text:
Nava's Sweet and Sour Cabbage and Bread Stew
February 3, 2009
If you're reading this, you've landed on the old site. Please visit the shiny new Diet, Dessert and Dogs by clicking here.
As always, thanks for reading. I look forward to hearing from you at the new site.
("Um, Mum, we are coming with you, aren't we? Because (and we hate to have to tell you this), we actually have more fans on this blog than you do.")
Now is the discontent of our winter.
The dozen or so of you who were reading my blog last year at this time probably remember how much I hate the snowy season. (How much, you ask? As much as Gepetto hates dishonesty. As much as Ellen loves Portia. As much as the calories in a deep-fried Mars Bar (with whipped cream on top). As much as union disagrees with management. As much as my eternal incredulity at the popularity of Julia Roberts.) This morning, when I emitted a plaintive little lament about the fact that we've already surpassed last year's (record-breaking) snowfall for this date, the HH helpfully piped up, "Yeah, and we've still got over a month more of this to go!" Gee, thanks, sweetheart.
So, what to do about a wall of pelting snow every time you leave the house, ice crystals forming on your eyebrows, the grey rime that coats your glasses like vaseline on a camera lens?
Make soup, that's what.
When I was a carefree singleton* back in the early 90s, I developed a Friday evening cooking ritual. After arriving home from work, I'd change into sweats and a T-shirt, then spend most of the evening cooking food for the following week. By the end of the week, I was usually too pooped to socialize anyway, and I found cooking to be incredibly meditative. (Besides, if anything better male intellectually stimulating came up instead, I wasn't irrevocably tied to my plan; I'd just cook the following day). I'd pack the prepared dishes into plastic containers, then freeze them for consumption later on. A relaxing evening plus seven days of healthy, homemade food–a pretty good arrangement, I thought.
In those days, I tended to cook a lot of soups. Perhaps I was subconsciously emulating my mom, whose chicken soup graced our stovetop every Friday evening as far back as I can remember. In fact, the very first recipe I cooked in my very first apartment was soup–split pea and ham, as I recall (which is odd, since even then I didn't really like meat, and I'd never tasted ham at all before that–or since). In the interim, I've expanded my repertoire a bit, enjoying a variety of traditional or exotic or unusual soups over the years. With its ability to embrace any and all stray vegetables, then bathe them in a warm, soothing broth, vitamin and mineral-rich soup is an ideal meal-in-a-bowl.
Strangely, once the HH and I began seeing each other, I all but stopped making soups on Friday nights (he seemed to think our courtship should take place alongside a wine bottle rather than a stockpot). Then, a couple of weeks ago, I received a copy of Nava Atlas's newly released Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons (this is a 4th edition of her earlier Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons) as part of the book's virtual tour. Suddenly, soup was back on my radar. And I must tell you, I think this book has singlehandedly renewed my zeal for soup making.
The book is divided by season, so it made sense that the fall and winter offerings would appeal most right now, with innovative and interesting combinations like Broccoli, Apple and Peanut Soup or Almond-Brussels Sprouts Soup (which I just enjoyed for lunch today–splendid!), and classics like Hearty Barley-Bean Soup or Minestrone. But the spring and summer were equally tantalizing, with recipes for Creole Eggplant Soup and Gingery Miso-Spinach Soup and Strawberry Colada Soup. (Now I have yet another reason to wish winter would end soon.)
With our seemingly irrepressible mountains of snow (now taller than the HH, who is over 6 feet/1.8 meters) outside, a hearty winter stew seemed just the right antidote. This Sweet and Sour Cabbage and Bread Stew is a perfectly warming, filling, tasty combination, with a substantial broth, in which you simmer a variety of winter veggies, all imbued with a subtle sweet and piquant tang. Initially, the HH was a bit reluctant to try it (paradoxically, the guy will eat anything and everything if it's derived from an animal, but is entirely unadventurous when it comes to vegetable dishes). After the first few spoonfuls, however, he pronounced it "a keeper" and was content to have nothing more than this for dinner.
I'm happy to say that I'm even looking forward to getting back in the swing of Friday evening soup-a-thons. And these days, I won't be cooking alone (hear that, HH?).
"Mum, you know that we'd love to help you cook, too, if we could. There's just this little matter of the 'no opposable thumbs' thing. But we're still more than happy to help clean up the leftovers."
* Okay, I was never "carefree," but more like "unattached, at loose ends, having no weekend plans." The closest I've ever gotten to "carefree" was probably during that time before I embraced all the responsibilities and anxieties of adulthood–like, maybe, when I was three.
Sweet and Sour Cabbage and Bread Stew
from Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons
by Nava Atlas
© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Herb and "Feta" Polenta Appetizers
January 31, 2009
[Diet, Dessert and Dogs has moved! If you're reading this page, you've landed on the old site. Please visit the new location by clicking here--and don't forget to update your readers and blogrolls!
As always, thanks for reading. I look forward to seeing you at the shiny new Diet, Dessert and Dogs!
"Um, Mum, we are coming with you, aren't we? Because (and sorry to have to tell you this), we actually have more fans than you do on this blog."]
You know how on Cheers, every time Norm would walk into the bar, all the patrons and wait staff would turn to look at him, and call out in unison, "NORM!" ? I remember thinking, "Sure, yeah, maybe on teevee life is like that."
Ah, yes, wouldn't it be great to be received with that kind of palpable jubilation every time you set foot in the local watering hole? Where just walking through the door stirs up the enthusiasm like leaves on a country road, fluttering in the wake of a fast car? Where everybody's glad you came? When it comes right down to it, don't you wanna be where everybody knows your name?
Sorry. Couldn't resist.
Years ago, in my twenties, I did experience that sort of instant, joyous recognition, albeit vicariously. At the time, I lived in the same low-rise apartment building as my friend Babe. We were sort of like Mary and Rhoda (whom I seem to refer to rather a lot lately, don't you think?), since my apartment was situated (literally) directly above hers . We'd often dash up and down the single staircase between floors to visit each other's place, to share dinner or to jointly watch our soap in the evenings (at the time, Babe had both gainful employment and a VCR–both of which I lacked).
Once in a while, we'd head out to dinner at one of the neighborhood haunts, living as we did in the part of town affectionately known as "Yonge and Eligible", near so many good restaurants. And no matter where we went–be it Chinese, Italian, Greek, Pastry Shop, Juice Bar–the owner of the joint would brighten visibly when my friend entered, and, wiping his hands on his apron and gesturing with a flourish, would greet her with a most animated shout of "BABE!!" before positioning us in a prime seat in the restaurant. (Well, in the interest of verisimilitude, I should admit that he didn't actually call her "Babe," of course, because (a) that would make him sound far too much like Sonny Bono; (b) this is a dramatization, and that's not her real name, but a pseudonym; and (c) calling a woman "Babe," even if this scene supposedly took place in the 1980s, would be horribly sexist, and we'll have none of that type of thing on this blog.) More often that not, we were also presented with a complimenatry appetizer, or gratis aperatif, or dessert on the house . . . needless to say, I loved basking in the glow of my friend's semi-celebrity status and thoroughly enjoyed the perks of stardom, even if only by propinquity.
One of the places we frequented was Grazie, a compact Italian bistro with about a dozen seats, scratchy wooden floors and a jovial staff who served the best fresh pastas I'd ever had (a testament to its appeal: the place still exists–albeit in a larger and more commercial incarnation–and is still bustling and bursting with patrons each night, almost 20 years later).
When I think of polenta, I think of Grazie. Admittedly, that wasn't always the case; it took some convincing for me to try the cornmeal-based appetizer, as my only other experience with the stuff was a kind of gruel my mother served for breakfast when I was a kid. Into the soft, yellow mush, Mom would swirl large-curd cottage cheese, resulting in whorls of white, slightly soured lumps distributed throughout, vaguely resembling the wiggly larvae you find in infested apples. My parents called this "Spoon Bread," and while my dad loved it, in me it always elicited a slight wave of nausea. (Oh, wait. Even just thinking about it–excuse me for a moment).
So when I learned that polenta was thick-cooked cornmeal, cooled and often cut into disks, I was a bit reluctant. I did fancy Grazie's fresh tomato sauce with basil mounded atop the offending polenta, however, so I decided to give it a try anyway. (I mean, would my friend Babe, the star customer, the very mascot of the place, steer me wrong?) Of course, I was completely enchanted. Once I realized that polenta didn't need to be sweet, didn't need to contain cottage cheese, and–most important–didn't need to be soft and mushy, I was on a mission to create as many polenta dishes as I could. And I've been experimenting ever since.
It seemed the perfection occasion, a couple of weeks ago when our friends Gemini II and her husband came to dinner, to make a recipe for Herbed Polenta Appetizers from the glorious New Vegetarian Entertaining by Jane Noraika. This is the kind of book that you want to savor, leaf ing through it slowly and deliberately, imprinting every image on your mind like the photos from your first trip abroad. The original recipe contained feta cheese, but, since I wanted to try out the "Feta-ish" from Alisa Fleming's new book, Go Dairy Free, I decided to use that in place of the dairy version.
The result was a perfect finger food–a firm, smooth polenta base suffused with fresh dill and salty, briny feta, all topped with a slightly sweet, slightly sour sundried tomato tapenade. And I should note that no one realized this was vegan. These bites are also a feast for the eyes, with their sunny yellow, bright green and creamy white base, and mound of deep carmine capped off with a black olive slice. The four of us had no trouble polishing off the entire tray (16 pieces!!) in no time, and probably would have eaten more, if there had been any.
Maybe the owners of the local Italian resto don't recognize me quite yet, and maybe I'll never acquire the mysterious allure of my friend Babe. But after the appreciative reception I got for these delectable squares, I started to feel a little bit like Norm, after all.
With all the herby goodness going on in these bites, I thought this would be the perfect submission to Weekend Herb Blogging, organized by Haalo and this week hosted by Marija of Palachinka.
Herb and Feta Polenta with Sundried Tomato Tapenade
adapted from New Vegetarian Entertaining by Jane Noraika
Last Year at this Time: Tofu Omelet with Sautéed Apples and Sweet Curry Sauce
© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Chinese Scallion Pancakes
January 23, 2009
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As always, thanks for reading. I look forward to seeing you at the shiny new Diet, Dessert and Dogs!
"Um, Mum, we are coming with you, aren't we? Because (and sorry to have to tell you this), we actually have more fans than you do on this blog."]
Over the past couple of years, the HH and I have developed a fairly steadfast routine: every Tuesday at mid day, we connect for a hefty serving of afternoon delight. (No, no debauchery, silly! Forget the cheeesy song. I'm talking about afternoon culinary delight). To wit, food. To wit, Japanese food. To wit, Sushi.
As our own unique twist on "date night," we have "date lunch": at a little sushi bar near the HH's place of employ, he feasts on various species of marine life (well, I suppose that would more properly be "marine after-life"), and I enjoy some of the best vegetarian sushi I've ever tasted. While clacking chopsticks, slathering wasabi and dipping into soy sauce, he reports on his recent work projects, while I regale him with anecdotes about The Girls' antics. We eat, we laugh, we fight over who gets the last piece of pickled ginger, and then we kiss goodbye and go about the rest of our day. It's a lovely interlude in an otherwise bland workday.
Well, a few weeks ago at the habitual time and place, I was devastated to discover that the establishment had unceremoniously changed owners. Oh, the new folks are nice enough, but the distinctive sheen of the place had definitely tarnished. (The new vegetarian option consists of 8 pieces of cucumber and avocado maki. Now, how could they possibly think vegetarians want 8 identical pieces of a single variety, when the HH gets a full dozen varieties of raw, slimy oceanic tidbits on his plate?). Haven't these people heard of the expression, "If it ain't broke. . ."? Harrumph.
Being fairly close to Toronto's Chinatown North, we opted that day to try one of the many Asian restaurants in the vicinity instead. I assumed I'd have no trouble finding plenty to eat.
Well, you know what they say about assumptions. (No? It's even too puerile to repeat here. But there are plenty of others out there who'll tell you.) I sat down feeling peckish. Perusing the menu, I quickly discovered there was precious little I could consume save steamed veggies and rice. (Not that there's anything wrong wtih steamed veggies and rice, you understand, but I get plenty of those at home–and certainly don't feel like driving halfway across the city and dishing out restaurant prices for someone else to throw them on a plate for me).
Yes, every single dish contained at least one ingredient I can't eat. The few animal-free options all contained wheat (another no-no). Listed under "Vegetable Dishes," we had Vegetables and Ground Beef; Vegetables and Pork Stir-Fry; Egg Noodles with Vegetables; Chicken and Shrimp with Vegetables. Even the "Vegetable Dumplings" contained ground pork. Argh! (And another "harrumph," just for good measure. ) Would I have to sit there starving*, I wondered, while the HH gorged himself on beef, chicken, and pork-laden vegetables?
And then, I noticed these: Scallion Pancakes. Simplicity itself, these pan-fried cakes studded with rings of shiny green onion were cut into four triangles, served with a variety of dipping sauces. Humble, yet divine; my mouth began to water. And then, I realized: they were made with wheat flour. Which I am not supposed to eat.
True, my wheat sensitivity induces heartburn, bloating, and sometimes an achy stomach a couple of hours after ingesting it. True, wheat encourages my inflamed sinuses to close up shop entirely, forcing me to pant through my mouth like a dog in July. True, any sane person in my situation would have passed on the wheat. Also true? I was hungry. Those pancakes were the sole item on the menu that appealed to me. I ordered them.
And, by golly, I loved them! (Well, for about 10 minutes, after which a volcano erupted in my chest, my stomach inflated like a beach ball, and my nasal passages sealed up like a mine shaft collapsing).
After reading about Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian several times on Lisa's blog, I finally picked it up from the library a few weeks ago. And wouldn't you know–right there, tucked near the back of the book, was a recipe for Chinese Scallion Cakes! I was elated. Since the entire recipe contains only five ingredients (two of which are salt and pepper), I felt pretty certain I could adapt these with (Ricki-friendly) spelt flour instead of wheat. I did, and guess what? They replicated the restaurant variety almost perfectly.
The HH and I were so smitten with the results that we polished off two pancakes just on their own, with no accompaniments. The second time round, we used them as a base for leftover dal, and they were spectacular. I'm not generally a fan of salty foods, but something about the combination of salt and browned green onion (or would that be green browned onion?) is heavenly.
I toned down the fat content by simply brushing the raw pancakes with olive oil (instead of following the original directions for filling a frypan with the stuff, as if drawing a bubble bath or something). The results worked out pretty well, I'd say, as I couldn't tell the difference in taste.
These boasted a crisp and even somewhat flaky exterior, with chewy insides punctuated here and there by the partially caramelized green onion. My only regret is not having coarse sea salt in the house to sprinkle on top, as it would have made for a more photogenic bread. (You're actually meant to sprinkle the salt into the batter, anyway–but I forgot, so scattered it on top once the bread was cooked).
I've copied the recipe exactly as written because the method is quite particular. It appears long and complicated, but once you've made them once, you'll see how easy it is to prepare these wonderful savory cakes at home. I'd even whip them up for a quick lunch–except not on the days I meet the HH, of course.
(Oh, and I made these again this morning, in honor of Chinese New Year. Happy New Year to all who celebrate on Monday! )
*Clearly, not literally. But in terms of gustatory satisfaction, for sure.
Chinese Scallion Pancakes
adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian
© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
The Biscuit and The Scramble (to Woo Your Rake)
January 18, 2009
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The close friendship between my buddy Sterlin and me was soldered back in high school, when we first discovered that we were the only two girls in the entire school who had never had a boyfriend (well, I guess there was "BB," too, but we figured that sleeping with the entire senior class had to count for something).
This revelation prompted an immediate sense of community between us, after which we spent endless hours (in the way that only teenagers can) on the telephone, musing about why we didn't have a boyfriend, how much we wished we could have a boyfriend, what we would do if we ever got a boyfriend, and what it was other girls like BB had that we didn't, allowing them to seemingly conjure streams of drooling boys trailing behind them like empty cans tied to a "Just Married" car bumper. Entirely unjustly, we thought, these girls enjoyed a surfeit of boyfriends, while we had to make do with an unrequited crush on our French teacher, Mr. Krauser.
But then, we discovered historical romance novels, and our focus shifted. You know the ones: innocent, nubile, yet spunky lass is swept away (usually literally) by swaggering, swarthy, self-assured rake with a (very well hidden) heart of gold. Over time, he wins her devotion, while she tames his savage nature. Well, we were spunky, weren't we? Sterlin and I began to daydream, starry-eyed, about meeting a similar hero (even though we never fully understood exactly what a "rake" was) and riding off into the sunset, where he'd unravel the secrets of our nascent womanhood and we would charm his wild heart.
In the books, at least, we could get close to the most desirable of men. For some reason, these novels (at least, the ones I remember) all sported titles pairing two nouns, representing male and female: there was The Wolf and the Dove, and The Flame and The Flower (both Kathleen E. Woodiwiss masterworks) or perhaps The Raven and The Rose or The Pirate and the Pagan (both by Virginia Henley). And let's not forget my favorite, The French Teacher and the Girl with Braces and Long Hair Parted in the Middle Who Liked to Bake (okay, my memory may be a bit fuzzy on that one–high school was a long time ago!).
Well, given our combined paucity of feminine wiles flirting ability lacy lingerie boyfriend-attracting attributes, we eventually decided to woo our guys with food (the way to a man's heart, and all that). So Sterlin developed Date Pasta as her staple, while I attempted to perfect an ideal chocolate cheesecake, or brownie, or even muffin (since, you know, I had high hopes of my imaginary beau staying for breakfast).
Those erstwhile romantic efforts came back to me in a flash last week after I'd been browsing through some old cookbooks. Previously, I'd had a little email exchange with Lisa (Show Me Vegan) about buying or keeping cookbooks we no longer really use, or those that contain only a smattering of recipes still relevant to our newly acquired dietary habits.
One such tome in my collection is called The Breakfast Book, by Diana Terry (and though I've owned this book since the 1980s, I never realized until today that it was published in Australia–which, I may have mentioned, is the land of my dreams, with its picturesque vistas, lush wilderness, stunning cities, enviable weather, and dashing, rakish Aussie gentelmen–all of whom just happen to speak with that sexy Australian accent).
Ah, yes, well. Pardon me: back to the book. Terry offers a sample menu for a brunch with a decidedly orange theme. The lucky boyfriend guest is treated to Champagne with Grand Marnier, Scrambled Eggs with Wholemeal Brioches, Fresh Fruit with Ricotta-Orange Dip, and Viennese-Style Coffee. Of course, none of the recipes would suit me in its present form, but that certainly didn't stop this spunky gal.
After reading about the citrus-suffused eggs that were then gingerly ladled over a split brioche, its top placed rakishly askew, I asked myself: "Who said tofu scrambles should be savory, anyway? Why not sweet? And why must they always be one shade shy of neon yellow? And couldn't my own, homemade, biscuits stand in for a brioche? And just what does "rakishly" actually mean, anyway?"
So I created this scramble, which is slightly sweet and not too yellow. And it's very creamy. And it has orange zest and juice in it. And you ladle it gingerly over the bottom of a carob and raisin biscuit, the top of which is placed rakishly askew over it.
And may I just say–I ended up loving this dish. In fact, our affair bordered on the torrid. Who needs a boyfriend? I'd rather eat this*. But if you're feeling generous, go ahead and share it with your wolf, or your flame, or your rake.
[PS. Giveaway, as promised, will be announced in my next post--stay tuned!]
*Okay, not really. If I had to choose between a sweet tofu scramble and my sweet HH, of course the HH would win out. But just barely.
Sweet Scramble with Carob-Raisin Biscuits
based on an idea in The Breakfast Book by Diana Terry
Carob and Raisin Biscuits
© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Flash in the Pan: Sautéed Greens with Onions and Apples
January 12, 2009
DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS HAS MOVED! Please visit the shiny new home of DDD by clicking here.
[Sometimes, you just want to eat something now. I've decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly or else is so easy to make that no recipe is required. Here's today's "Flash in the Pan." (For other FitP recipes, see "Categories" at right).]
