I will absolutely be using CustomInk in the future!" - USCG Chief Petty Officer Academy (Dec 18, 2012) Similar Photos: camp | fun | military | usa | chief's camp | chiefs Share this photo: Twitter Facebook


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Home > Post > Post 2 > Post 2 News Release > 2010 News Releases > News Release
News Release
TFC Stu Recke
Public Affairs Officer
Kentucky State Police
Post 2, Nortonville
(270) 676-3313
Click here to e-mail TFC Stu Recke
Criminal Investigation in Hopkins County
Date of News Release: 04/21/2010
(Madisonville, Ky.) -- KSP Post 2 Madisonville received a complaint of a vicious animal that attacked a neighbor at his residence approximately one mile west of Beulah. Upon arrival, Troopers discovered that Mr. Jimmy Benton had sustained a laceration to his thigh after his neighbor's dog attacked him in the driveway of his residence. Upon further investigation it was found that the dog's owners Valerie Maher and Gregory Walker were in possession of twenty-eight other dogs and cats located both inside and outside of the residence. Troopers then notified Hopkins County Humane Society Animal Control after discovering evidence of neglect by the owners of the animals. All animals at the residence were taken into custody by the Humane Society due to the extremely poor living conditions and lack of care by the owners. The victim, Mr. Benton, was treated at the scene by Med-Center Ambulance for the laceration, but refused transport by ambulance his injury. Valerie Maher was charged with Cruelty to Animals 2nd degree - 28 Counts; Harboring a Vicious Animal. Gregory Walker was charged with Cruelty to Animals 2nd degree - 28 Counts; Harboring a Vicious Animal; Warrant served for other agency X 2; Resisting Arrest. Both were lodged into the Hopkins County Detention Center.


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Tue 29 Jun 2010
Harpers´ Bazaar – CODA Restaurant review
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Mon 28 Jun 2010
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Minimum 3 night stay. For additional stay the seasonal rate applies. Package is applicable each room category, valid from June 17th until August 31st.
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Mon 14 Jun 2010
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On June 7th, 2010 five-star hotel Aria has opened the exclusive salon La Prairie. A specialised facial treatments La Praire employ a holistic, therapeutic approach to mind and skin that purifies, refines and refreshes.
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Not only for fans of the famous movie the Aria Hotel has prepared an exclusive package "GIRLFRIENDS GETAWAY … ". It may not be New York or Marocco, but guests have all the makings of a cosmopolitan vacation at their fingertips, a la Carrie and the gang – for now it can be Prague…
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The package can be booked until the end of September 2010.
Book your girlfriends getaway here.