[With Collards, Chard and Red Onion]
It's been a truly crazy past week, what with our new semester starting up today at the college and my cookbook deadline being perilously close.* (And let's not forget the Golden Globes from last evening–didn't B & A look marvelous amidst the hubub and Moet & Chandon? And did you hear that Tracy Morgan is the new face of the US? But Mamma Mia, that Ms. Streep is timeless! ) With all that, there's been no time for handiwork in the kitchen.
Instead, here's what I've been eating lately–and by "lately," I mean pretty much every day. I've made this three times in the past six days: it's quick, it's easy, it's delicious and it contains nature's most nutritious vegetables, leafy greens. And with all the deep browns, ochres, ambers and ecrus I've been consuming over the past few weeks, I figured it was time for some green.
[With Collards and Yellow Onion]
Besides, I adore leafy greens and have been trying to include them in my diet more often. Jagged, zippy dandelion greens are like the tough kid in the schoolyard, the punk who wears his black leather jacket like a trophy and loiters in the corner of the schoolyard chain-smoking. With a hard and bitter exterior, he's really a sweetheart once you get to know him. Collards, with their elegant, frond-like shape, are the modern jazz dancers of the group, deftly swaying side to side as they harmoniously meld the delicate and the cacophonous. And kale, my very favorite, is the ditzy neighbour, the plucky, perky best friend, the Mary Richards of leafy greens; she fidgets and bobs and sighs histrionically, clad in her ruffly collar and matching cuffs–she's a little wacky, maybe, but always honest and reliable. How could you not love greens?
This dish was created when I had intended to try out a recipe for brussels sprouts and apples I read about on Vegalicious a while back. When I discovered I had no sprouts, I opted for the greens instead (heck, they're all brassicas, right?). Using the other recipe for inspiration, I threw this together. It was ready in ten minutes, and I was left to marvel that something so simple could taste so good.
The barely-wilted greens are chewy and toothsome, while the apples and onions, having softened and caramelized slightly, provide a balancing sweetness to the slightly bitter leaves. The addition of lemon juice here, besides imparting an appealing tang, renders the minerals in the vegetables more bio-available (and thereby more easily absorbed) so you can best benefit from their high mineral content.
* As to the cookbook, right now, it looks as if the publication date will be mid-April; I'll report back as soon as I'm given a "firm" date from the publisher. What this means, however, is that my blogging may become slightly more sporadic over the next few weeks, as will my commenting on other blogs. But know that I'll keep reading and enjoying all of your blogs even if I don't make my presence known. And I do hope that you will still comment here–I always look forward to, and read, every single comment on this site–it is truly a high point in my day!
Sautéed Greens with Onions and Apples
inspired by this recipe
© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
The Simple Life* (and Smoothie)
January 7, 2009
DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS HAS MOVED! Please visit the shiny new home of DDD by clicking here.
* [Absolutely no relation to the reality show of the same name] ##
[That is one MoFo huge smoothie!]
Now that the holidays are over and a new, fervently hopeful year has begun, I've decided to simplify my life.
It might have been the post-apocalyptic array of file folders, sticky notes, to-do lists (to-do lists ON sticky notes), drafts of recipes for the cookbook, empty interoffice envelopes, glasses (of both types), half-filled mug, pens, pencils, scotch tape, daybook, boxes of tissues, assorted and sundry notes-to-self, a stapler, checkbook and magazines and paperbacks and various other items that seem to have settled randomly, like nuclear fallout, on my desk.
Or perhaps it was the never-quite-cleared kitchen table, the kitchen counters encumbered with bins of flour and Sucanat and oats, bottles of agave nectar, cannisters of raisins and dried cranberries, bowls and spatulas and whisks and pans and measuring cups and spoons (okay, I do have an excuse: the aforementioned cookbook).
Still, it could have been the closet full of wayward shoes, or the three distinct, mostly unworn wardrobes (that would be "slim"; "gaining weight"'; and "fat"), assorted scarves, out of season accessories, fuzzy slippers and terrycloth bathrobe.
No, no, no–it must have been the 14 unanswered emails, 27 unanswered voicemails, three scheduled doctors' appointments, two scheduled vet appointments, one hair appointment, one dog training appointment, as-yet to be determined appointment to set up an appointment with myself to get it all together and finally organize all my appointments. . . .
Okay, I may be exaggerating a tad. But just a tad. It's true what they say: the older you get, the more complicated your life becomes. (Or was that, the older you get, the louder you turn up the volume on the television? Same difference.)
[Simplicity at its finest.]
A while back, my friend Eternal Optimist informed me that she'd completed a total purge of her abode, sort of like an emotional smudging. She tossed boxes of garbage, shredded reams of old papers and files, donated countless bags of clothes to charity, and repurposed old posters, kitchen chairs, picture frames, unused shelving, CDs and books, and various and sundry other long-neglected items courtesy of Freecyle. It felt great, she averred.
And while I've never been a huge fan of the magazine Real Simple (it seems too self-consciously austere and geometric for my taste, reminiscent of Dieter on Sprockets), I have frequently nurtured a dream of chucking it all and moving to a one-room cabin in the woods, complete with wood-burning stove, 100 acres of surrounding forest, and plenty of space for The Girls to gambol to their hearts' content.
Just think of it: freedom to do what you like, at one with nature, fresh air, green grass, no schedules, no time-stealing technology. On any given day, I could just wake up, throw open the door and inhale a long, deep breath of unpolluted, pristine country air. . . well, after I chop the firewood for that stove, I guess. And after I shoo the raccoons out of the food bins at the end of the cabin. And I guess I'd have to chase a few mice from the cupboards, too, which would mean cleaning up mouse poop. And also swat those spiders in the corner above the bed–oooh, I hate spiders! And snakes. I hope there aren't any snakes out there. And I'm scared of mice. And don't raccoons have talon-like claws? I've heard they can be really vicious if cornered. And I bet they don't serve Triple Mocha Lattes at the intersection of Pine Tree and Deciduous.
But it did make a lovely reverie, didn't it?
("Yes, Mum, a perfect reverie! But does this mean we don't get to gambol in the woods now? Oh, and would you mind turning down the volume on that TV?")
I also failed miserably at organizing my life over the holidays. My initial zeal to reorganize my desk, clear out some boxes from our basement, organize the garage, draw up a Five-Year Plan, and resume my lost habit of daily meditation never materialized (oh, and let's not forget: get my finances in order, secure a retirement plan, start a new workout regimen, finish a cookbook, and clip Chaser's nails–nothing too onerous, you understand. Well, excepting Chaser's nails.). All I managed was to clear off the desk–and that task alone took two weeks.
Still, the sense of accomplishment and buoyancy I felt prompted me to seek out other ways to simplify. After the recent holiday excesses and toppling with a (very heavy) thud off the healthy-eating wagon, I've decided to pare down my diet as well. So I'm afraid you won't be seeing much fudge, or pecan pie, or marzipan-topped shortbread, or any other dessert that, for some strange reason, seems to spike my blog stats exponentially for a while. The blog stats will just have to wait until I get my body stats in order.
Which brings me to today's recipe. Coincidentally, over the holidays one gift I received was a book called The Healthiest Meals on Earth, by Jonny Bowden. It contains breathtaking photographs of really healthy foods, along with pertinent nutritional information and great recipes. This smoothie is one I adapted for breakfast the other day. It features one of my all-time favorite foods–sweet potatoes (yes, for breakfast!), and is both simple and quick to make. The potatoes confer a natural, light sweetness, and the oranges add a bit of tang. I loved the cheery color and the thick, almost pudding-like consistency (I was tempted to eat this with a spoon, in fact).
If simple living can taste this good, I may have to reconsider that cabin in the woods.
On second thought, nah.
## Well, unless you count the fact that we've both dated Rocker Guys (hers of the black leather punk; mine of the black leather pants).
Sweet and Simple Sweet Potato Smoothie
adapted from The Healthiest Meals on Earth
Unlike many smoothies, this really does feel like a meal. The sweet potato provides a substantial density and nutritional profile here (both beta carotene and antioxidants), along with vitamin C in the fruit. I used eggnog flavored soymilk for a festive touch, but you can use any milk you please in this.
© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
A Fresh Start. . . and 2008's Last (Food-Related) Hurrah
January 3, 2009
DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS HAS MOVED! Please visit us at the shiny new home of DDD, by clicking here.
[Potato-Kale Curry]
First, and most importantly: Happy 2009, everyone! Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments and good wishes for the new year. I can't even begin to express how much I appreciate them all and how much blogging has brought into my life. But by far, the best part is you–readers and other bloggers. Thank you for sharing 2008 with me, and I look forward to 2009!
The HH and I (sans The Girls, unfortunately, as our Elsie Girl refuses to play nice with the other five dogs who live there) spent another lovely, bucolic New Year's Eve with my friends Gemini I and II and their broods up at Gemini I's palatial country "cottage." We ate, we drank, and Gemini II's hubby lit fireworks just before midnight, when we toasted in 2009. The rest of the time, we chillaxed to the max, reading in front of the fireplace, watching ice fishers huddled by their hut atop the lake, taking photos of indigenous birds perched at the feeder outside the window, or working as a group on the massive, 2-page annual crossword puzzle that's printed in The Globe and Mail. I didn't even mind the snow and ice (a New Year's Eve miracle!).
And now, back to reality. . . and back to business.
Although I more or less threw resolutions out the window many years ago (really, don't I already know I'll want to lose weight after the holidays?), I do update a list I call my "Five Year Plan." In it, I write down goals for the following six months, the following year, two years, and five years. I try to arrange them so that the earlier goals might naturally precede the later goals (eg., six months: take a course in html; one year: design own web page).
Okay, so maybe it's just another version of resolutions after all. . .but this long-term view has worked well for me in the past: one of the most unusual "goals" that came to fruition was "work with a business coach–for free"; and so far, the best one (way back before I met the HH) was "own my own home," something I'm adding back to the list this year, now that we've been renting for. . . well, far too long.
I've decided that this list works best when it's kept private, as last year's list, while not that different from the ones I wrote before it, was a total bust. Instead of losing 50 pounds over the past 50 weeks or so, I've gained about four (definitely more than the "1.5 pound" holiday average. My parents always encouraged me to try to be above average, so I guess I can say I've accomplished that now).
Still, I believe the concept is a great one and one that most people should try at least once. As the famous Harvard study demonstrated, those who write down their goals (as opposed to simply thinking of them) tend to concretize them, and the goals are more apt to come true. For whatever reason, putting something down on paper triggers a mechanism in the brain that impels you to action. I will share the easiest goal on my list, though: remain part of the blogging world, and keep blogging regularly. That one, at least, I know will be pure pleasure to enact!
Before I bid 2008 adieu permanently, however, I wanted to share the amazing Indian feast we had when the CFO visited at Christmas time. Although our meal on December 25th was relatively traditional, it was this one (the following night) that became the high point of holiday meals for us.
[Peas in a Creamy Curry Sauce]
I first discovered Indian cuisine about 10 years ago, after having to change my diet dramatically and seek out foods that met my dietary challenges. At the time, being both a meat eater and a wheat eater, those challenges were plentiful.
Then I began to frequent Indian restaurants. Most dishes were not only wheat-free, but gluten-free as well! And the vegetarian/vegan options seemed endless. Here in Toronto, many Indian restaurants operate as all-you-can-eat buffets. These ostensibly boundless displays of vegetable- and legume-based dishes were dazzling and even a bit overwhelming at first, as I was determined to try every dish in my new culinary repertoire. (Eventually, I realized, many of those dishes had been sitting out under warming lights for hours, or were thrown together from leftovers of two or more of the previous day's dishes; I began to opt for sit-down restaurants instead).
It seemed natural to attempt to re-create those spicy, saucy, succulent meals at home. I bought a couple of Indian cookbooks and went to work. In those days, I cooked a lot of chicken and meat dishes, some of which I've converted over the years. Perhaps it was curry overload; perhaps I assumed I'd never achieve a comparable result without the meat. For whatever reason, I hadn't cooked a full Indian meal in some time.
Then I remembered that the CFO was also a fan of the cuisine and had an idea to whip up our own little Indian buffet as a post-Christmas dinner. The results were stellar, and made me wonder why I've neglected those recipes for so long.
[Three-Lentil Dal]
Our meal included a fabulous multi-lentil dal based on Lisa's recipe (my only change to the original recipe was using three types of lentil instead of lentils and moong beans); peas in a creamy sauce; curried potatoes and kale; and cheela (chickpea pancakes) along with basmati rice. While the potato dish was pretty much a haphazard combination of leftover tomato sauce, chopped kale, and chunks of spud, I did take note of the other recipes and can share them here.
Each of these dishes on its own would make a warming, satisfying light meal; put them together, and you've got a memorable finale to an eventful year.
One definite item in my next 5-Year Plan: Cook Indian more often.
Peas in a Creamy Curry Sauce
Super quick and easy, this side dish provides a lovely visual contrast to the mostly dull colors of long-simmered curries. The vibrant green and sweet flavor of the peas is perfect as an accompaniment to the intense spice of the other dishes. From an unidentified cookbook–sorry!
Cheela* (Chickpea Pancakes)
adapted from Meena Pathak's Indian Cooking for Family and Friends
*From what I can tell, these are also sometimes called pudla. Whatever you call them, they were so remarkably good that we consumed them all before I realized I'd not taken a photo. But other versions abound on the net; for photos, check out the blog posts by Johanna, Lisa, Pikelet and Pie (with zucchini) or (for an Italian twist) Kalyn.
© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Family and Festive Feasting
December 28, 2008
[Diet, Dessert and Dogs has moved! If you're reading this page, you've landed on the old site. Please visit the new location by clicking here–and don't forget to update your readers and blogrolls!
As always, thanks for reading. I look forward to seeing you at the shiny new Diet, Dessert and Dogs!
"Um, Mum, we are coming with you, aren't we? Because (and sorry to have to tell you this) we actually have more fans on this blog than you do."
[Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Warm Caramel Sauce]
As I mentioned in a previous post, the CFO came to visit over the holidays, and we had a truly lovely time together, chillaxing (I can't understand why that word has evaporated from the lexicon. I mean, it just seems to capture so perfectly the concept its meant to convey), laughing, watching movies*, laughing, shopping, playing with The Girls, laughing, and eating far, far too much. I'm happy to say that my sister also bonded with both of our furry babies, who have been wandering aimlessly around the house since she left this morning.
("Mum, what do you mean, 'she left'? Doesn't she live with us now? Where did she go? And, um, who will rub my belly tonight?")
It does seem like ages since I've written on this blog, when in fact, it's been just a few days. I'm just fascinated by the science fiction-like relative quality of time at the holidays: the space-time continuum stretches infinitely as you wait for the Big Day (or Days, depending on your belief system); then, like the Big Bang, it's over in a flash.
Not to belabor the physics theme or anything, but I think my stomach has taken over the role of a black hole this holiday season. Truly, I didn't know it was possible that so much food could be sucked into that abyss in so short a span. Ah, if only time could stretch as infinitely as my appetite (and if only the waistband on my pants could do the same. . . ).
Ah, what the heck, it's the holidays. While the CFO was here , in effect, we enjoyed two major feast meals: the first on Christmas Day, a semi-traditional repast that blended the Judeo-Christian cuisines; then, the following night, an Indian-themed feast, because we felt like it.
Although neither my sister nor the HH is vegan (or even vegetarian), the bulk of the menu accommodated my dietary restrictions, so that we could all enjoy freely. And despite much good-natured ribbing in both directions (the CFO pooh-poohed almost every recipe I suggested on the grounds it was "too Veeee-gan", while I countered by calling her a "rabid anti-Veegite"), it was the dish about which she was most skeptical, the wheat-free, egg-free, dairy-free pumpkin bread pudding, that turned out to be the star of the show.
For the holiday meal, I relied on several tried-and-true recipes such as herb-roasted root vegetables, balsamic-dijon brussels sprouts and roast on the 25th, plus (in keeping with the Hannukah theme I started with those latkes the other day) an apple-noodle pudding (or kugel). Even though this was a sweet kugel and more of what I'd consider a dessert, it did work well with the other dishes, offering a bit of luscious creaminess punctuated by tart cherries, along with the similar sweet-tart contrast in the brussels sprouts. In fact, this noodle pudding would be perfect for breakfast, I'd venture.
[Apple-Noodle Pudding with Tart Dried Cherries]
The bread pudding my sister so loved began with a pumpkin bread (recipe from Simple Treats), soaked in a pumpkin "custard" based on the mixture I used in my French Toast Soufflé. I baked the puddings in individual ramekins, but you could easily do a single pudding in a loaf or square pan and scoop it from there. I topped the puddings with a homemade caramel sauce–a concoction based on a sweetened condensed milk experiment that went awry–that I'd kept warm.
[A bite of pumpkiny-caramelly bliss.]
The result was spectacular–warm, slightly crisp on the outside but moist and spongy on the inside, über-pumpkiny, slightly spiced, and with the smooth, glossy thickness of warm caramel blanketing the whole affair. This is a chic, stylish dessert, yet one that was really simple in its preparation.
We certainly didn't need any additional desserts after that finale, but since I had loads of tester recipes in the house that I'd recently done up for the cookbook, I put out a tray with Glazed Almond Bars, Dalmatian Cheesecake Brownies and Hazelnut Mocha Cookies; as well as leftover Marzipan-Topped Shortbread, Tutti Fruiti Christmas Cookies, and Chocolate Macaroons. All were CFO-approved, I'm happy to say.
The next night, though still full from the Christmas dinner, we managed an incredible follow-up with an Indian feast that, we decided, will go down in the annals of Most Memorable Meals in the DDD household.
The menu included a lentil dal recipe I first saw about a week ago on Lisa's blog; peas in a creamy sauce (adapted from a recipe I once borrowed from Gemini I); an aloo saag (well, not really–I just don't know the word for "kale") that combined potatoes and shredded kale in a spicy tomato sauce; coconut brown basmati rice; and homemade chickpea pancakes from Meena Pathak's Indian Cooking for Family and Friends. I can tell you, there was a symphony of lip-smacking, lentil scooping, potato spooning, and sauce sopping going on, as well as a mellifluous refrain of friendly chatter and wine-glass clinking that evening. Very chillaxing.
I promise to share the goodies from our Indian feast in a future post, but rather than inundate you with so many recipes at once, I thought I'd start off with the lovely Apple Noodle Pudding with Tart Dried Cherries. This alone would make a great light mid-week supper–and I, for one, could certainly use some lighter meals these days.
Also: I'm a little late jumping on this bandwagon, but wanted to mention a charity drive put on by Katie over at Chocolate Covered Vegan. In honor of the season, Katie is offering to donate 20 cents to the Enough Project (an organization that works to counter crimes against humanity) for every comment she receives on this post. How sweet is that? It's incredibly easy to help out this way–just hop on over and leave a comment!
*Christmas Day: that classic chestnut, White Christmas. The CFO and I, while sisters ourselves, bear no resemblance to either Rosemary Clooney or Vera-Ellen (well, perhaps my wrist bears a resemblance to Vera-Ellen's waist).
Boxing Day: taking advantage of the nearly-empty theaters, Seven Pounds. What I learned from watching this movie: 1) Will Smith is (still) preternaturally gorgeous; 2) Will Smith is an extraordinarily talented actor; 3) that is one whacked reason to keep a jellfish as a pet.
Yesterday: The Dark Knight. I agree that Heath Ledger deserved an Oscar for his performance. Not only that, but also a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for being able to unravel the convoluted structure of the multi-pronged plot in this movie. (Okay, perhaps a not-entirely fair assessment on my part, as I couldn't bring myself to watch the violent scenes. Which means I missed about 94% of the movie.)
Apple Noodle Pudding with Tart Dried Cherries
Unfortunately, I can't recall the original source of this recipe, which I copied from a magazine several years ago in the BB (Before Blog) era of my life. Nevertheless, I've added several elements and changed others over the years, so I consider this my own variation on the original.
© 2008 Diet, Dessert and Dogs


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Pamela Carrico, Owner/Designer/Creater
CMO Designer Knits - (Cherokee Maiden of Oklahoma Designer Knitwear)
Bartlesville, OK 74006
(918) 333-8933) Anwering Machine if I am not available.
About CMO
Contact Us or ordering
Proverbs 31:13
Wraps, Shawls, Cocoons, Shrugs
"Designer Purses"
Sweaters for All Seasons and Occasions
Fiber Jewelry & Luxury Accessories
Co-ordinating Outfits
Also go to
CM2 Fun-knits
for home & family knits by Pamela Carrico
for yarns used in garments contact
Carrico's Creative Corner
Here I show past creations of what I call Fiber Jewelry and luxury accessories such as gloves, scarves, and hats made of specialty yarns and luxury yarns such as alpaca, merino wool & silk, rayons, mohair.
Click on each picture and it will take you to more creations for ideas for special orders.
To see what is available now go to my Etsy Shop at
Felted Wool Bracelet decorated with shiny rayon yarn and beads - light enough that you forget you have it on but an accent of color and texture.
Fiber Neckdrapes for the fancier occasions or just for fun and casual - with suits, dresses or t-shirts.
Amulet Purses, creditcard & I-phone size purses made of exotic textured yarns and of different sizes - small to hold the "lucky" penny or credit card size to hold items needed when shopping not want to carry a purse, to that handy place for your phone or MP3 player.
"Not your usual beaded necklace" - interesting beads that looked nake to a fiber artist, so I dressed them up with exotic & unique yarns to create a new look.
"Circles of Fiber" Alpaca or other luxury yarns made into a Cowl/necklace - lightweight, some warmth and the color combinations that will compliment your outfit.
Fashion scarves of every type, shape and fabric.
Rectangles, Triangular or shaped; lace, yarn colorplay or textured stitches.
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The Up-scale Fluzzy - A Fun Hat with a Serious Side made in upscale fibers - alpaca, wools, mohairs, etc.
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subset: commoncrawl