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What Is A Balanced Swing?
May 18 2011 at 2:05 PM
SAGF Members 2001
Here is something interesting that I ran into on the net:
Here is a quote from page 33:
When asked, we find that most people associate a balanced swing with finishing on the front
foot in complete control of the body. This is partially correct.
A perfectly balanced swing is one that, in addition to being balanced on the front foot at the finish,
is balanced both on the backswing and forward swing. Picture this, a door opening and
closing at the same speed in both directions. That is a balanced swing. In golf we like to see
the back and forward swings in balance like the door. We do not want you to open the door
slowly then slam it shut. It is best to have an evenly controlled motion; why, because this is your
There is an event that happened in 1977 that I will never forget. It involved a professional golfer
that no doubt is one of the toughest competitors ever to play the game, Lanny Wadkins.
I remember that Lanny had lost his PGA card and was playing on sponsors exemptions. He
had come to Visalia, California to practice with another great tour player Jerry Heard, who I had
worked with on several occasions. While visiting Jerry, we had the opportunity to play golf with
Lanny for several days. I recall how Lanny was searching to regain his successful form from
previous years and how frustrated he was. Like most golfers in this state he was open to advice
from anyone with a different idea. In that week he got advice from a bread truck driver, a dentist,
a CPA, and a used car salesman. Nothing worked!
About the third day we were standing on the tee of a par 5; he looked at me and said, So what
do you think? My response was Speed up your backswing (to get it in balance with the forward
swing). You can imagine the look I got. However, after a brief discussion about a balanced
swing and playing within ones individual personality, and possibly the fact that there was
nothing left to try, he gave it a go. My recollection is that success was immediate. After a perfect
tee shot, he hit an x-stiff shaft, straight faced driver (which I had just re-shafted for him) off
the fairway, 3-wood trajectory, right into the middle of the green. An unbelievable shot he executed
twice that day, so in my mind . . . case closed!
After the round Lanny told me he had been working with a teacher on just the opposite, slowing
down the backswing. He went on to have a terrific year in 1977. I am not in any stretch of the
imagination taking credit for that. During the same period he was also working on returning his
putting technique to the way it was during college; we all know you must make putts to win golf
tournaments. I believed then, as I do to this day, that getting his swing in balance attributed to
him regaining his form. You see, Lanny Wadkins swing tempo was a littler quicker than most,
but always in balance; he was just out of balance. I am not sure he ever would have been told
to speed up his backswing.
Is your swing in balance?
Regards, Herbert
Respond to this message
Swing Like Moe
SAGF Members 2006
I have a fast back swing
May 19 2011, 12:06 AM
And I always have had a fast back swing. When any pro looks at my swing they always tell me to slow my back swing down, but I know that if I slow it down that I can't play a lick.
Respond to this message
SAGF Members 2001
Tour Tempo n/t
May 19 2011, 6:14 AM
Never quit til you have a swing you'll never forget!
Respond to this message
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What Is A Balanced Swing?
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Well we are officially in draft season for 2011, with all the showcase games and combine coming up quickly. I wanted to revisit a different draft, however, and rewind to 2008 to review the Titans' draft and see where the picks are now. It has been three years since this draft, and most prognosticators agree that three years is a good indicator of where a player is heading. So, let's look at the 2008 draft for the Titans.
(Note: If there is a new pick, I limited it only to players available at the time the Titans selected, no taking someone who was already off the board.)
Round One
Pick: Chris Johnson, RB, ECU
Analysis: Is there really any that is needed? I recall when the pick was announced (I watch every single moment of the first round so this was after a lengthy time of waiting and anticipation), I was disappointed that they had taken ANOTHER RB early. Obviously Reinfeldt knows better than I, and "CJ2K" has become one of the most explosive RBs in the league, and I do mean RB, not just a fast guy. His lateral speed is practically unparalleled (see: SD TD run from 2010 season), and he can find room up the middle as well. His passing game prowess seems to be missing, but there is no denying that every time he gets the ball, he can take it all the way.
New Pick: None. CJ was a fantastic pick.
Round Two
Pick: Jason Jones, DT, Eastern Michigan
Analysis: Jones is a bit of an enigma. I was at the Pittsburgh game in 2008 where he subbed in for an injured Haynesworth and exploded onto the scene, it was fantastic. Unfortunately injuries have led to inconsistency, and I say that more in the sense of...he can't stay on the field, not that his every-down play is necessarily inconsistent. If he stays healthy, look out.
New Pick: Jones. Looking through picks made after him in the second and early third, no one stands out as someone who would be a better option for where they were. Gotta stick with the guy who has shown real talent, just gets banged up.
Round Three
Pick: Craig Stephens, TE, California
Analysis: Stephens this past season seemed to finally be getting his chance and making the most of his opportunities. I have never really watched a blocking TE closely, but I don't think you can fault him for what was really more of an interior OL problem in the run game. Surprisingly, he also contributed in the passing game. Fourth year could be big for him.
New Pick: Jermichael Finley, TE (chosen by Green Bay)
Just six picks after Stephens, the Packers picked up Finley, who was poised for (and looked to be having) a breakout year as a game-changing TE for them before going down to injury. He could've been that threat across the middle that this offense has been missing really since Wycheck (Scaife has been solid, but unspectacular), and one could argue had Finley been picked, the trade up for Cook the following year wouldn't have happened, allowing us to keep a second-round pick. Stephens has started to show potential, but Finley could've been another weapon to pair with CJ in the backfield.
Round Four
Pick 1: Willam Hayes, DE, Winston-Salem State
Analysis: The trade up for him surprised me, but hearing Washburn was high on him had me ok with it. Three years later, he hasn't amounted to much more than a specialist at this point. Like most our DL this year, he was inconsistent and injured. More of a rotational guy than anything.
New Pick: Quintin Demps, S (chosen by Philadelphia Eagles)
Demps had a solid rookie year as a situational guy for the Eagles, but made his biggest contribution as a kick returner. At the time of the draft, Chris Carr was not a factor. Demps could've provided solid depth at S as well as been another KR option (or THE option if he was drafted and Carr not around due to that). Three years later, he is with the Texans after losing his starting job in Philly, but could've been good depth and special teams guy here...and who knows what development behind Hope could've meant.
Pick 2: Lavelle Hawkins, WR, California
Analysis: Hawkins is the epitomy of "offseason wonder". It seems every single offseason we heard how he had turned a corner, was having a great camp, etc. Then the regular season started and he disappeared. Whether that is because of coaching loyalty to veterans or his own deficiences, we may never know. He showed some flashes, but ultimately continued the curse of Titans WR draft picks.
New Pick: Brandon Carr, CB (chosen by Kansas City Chiefs)
Carr has become a very good player for the Chiefs considering he was drafted in the fifth round. With 135 career tackles (counterpoint: only 3 INTs), he is a solid defender in the secondary.
Pick 3: Stanford Keglar, LB, Purdue
Analysis: I was excited about this pick, I thought he would spend a year or so backing up and playing STs, then this past year burst onto the scene a la Bulluck. Unfortunately, that was way, way off. Keglar is a complete bust, having done really nothing to warrant staying on the roster as long as he did.
New Pick: Jonathon Goff, LB (chosen by New York Giants)
Chosen near the end of the fifth round, Goff has been an on-and-off starter. Played special teams his rookie year, appeared in all games the following year and started four at MLB. Not a whole lot of career tackles, but a guy who could've contributed on STs while backing up Bulluck and Thornton and learning from them. For a fifth-rounder (late at that), he's been solid and would've been a good late-fourth pick.
Round Five
Round Six
Round Seven
Pick: Cary Williams, CB, Washburn
Analysis: I was hoping for another Finnegan, but those are a dime a dozen. Williams really never did much, and my memory may be off...but did he even make the team?
New Pick: Mike Tolbert, FB (CFA signed by San Diego)
Tolbert is huge, really huge. Not only is he huge, but he can run for a big guy, with 900+ career rushing yards and 12 career rushing TDs to go with 55 receptions for 500+ yards. Could've been a bruising fullback as well as a short-yardage and goal-line guy both in the run and pass.
Final Analysis:
The early picks from 2008 look very, very good. CJ is a beast, Jones is great and just needs to stay healthy, and Stephens looks to be becoming a capable, primarily blocking TE. Unfortunately the later rounds didn't bring quite as much fortune, and today we could look to those rounds as a signal of our current lack of depth at key areas and lack of developed talent. Hayes has been a solid contributer, but besides that all picks from the fourth round on in this draft are no longer on the roster (I'm not counting Hawkins, don't think he'll be back either). Had some of those turned into quality depth, maybe injuries this year on both sides of the ball wouldn't have been as big of an issue. However, hindsight is obviously 20/20 and this is really just a fun exercise in "What If?" Discuss at will!