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A Huntsville church is keeping the memory of the 26 Sandy Hook shooting victims alive.
The congregation at the Spirit Filled Worship Center held a special service in their honor.
During the "Young Adult Revival" on Saturday night, the pastor empowered people to do better in 2013.
He made the victims of Sandy Hook the focus of the special service, as a symbol of hope and healing for the new year.
"We just wanted to let them know our hearts are with them and that while they are mourning and going through this, we are in Huntsville praying for them as well," said Pastor Abraham Moore.
With so many young people in the crowd, this tragedy is really hitting home.
"We don't know exactly what they are going through, but we have an idea, and we know it's hard for them," said Latonya Moore.
It has been particularly tough for the parents of this congregation.
"Everyday is precious and we shouldn't take anything for granted. It has allowed the parents to hug their children a little bit more and kiss them a little bit more," said Abraham Moore.
That is why church leaders are working to help everyone get through this difficult time with song and prayer.
"We hear a lot of talk about it and we know a lot of people are hurting who don't even know them," said Layonya Moore.
No matter how much time passes, the congregation at this church says it is not going to let the memory of those victims be forgotten.
Copyright 2012 WAFF. All rights reserved.
1414 North Memorial Parkway
Huntsville, AL 35801
WAFF Is a Proud Member
of the Raycom Family of Stations
FCC Public File
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


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Freida Pinto stepped out on the red carpet tonight for the 'De Rouille et D'Os' premiere during the 2012 Cannes Film Festival this evening.
The Indian beauty looked breathtaking for the second night in a row, wearing an Atelier Versace Spring 2012 gown.
Her lime gown had a lace top and Swarovski crystallized skirt with a thigh-high split and double gold-lined sculptured detail on the hip.
I've never used the words Freida and sexy in the same sentence, but when you don a Versace gown sexy comes as standard.
A Ferragamo gold box clutch and satin Ferragamo peep-toes completed the look.
The L'Oreal girl was radiant, completing her look with a high ponytail.
Credit: Style.com & Getty
Posted by Catherine Kallon on May 17th, 2012 In: Atelier Versace, Cannes Film Festival, Freida Pinto, Premiere, Runway To Red Carpet


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READ THE FULL STORY HERE: http://www.app.com/article/20140308/NJNEWS/303080070/Weird-NJ-remembers-forgotten-faces-Palace-Amusements-Asbury-Park
Tag Archives: abandoned
There's a hotbed of paranormal activity in the tiny northwestern New York town of East Bethany known as Rolling Hills Asylum–an immense, abandoned looking former almshouse. Continue reading
Index of Abandoned Places in Weird NJ
A handy reference guide to finding abandoned places that have been featured in Weird NJ. Continue reading
This state-funded school and hospital center was at the heart of the human rights movement that revolutionized this country's approach to healthcare for the mentally and physically handicapped. This facility was one of the most striking examples of the maltreatment that was characteristic of such institutions––at one point, papers labeled it "The Shame of the Pennsylvania". And the legacy of all this suffering might just be the lingering spirits that are said to still wander its abandoned wards today. Continue reading
Though the grand old hotel no longer accepts visitors today, there are said to be some guests who have never checked out. Recently Weird NJ was invited to tour the vacant rooms and empty corridors of the Union Hotel, which have been sealed off from the eyes of the public for three years now. Continue reading
The town of Lambertville was a great place to grow up, especially in the 80's. All my friends and I ran around in leather and plaid, harassing tourists who came to town to go antique shopping, and with mohawks held … Continue reading
For many decades, rumors of ghosts haunting the grounds of Overbrook have been in circulation. If these ghosts are in fact present, one must wonder – how many of those troubled souls met their end while freezing to death within the walls of the institution charged with caring for their well being?
Continue reading


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Written by Nicole Levins | March 10th, 2010(0)
Read on for your regular dose of the day's coolest, greenest news:
We're green. We're nature-lovers. We are Conservancy Talk. Hear Nature Conservancy staff and invited experts share their voices on today's conservation issues — in our uniquely rigorous, science-based way. Learn more


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If you glance at the Woodchucks roster now, it looks nothing like the roster that the team started with in May.
In the last three weeks, 11 new players have joined the club while ten have left or are about to leave.
Blake Bottoms arrived in Wausau six days ago from Danville, Kentucky. The pitcher had actually been working at an internship and had 30 hours left to complete when he got the call to come to Wausau.
Bottoms has never been to Wisconsin but plans to make the most of his short time here.
"It's nice. you get phone calls every once in a while to come play but not many times in the Northwoods you get a call like that so it was very humbling," Bottoms said.
"It's exciting to be up here. I know I'm not going to be at full potential within two weeks so just with the opportunities I get. make the most of them Just kind of work on some stuff to be ready for the fall."
The Woodchucks call John Menken "the new guy" even though the catcher has been with the team for three weeks.
Menken was busy visiting colleges before arriving in Wausau and after committing to attend Winthrop university, the Illinois-native had to adjust to the daily grind of summer college baseball.
"In the three weeks I've been here, you build relationships with guys that you know last a life time," Menkin said. "The biggest thing is chemistry and when new guys come in like that like myself, it is hard but you got to take it upon yourself to be a part of the team."
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Copper Light Fixture
Create your own copper light fixture with these steps.
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Project by Teri Blond from San Antonio, Texas.
In this project, Teri uses her metal and carpentry skills to form a distinctive punched-copper light fixture.
Materials and Tools:
pop rivets and washers
porcelain dual light socket
2 candelabra bulbs
Malco folding tool
11" deep throat coping saw
2/0 jewelry saw blades
nail punches in assorted sizes
18" x 13" sheet 12 oz. cold rolled copper
8" x 13-1/2" sheet 16 oz. soft copper
1/2" cold chisel, sanded to remove sharp edge at point
1/8" and 3/8" drill bits
short section of 1" x 6" board
2 squeeze clamps
1. Mark the folds and cuts you want your light fixture to have, as desired (using your own design or one found in clipart, etc). Make pattern templates and attach to the flat piece.
2. Trace the side cuts. Notch the corners. Cut out the triangles.
3. Punch the front pattern and polish.
4. Make the folds. Make the back and rivet the pieces together.
5. Wire the two-bulb fixture using an electricians' knot.
We Recommend...
Parasol Light Fixture
Transform an Asian-style bamboo parasol into a whimsical showpiece with these instructions.
How to Make a Stainless Steel Surfer Light Fixture
Create a surfer-style light fixture from stainless steel and glass with these steps.
Porcelain Light Fixture
Leo Peck creates a contemporary metal and porcelain light fixture.
See Also:
From our Sister Sites:
- Bathroom Lighting Fixtures (from HGTVRemodels)
- High-End Bathroom Fixtures (from HGTVRemodels)
- Modern Bathroom Lighting (from HGTVRemodels)


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"We're seeing in our lab apps pulling in data things that are wholly unrelated to functionality," said David Vladek, the FTC director for the Bureau of Consumer Protection.
"If you don't want to see us, don't collect data you don't need, don't collect data that's unrelated to your app. Don't collect information you don't know what you'll use or what you need."
Vladek said many apps pull in geolocation data and other data points that might not even be useful to the app maker. Normally that's a privacy concern, but if the app is pulling in data for a minor it is breaking the law, unless a parent has given explicit permission.
The FTC entered into a large civil penalty with employee benefits company Ceridian because the company held onto data for "way longer than they needed it," Vladek said. Ceridian was eventually breached and hackers stole information about tens of thousands of users.
"If you don't come up with that novel use for that data, it's an albatross that will come back and bite you," he said. "You don't want to see us, we don't want to see you, let's just work together to keep it that way."
Vladek was speaking at the Web 2.0 Summit today in San Francisco.