text:
For those who love nostalgia, then you might want to check out the Nokia N8 which will be the last of the N series devices to feature a Symbian operating system, where following that MeeGo will be the operating system of choice. Symbian will not just die off like that though, since Symbian^4 is in the works, but that will more or less grace mass market devices instead of smartphones. Does this in any way make the Nokia N8 a collector's item?
Next Story: Unlocked Nokia N900 going for $369.99


text:
American Studies (MA or PhD)
The MA and the PhD in American Studies are awarded by the Graduate College. Instruction is offered through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The MA is offered with or without a thesis.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the Admission Requirements of the Graduate College and the department offering the degree program (review the department's web site or the General Catalog for departmental requirements).
Estimated Cost of Attendance
Tuition and fees vary by degree program and the type of student you are.
Application Deadlines
- Fall semester—January 1
- Spring semester—not offered
- Summer session—not offered
Application Procedures
To apply to this degree program, you will need to submit some application materials to your academic department and some to the Office of Admissions.
Materials to send to the department:
- Copies of your academic records/transcripts (current and former UI students do not need to provide UI transcripts)
- Three letters of recommendation written on the author's letterhead
- A writing sample (term paper, seminar report, published article, etc.)
- A statement of purpose, goals, and special interests relevant to American Studies
- A photocopy of your official GRE scores from the Educational Testing Service
- International students must submit a photocopy of their official TOEFL scores from the Educational Testing Service
Materials to send to Admissions:
- A set of your official academic records/transcripts (current and former UI students do not need to provide UI transcripts)
- Your official GRE scores from Educational Testing Service (the University's institutional code is 6681).
- International students may also be required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores to comply with the university's English Language Proficiency Requirements.
- Once recommended for admission, international students must send a Financial Statement.
If you Apply Online, the $60 application fee ($100 for international students) is payable by Discover, MasterCard, or Visa. If you cannot pay by credit card, you may Download and Print an Application (PDF) and pay the fee by check or money order in U.S. currency made payable to "The University of Iowa."
Contact Information
Department of American Studies
The University of Iowa
210 Jefferson Building
Iowa City, IA 52242
Office of Admissions
The University of Iowa
107 Calvin Hall
Iowa City, IA 52242-1396