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Hotel Imperial De Luxe(5 stars)Atatürk Cad Çifteçeşmeler Mevkii Beldibi 3 Konyaaltı View on map
Hotel review overview
The most helpful positive review
the hotel is rather a smaller hotel and enjoys a of high quality facilities. We were guests in the period from 20. Until 29. October 2011 and be- stayed in a standard double room with a view of the sea. We had a Catering all inclusive and were very satisfied. The food was on average varied and one could between 8a 10 special offers. It was constant refilled, plates and cutlery were clean. The hotel was to the saisonausklang very weak occupied- instead of … read hotel review
The most helpful negative review
mostly Russian guests, but most of the Russians are not better or worse than other nations. Room was top and clean. The food was good and delicious; drinks 'cheap booze '; the cleanliness in the hotel's restaurant was satisfying (for example were never changed the table runner). It smelled moldy by the pool, which was the second overflow with the eye to see. … read hotel review
- Recommended hotel
- Couples
- Translated
- Proof of booking
- Other stay
- February 2013
Information about Hotel Imperial De Luxe
Hotel Information
Hotel News
Hotel amenities
- Luggage room
- Meeting/Banquet Facilities
- Shops in the hotel
- Hairdressers/Beauty salon
- Hotel safe
- Lift
- Air conditioning
- Free parking
Room amenities
- Additional childrens' bed
- Satellite TV
- Minibar
- Free minibar
- Minibar: unalcoholic
- Safe
- Balcony
- Bathroom
- Hair dryer
- Electronic room keys
- Private entrance
- Wake up call/Alarm clock
- Connecting rooms
- Restaurant
- Hotel bar
- Breakfast buffet
A choice of sports
- Fitness centre
- Outdoor pool
Spa offers
- Spa centre
- Sauna
- Number of saunas: 1
- Whirlpool
Other hotel information
- 24 hour reception
- Evening programs and entertainment
- Babysitting/Child services
- Kids club (6-9 years)
- Check out no later than: 12:00
- English
- Eurocard/Mastercard
- 24 hour security
- Car hire
- Information desk
- Currency exchange
- Free Wifi access included
- Laundry service
Nearby - Hotels and Things to do
- Hotels
- Things to do & See


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Although Walmart has heavily promoted its sustainability initiatives, the company has given millions to lawmakers who oppose stricter environmental regulations.
"Walmart talks big about sustainability, but doesn't put its campaign money anywhere near where its mouth is," states a report (PDF) by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. "Whatever the company may say about the importance of legislative action on climate change or other environmental issues, its money is signaling the opposite, telling lawmakers that it's perfectly fine to vote against environmental protection."
The mega-retailer labels itself as a "leader in sustainability," and touts its purchase of renewable energy and its other efforts to reduce its environmental impact.
However, Walmart's political donations favor candidates who oppose environmental regulations like cap-and-trade, according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
Some of its biggest donations have gone to members of Congress who deny that man-made climate change exists. Since 2005, Walmart's political action committee has given $25,000
to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), $30,000 to Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), and $29,500 to Sen. John Boozman (R-AK).
At the state level, 80 percent of Walmart's $9.9 million in donations have gone to Republican candidates since 2003, most of whom opposed stricter environmental regulations.
"Even as Walmart was winning kudos for a public statement in support of government action on climate change, it was funneling millions in campaign cash to lawmakers who would ensure such legislation never became law," the reported concluded.
[Image via Jared C. Benedict, Creative Commons licensed]
By Roy Greenslade, The Guardian
By Katie Halper
By The Conversation
By TBogg
Raw Story is a progressive news site that focuses on stories often ignored in the mainstream media. While giving coverage to the big stories of the day, we also bring our readers' attention to policy, politics, legal and human rights stories that get ignored in an infotainment culture driven solely by pageviews.
Founded in 2004, Raw Story reaches 9 million unique readers per month and serves more than 30 million pageviews.
Copyright © 2004-2013 Raw Story Media, Inc. All rights reserved.


text: Gigantic Boobs Posted on January 16, 2007 at 10:38 am.Written by hubs Six inch girls with six foot boobs. FacebookTwitter There has been 1 reply to Gigantic Boobs: 1 Comment 0 Tweets 0 Facebook 0 Pingbacks Last reply was January 16, 2007 gijyun View January 16, 2007 wow. i'm offended and fascinated all at the same time. Reply Logging In... Profile cancel Sign in with Twitter Sign in with Facebook or Name EmailNot published Website Comment Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.


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Available in three heights, freestanding Uprights are used in conjunction with freestanding Feet and a Stabilization Kit to serve as the foundation of an freestanding solution. Two freestanding Uprights are needed for each section of your solution. Now, choose from elfa décor, elfa Ventilated Shelving or elfa Solid Shelving to complete a perfectly tailored freestanding solution. See more product details below.
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Honey harvest "devastated"
London's honey crop is the worst in the country, after a summer described by experts as "devastating". The capital's bees produced just 5.6 pounds of honey per colony, compared with 25.8 pounds last year.
The British Beekeepers Association's latest survey says beekeepers have endured a desperately difficult summer. Rain and cold weather are being blamed for depleted honey supplies.
– Angela Woods, London Beekeepers Association
"The results for the London area suggest that it was not just bad weather that was the problem. They may also highlight the lack of forage in the city for many bees. Rather than putting beehives on office roofs, we encourage companies in London who want to help to look at different ways of supporting bees and beekeepers. We need more forage for the bees and better-educated beekeepers. Individuals can help too by becoming an armchair beekeeper and taking up the BBKA's offer to Adopt a Beehive."


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Instead of linking to that old PR release about how great LotRO and DDO are doing thanks to F2P, please use this updated link.
Instead of linking to that old PR release about how great LotRO and DDO are doing thanks to F2P, please use this updated link.
Now Turbine emails me all the amazing deals they have going in the cash shop! Awesome!
It took longer to download your trashheap than I spent playing it, but yea, totally email me about buying more garbage, please.
Edit: Because I'm a masochist, wtf is a "Companion Mystery Basket"? Its only around for a 'limited time' so I need to know soon or I might miss out on something really awesome that I could only get thanks to the wonders of F2P.
Also anyone think 4200 turbine points for some XP Elixers is a good buy? Seems like it right, 4200 turbine points is like what, $5? I mean given how awful DDO is, I think paying Turbine just a little bit of money to play their game less is what the F2P industry calls a win/win?
The good: DDO still remembers my beta account, though not the characters. It also remembers my two box set accounts, though again not characters. Seems to have forgotten those were paid account, odd…
The bad: Everything else.
Before character creation I was hit with two cash shop references, and during character creation again 2-3 times. Once a character was created (with the same option the game had in 2005, because really, who has time to update something as trivial as your character (or the graphics in general, which look like DF1 at the lowest setting when DDO is maxed) when you have cash shop items to produce?), I was treated to a nice "buy this in the store to get ahead" loading screen.
The first NPC I talked to in the city? Buy some content. Wheee, glad you guys placed that guy first. Great first impressions and all that, right?
Moving past that beggar with his hand out, I found another NPC with an icon above his head and loaded into his mission, smashed left-click in what is still perhaps the MMO genres worst combat system, and got some reward after 5 minutes. During said mission I was also showered with magic items and other whatevers. Clicked finish and was loaded back into the city.
I will say this; DDO is still probably the best F2P MMO out.
First, can we stop linking to that 2011 LotRO announcement of how great it's doing? Please link to the 2013 "still doing great" announcement. Same goes for DDO. Last I heard, Turbine was releasing a response to in-game protests about bending people over in DDO. Game is obviously still doing awesome thanks to F2P, right?
Next, has anyone ever called F2P 'fans' lazy gamers? What does that even mean? People too lazy to put in a credit card number to subscribe? People too lazy to get a job in real life to afford $15 a month?
What MMO players that don't pay are, in the best case, are cattle. They are (hopefully) content for those who do pay, and in exchange those who are paying the bills get to enjoy a better experience thanks to the free-loaders. How often that's the case I'll leave up to you to decide.
Bringing up Wal-Mart is appropriate when talking F2P. There is a reason People of Walmart exists, while People of Macy's or People of Whole Foods does not. People of F2P MMOs is a thing that should exist.
Walmart is in part successful because they have mastered logistics, keeping their costs down. If you want to call reskinning wings and reselling them to people in a F2P MMO 'logistics', the comparison continues to work. The other factor in Walmart's favor is being so big that they can bend laws to suit them, which is very Zynga-like. The key difference being laws caught up to Zynga and destroyed them, while Walmart has enough lobbying power to prevent that.
The core of what Mike at Massively is saying is correct however; MMOs turn to F2P for financial reasons. The 'why it works' part is where the disconnect happens. MMOs that turn F2P don't magically get better content-wise. DDO/LotRO are still the same flawed MMOs that failed as sub games, but now 'enhanced' with a cash shop that pesters you continuously to try and sells you content, items, fluff, and power. So why do these games sorta-work (again, looking for that 2013 announcement of still doing awesome) as F2P when they failed as subscription games? Because of the People of F2P.
Tricking someone into giving you a buck is easier than keeping them around full-time for 15, especially when you target that particular brand of player with flash over substance. The other major change is you don't need people to stick around in the F2P model; the cattle are plentiful and you are only hoping to skin a few bucks off them before they leave. That's basically the opposite of being successful as a sub MMO; as a sub you not only have to be good enough to attract initial attention, you only succeed if you prove that you are worth it long-term. As we have seen over the years, most developers don't have the talent to pull that off. Selling a sparkle-pony is easy, providing lasting, worthwhile content is not.
That the MMO genre is currently in a major rut and F2P is popular is not a coincidence. Hopefully we get out of it 'soon'.
A lot of funny stuff is happening in this post over at TAGN, please go check it out. My only major complaint is that Wilhelm was light on the actual insults. I'm going to try and correct that here.
I think the biggest gain from that post is my discovery of a new blog: Zen of Design. The title is a bit misleading though; I think it would be far more accurate to call the blog "Tales from a hotbar salesmen". That aside, its great reading, in much the same way the comments section on Massively is 'great reading'. Just quotes on top of quotes of goodness.
But before we get to that, a few quick points from the TAGN piece; has anyone ever considered that while you benefit from having multiple accounts in EVE, the real reason so many do it is because they really, really like the game? We talk all the time about what a huge insurmountable barrier $15 a month is, so what are EVE players telling you about their game when they happily pay $30, $45, or more per month, for months if not YEARS at a time? (I really only want replies to this from people who have an above-Tobold understanding of EVE, thanks).
On the chances of TESO or WildStar being successful; in a genre with F2P abominations like SW:TOR, B2P 3-week titles like GW2, and "I have nothing in common with my 2004 version" WoW, is it really that unimaginable that there are hundreds of thousands of players just looking to play/pay for 2005/6 WoW in 2014? I don't mean an exact copy/paste job, but I'm not buying this notion that all gamers have evolved into something unrecognizable from 2005. Not saying that either TESO or WildStar will become that game, but if/when someone does, my bet is they will be successful (just not perfect-storm WoW successful)
Those points aside, let's get back to my new favorite blog, shall we?
I'll state this up front; the below is a little unfair. The writer is working for EA and SW:TOR, so perhaps a lot of this is just singing the company line rather than personal belief. That said, no one (I think) is forcing the guy to write this, so it's fair game.
"It probably comes as no surprise that I have discovered religion about Free 2 Play in a big way. It's very clearly the way that the future of the genre is going, and any new competitor that enters the space is going to face immense competition from the rest of us that now provide a pretty substantial amount of gameplay for free. Right now, WoW is the only successful subscription-only MMO in the west, and even they seem to be sticking their toe in the pool."
Let's do a real quick recap of SW:TOR and its initial aim:
1) It had a built-in audience thanks to its IP (Star Wars), the devs (BioWare), and prior games (KOTOR)
2) It had the biggest budget of any MMO, with the marketing power of EA
3) Its goal initially was to challenge WoW, a title that retained millions of subscribers year after year (until everyone with talent left the company, and the interns started doing updates/working on Diablo 3)
What actually happened:
1) The launch was a disaster, with ridiculous bugs (invuln dancing), high-res textures being held out, and countless PR embarrassments
2) Players were jumping ship at an amazing rate, thanks to the game being a shallow, sub-par sRPG on a tragically terrible engine that couldn't handle more than 5 players in one area
3) The game was forced into the F2P minor leagues
4) The F2P model itself might be the biggest joke amongst all offerings, including the beyond-ridiculous option to buy hotbars. It's so bad that when Massively put up a "it's not that bad guys!" piece about it, readers were not sure if it was satire or not.
5) EA has been trying to distance themselves from the title ever since, downplaying its impact during financial calls and trying to redirect attention to its successful properties
6) The heads of BioWare threw in the towel shortly after SW:TOR crashed.
So, that is the basis of Damion's new 'religion'. Whelp.
(Talking about NVN and Marvel Superheroes) "It also means they get to avoid the stigma of 'failure' that comes from a hasty conversion. Perhaps the most painful part of transitioning SWTOR from subscription to Free-to-play was reading all of the commentary describing us as a failed game, when all of the internal numbers we had showed that F2P completely reinvigorated the game.
So wait, SW:TOR isn't a failed game that was forced into F2P, but yet was reinvigorated by F2P? I was not aware something already successful can get reinvigorated. Usually we call that "more of the same".
Which again brings up the question seemingly no one has an answer to; why is it that only failed MMOs go F2P? Why is it that failed F2P games don't go subscription? Why is it that when a F2P game does really well (Allods, somehow…), it goes from F2P to subscription? Why is it that successful MMOs (EVE, WoW for now) stay subscription? If F2P is so awesome, so amazing, so "the future", why is it only used when you either have a subpar MMO out of the gate, or you fail as a sub? Anyone?
Free-to-play is all about making the game accessible – getting more people into the front door. SWTOR's success here is no fluke – DDO reported that their concurrent players increased 5x. For LOTRO, the number was 3x. If anyone wants to see the effects of Free to Play on logins, check this chart
Again, that "SW:TOR success" part cracks me up, as does including a link to DDO from 2009 (at the time of the F2P conversion) and LotRO from 2010. Damion, why have you not provided more recent links to DDO and LotRO success stories? It can't possibly be because going F2P from subs is a one-time boost for a failing game that fades and you return to just being a failed game, can it? Based on those 2009 and 2010 stories, Turbine must be straight killing it today right? What's that, Turbine has been in financial trouble for a while now? But F2P really saved those games, didn't it? Just like it's going to save SW:TOR, won't it?
Whether or not the billing model of Eve's economic-spreadsheet driven libertarian paradise is right for a fledgling mass market MMO remains to be seen. But I doubt it.
As I've mentioned before, if someone associated with SOE or SW:TOR tells you something is bad, put the house on that something working out. Easy money.
One of my mantras about being a free-to-play game is that, in order to call yourself that, your evangelists have to feel good about telling their casual friends, "Yeah, you can totally play for free!"
You sell hotbars. Your fluff piece about your F2P model over at Massively was ridiculed. YOU MIGHT HAVE THE WORST F2P MODEL IN THE GENRE. Dude…
And all of those delicious quotes off just one post. So, so much more to dig into in the days to come.
Edit: F2P ALL THE WAAAAYYY (out the door)
In case you don't want to sit through the EQNext showing, here are the cliff notes:
"If someone should do it, it should be EverQuest. Again" (UO…)
How do you like it? :mild applause:
Hyper linear paths with specific animation events, insert buzzword: " parkour "
:Summing up the GW2 character system as something new. Classes with weapons = abilities, zzz:
Destroying pre-set levels in pre-set scenarios
Grail 3: the UO living ecosystem (maybe this one will make it out of beta?) "You will be making change!" read: players will butcher everything until it all stops spawning and the system is removed.
Grail 4: Public quests, now stretched out for 2-3 months. (side-note: guy almost slips up and says your alt could repeat the content if you make the same choices. Sorta goes on to correct himself)
Talks about Everquest Next Minecraft – a world of penises (at least until devs start deleting them)
More talk about having the players create content for the devs
(Final note: Do SOE fans just not know when to clap, or was the presentation just not all that… jazzy? Awkward silence city.)
One has to wonder what SOE scraped prior to going with what they showed. Game must have been nightmare fuel. Terror wondering aside, what they showed was… something. I almost typed 'meh' but that best describes the latest Elder Scrolls Online gameplay video (Short summary: watered down ES gameplay + some MMO aspects = generic game with ES skin on top). What SOE showed was really more classic SOE; delusion and a misguided sense of greatness from the studio that is still living off its one hit title (EQ1).
First, EQN looks EXACTLY like Kingdoms of Amalur / Copernicus graphically, which is nice; at least all that work found a home. It still looks like a knockoff Disney movie, but I'm sure the kids will find that appealing. Plus anything is an upgrade over EQ2, by far the ugliest MMO ever.
As the cliff notes above point out, a lot of what was presented has already been done/tried. We know what happens when you allow players to full shape the world; the goons create a rain of penises (Second Life). We know what happens when mobs move around based on player actions; everything is farmed to extinction (UO beta). We know what happens when you sell the concept of a dynamic changing world without it actually changing long-term (GW2).
Now, can SOE take all of the above and make it work? Sure. Will they? Of course not, otherwise they would not be SOE. I mean, we are talking about the same people who included the ultra-lame "Do not stand in the red box" boss crap in their "we are awesome and totally new" trailer.
EQN will go in one of two directions IMO; it will either be somewhat close to DDO in terms of very linear 'levels', which will allow for solo or small groups to fully see the destruction, changes, and make it easier to hard-code all of the parkour bits. I think honestly that's best-case for EQN; it won't be the big bad sandbox SOE is trying to hype, but it could be a game that 'works' well enough for those looking for something like that.
The other direction is a fully open world that changes like GW2 changes; short-term and on a very noticeable and gameable loop, plus dev-driven updates that herd players from one content 'hotspot' to the next every few weeks/months.
This is the far more ambitious direction, and the one that will lead SOE to far more issues and broken gameplay than anything else. The presentation and ideas live in an ideal state; the reality of an MMO is you must always assume the players operate under a worst-case scenario. The dream is players will build great-looking castles that add to the landscape; the reality is players will blow the entire world up because they can and rebuild it as a giant penis. The presentation was very much a dream. If the game is also built around these dream-state expectations, hilarious disaster will follow.
Beyond that, nothing shown moves the genre in a good direction. Even if the parkour is amazing and works exactly like the dream-state sells, was anyone asking for that? Will it add anything to the genre besides a few new animations? Was the class/weapons/skills bit anything new, or even a side-step above the norm? The system is pretty meh in GW2, and THAT was a step back from GW1, so what exactly is SOE selling here? I've covered the destructible terrain already; that's lose/lose for SOE. Give players true freedom, and they will bury you. Restrict it enough to keep the bad stuff out, and you likely restrict it to the point of non-factor.
The hardest part of making a sandbox is balancing the freedom you give to the players with creating an environment that is still enjoyable on a large-scale. Nothing that SOE showed suggests they get it, or have a good answer to any of the issues that come with such a design direction.
This post about blogging over at TAGN, along with the comments, is worth reading, even if you are only vaguely interested in the topic of MMO blogs. As the posts-per-day rate here has slowed over the last two months, it's a topic I've thought about as well. This blog is almost 6 years old now (yikes), and I still don't feel like I'm 'done' talking about the MMO genre. At the same time, something has happened to slow the content rate here, and not all of that can be pinned to changes in my RL (though that is a major factor). So what exactly is going on?
First, I don't think the fad that is blogging is passing, if only because it never was a fad to begin with. Sure, blogging might have had its 'time in the sun' around the time the Warhammer hype machine was at its peak, but it was around before that and is still around after. So long as MMOs still somewhat resemble virtual worlds, they will be worth writing about.
What is happening is that the genre itself is changing, and right now the change is just not really giving us much to talk about. A little history lesson first.
When I was writing about WoW sucking before writing about WoW sucking was cool, a major reason for that was because Blizzard was shaping the genre, and the direction they were going in was not one I liked (or that works). I don't really care about Blizzard/WoW now because they are non-factors. No one is building the next 'WoW-killer/clone'. No one is taking a great IP (Warhammer) and driving it into the dirt thanks to the WoW taint.
Right now, everyone is basically in two camps. You are either in the EAWare camp, where you just believe MMOs don't work, or you are in the indy camp, where you understand that MMOs work when they are virtual worlds rather than sRPGs with a login server, and that the market for THAT is not millions. There is no "let's make a bigger/better WoW" camp, and so I no longer need to keep educating people about it. You're welcome. When WoW goes F2P in 2015, it won't be a surprise but rather confirmation of about a hundred posts I made in 2007/8. Feel free to look back and just leave a "damn, Syn right again" comment on each one. It's the least you can do.
Where MMOs are going is both obvious and as uncertain as ever. It's obvious because EVE is still crushing it and for good reason; it's the definition of MMO design done right. If only someone had pointed that out in 2007… What's really scary is that CCP might be doing its best work with the game right now, ten years in, so rather than decline like "all MMOs do", EVE is still very much on the way up, with the only real question being just how high up it will go. I know I said the market is not millions, but CCP might prove me wrong in a few years.
The uncertain part is, spaceships aside, where does everyone else go? I think Darkfall: Unholy Wars is a much improved version of DF, and the patches Aventurine has been doing are hitting all the right areas, but the game and the company behind it have a long, long way to go before they reach anything close to current EVE/CCP status. The foundation is there, certainly, but the goal is so far away its borderline impossible to even think about right now. And much like EVE itself, DF doesn't NEED 1m subs to be what it needs to be. The current population in the game is just right; fights can be found, but the world is not overcrowded to the point of game-breaking (as can happen).
GW2 continues to do what it's doing, but nothing since the 3rd week has struck me as a reason to return. It's just there, which since day one has pretty much been the issue with the game. Again, there is a reason Anet isn't asking for a monthly fee, and it's not because they are just that nice. Similar statements can be made about most other MMOs; it's amazing SW:TOR has not been shut down, Secret World is what it is, and a few other titles are chugging along or milking the last bits for whatever is left (LotRO).
The genre is evolving and devolving at the same time. It's evolving in terms of how games are made; Kickstarter being the biggest factor, but even having games on Steam vs requiring a box in a store is a big change for gaming, and MMOs in particular. A niche game for 50k gets made today if that 50k votes with their wallet strongly enough, while just a few years back this wasn't the case.
It's devolving in that we are returning to games based off what Ultima Online was trying to do (virtual world) vs what WoW became (sRPG). Designing your game for a target audience vs 'for everyone' is once again happening. Games with scale and longevity are being pitched. Catering to the lowest common denominator is once again seen as a negative.
The great unknown right now is whether the above will deliver or not. Will an MMO off Kickstarter release and be what it promised? Are all of the devs that today talk about "not being WoW" follow through, or are we just in another Warhammer cycle where people in white shades talk about bears but really just deliver a crappy knockoff?
And because all of this is unknown right now, we can't really blog about it at length. The genre, and as a result, blogs covering the genre, are in a bit of wait-and-see mode.
One of my least favorite parts of blogging is presenting a topic and having people directly apply it to the now. The best example of this is talking about item loss, and having WoW players say it would never work because of how many runs it takes for Rag to drop his legendary weapon. "Losing that to a gank would make me unsub!" Derp…
Yesterday's post had a bit of that, with people looking at Skyrim and just inserting thousands into the existing game and declaring that it would not be fun. No shit.
The challenge in blogging here is to write enough detail to set people down the correct path, without spelling out every single step and turning each post into a novel. Perhaps the post yesterday was my fault for not providing enough of that detail, but honestly I'd much rather blame the readers. It's not me, it's you people.
Blogging mini-rant aside, lets continue down that path.
In the MMO genre we often debate just what the 'massive' part means. From solo-instances up to EVE's null-sec mega-brawls, just how many people are involved in something varies greatly.
I think scale matters. Those EVE battles are epic almost on sheer numbers alone, and that's important. It's a bit like watching a sporting event in a giant stadium versus at a local field. Simply by having so many like-minded fans around you, the experience is enhanced. It's one of the core principles of the whole genre, and often justifies the otherwise simple gameplay (like harvesting for example).
That does not mean bigger is always better. There are some advantages to an instances 5-man experience versus an open dungeon for all. Don't get me wrong, if I'm designing the MMO I'm going open dungeon and making that work, but that does not mean the entire concept of the instances 5-man is total fail.
Skyrim the MMO would be very much that 5 man experience. But rather than going half-way like DDO, go full-blast. The entire game is small-scale. You can even select the scale. Want to play all the content as a duo? Go for it. 20 man guild? It scales to that as well.
"Cool Syn, but that's not an MMO" you say? Bah to that! Are you honestly telling me you would not pay $15 a month to play Skyrim on a Bethesda server with your buddies, and that subscription ensured you get Dawnguard-like content updates and fixes but more consistently? Of course you would. I'd even venture to guess a few hundred thousand people would.
And here is the thing; Skyrim has a silly amount of content, so clearly Bethesda can do what EA and SW:TOR seem so incapable of, and that would make the sub model work. Even the broken systems, like magic, would be ok since you are playing just with your buddies. Want to break the game and 'win'? Knock yourself out. Or maybe because the game would have a team supporting it full-time, those things get fixed. Either way, it's not a game-breaker like some have suggested it would be.
I'm sure there are a lot of details to iron out here, no doubt. But I think the base concept is solid, and again, I'm surprised we have not seen a more solid effort made in this space (but I'll just go ahead and blame the WoW-blinders as per usual).
Quick note before I get to the topic for today: Is it just me, or is The Witcher 2 freaking hard? I have the game on Normal after doing the tutorial, and I'm getting my ass handed to me every second fight. It's to the point that I'm mashing quick-save more often than the attack keys. More thoughts on the game later (very solid so far), but anyone else find it much harder than the original?
Today I want to talk about F2P games, specifically P2Win titles. At a high level, I've noticed that there are two types of P2W games; blatant and hidden.
Blatant titles are those that very clearly sell power in the cash shop, and most if not all updates revolve around new content being added that further pushes you into the shop to keep up or at least play at the highest tier. Korean MMOs like Atlantica fit the bill here, as do the slew of iPhone games with cash shops.
Hidden P2W titles will attempt to hide the selling of power, either by making the connection to power less obvious (cash = gems = energy = gametime = power, compared to the obvious cash = BiS item), or by making the power not absolute. The cash shop sells items, but they are not BiS (just second-best, and the BiS is nearly impossible to get). Or the cash shop sells 'optional' boosts (and without those boosts, you can't get those BiS items).
What has surprised me is that I personally don't mind the blatant P2W model. Not because I spend and win, but because not spending and still doing well is its own game, and a very enjoyable one at that. Plus there is a certain kind of honesty with the model; the devs don't pretend they aren't selling power, and you don't get the smoke-up-the-ass PR releases that come from companies like Turbine.
When you are online with thousands of others, those who are also playing the "don't pay but play" game also tend to band together, and this in turn gives you more 'content' or at least camaraderie.
Finally, when you do spend, it's not because the game finally twisted your arm and made the 'convenience' items (hotbars, bag space, travel speed) so damn inconvenient to be without that you caved, but because you are have enough fun playing for free that spending a bit is justified and just gets you more of what you already liked (power), vs just filling in a hole left in to take your money.
"I think there will definitely be failures within the next 12 to 24 months. Many who are entering the market right now are doing it as almost a money-grab. But subscription is dead. [Star Wars:] The Old Republic was the biggest possible swing for the fences. There is no longer any argument over whether that can be done." – Craig Zinkievich, COO of Cryptic Studios
Do you think Craig said/wrote the above with a straight face? And if so, do you think he really believes it? It would take a pretty epic level of stupid, but then this is someone from Crypic, so I'm kinda 50/50 on it.
On the other hand, Craig is right. The 'argument' that sub games can be done is indeed over, mostly because it was never an argument to begin with. Pretending WoW, EVE, Rift, etc don't exist must be nice, but probably not helpful in terms of sanity. Maybe Craig will also consider the argument over once EA shuts SW:TOR down for good. Time for a new '6 months' meme I guess.
"I suspect that if you'd launched Fallout 3 as a free-to-play title rather than paying $60 for the disc it would have had equal or greater success." – Someone working on games not as successful as Fallout 3.
"Riot Games' Brandon Beck sees the matter differently. As a co-founder of the company that created League of Legends, Beck is at the top of the West's biggest free-to-play success story, and perhaps the most compelling example of a free game that rivals the experience of the very best $60 AAA products. However, he stops short of proclaiming a free-to-play Uncharted as inevitable – it's an easy thing to say, but actually making it work would be a daunting challenge, with higher upfront costs than the typical free-to-play game."
Great stuff right? The failures in the pack telling the ones who are successful how to do their job. How about instead of making F2P 'awesome' games like Star Trek or Champions Online, you make outdated and 'dead' model games like Fallout, Skyrim, or Grand Theft Auto? Maybe then you won't get bought out?
This really hammers home a major problem in the industry today; devs think their shitty game doing poorly is not because they made a shitty game, but because 'market conditions' 'payment model' 'timing' 'toothfairy' etc. Try making a good game. I'm pretty sure more than enough people will drop $60 for it. Or if you want, try making a good game that is worth playing longer than a month, and I'm sure people will be willing to pay the measly sum of $15 a month to do it.
Or yea, keep making SW:TOR, Star Trek, Champions, WAR, LotRO, DDO, etc, and keep thinking it's not the game sucking that's the problem. The magic future where people pay for crap is coming.
Update: Magic future already came? Zynga made a lot of money selling trash games? Magic future is over now? Zynga is worth a buck? Damn.
So close Craig, so close.


text:
Posted: 3:35 pm Friday, January 21st, 2011
Challenge gay adoption ban?
By Opinion Staff
This week, the Miami man whose case led to the overturning of the state's ban on gays and lesbians adopting children officially adopted the two brothers to whom he had been a foster parent.
Also this week, new Gov. Rick Scott declared that he opposes such adoptions, but did not say whether he would seek to challenge the court ruling.
As with so many other aspects of state government, Gov. Scott knows very little about adoption. He prefers that only "married couples" adopt. To fit his narrow view, Florida also would have to prohibit singles from adopting — they can now — and unmarried couples — they also can.
Indulging Gov. Scott's bigoted profiling of who would be a suitable parent also could cost the state. Business groups have tended to oppose or stay neutral during gay-rights controversies because companies want to recruit the best employees possible. One wonders how challenging the gay adoption ban would put any Floridians to work, unless Gov. Scott found other hack "experts" to testify for the state in favor of a ban on gay adoptions.
Florida's worst-in-the-nation ban made no sense when the Legislature passed it in 1977. It made less sense when the 3rd District Court of Appeal finally struck it down. We believe that Gov. Scott should not challenge that ruling. What do you think? Take our poll.


text:
Pleasant Hill police are investigating an armed robbery in a tanning salon that occurred Sunday morning.
The suspect in the robbery entered at 220 Golf Club Drive this morning, displayed a handgun and demanded money, according to police Corporal Jason Kleven.
After taking money from the sole employee in the store, he ordered her into a back room and confronted a customer who was in the room. He then fled in an unknown direction, Kleven said.
Police were called shortly before 10:13 a.m., but could not locate the suspect. He is described as a white male adult in his 20s who is about 6 feet tall with a thin build, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, white bandana and blue jeans. No suspect vehicle was seen.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call Pleasant Hill police at (925) 288-4630.
-Bay City News


text:
Sunset Party @ The Cove by Keep Calm and Enjoy a Sunset - 11 months ago
"The Staff at the Cove Apartments ordered t-shirts to fit the theme of our End of Summer Sunset Party Bash. The shirts were a HIT, the residents all wanted one. Thanks Custom Ink for helping in making a great conversation piece for the party and the assist in making the party a SUCCESS"


text:
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VIDEO of Sixx's Surprise Jam with Taylor Hawkins' Cover Bandby Amber Lee
Taylor Hawkins is the drummer of the Foo Fighters, and a guy who really loves to play. So much so, that he's in a cover band called ...Read More »
Check Out New Airbourne "No One Fits Me" (VIDEO)by Mark Fleischer
Just released today it's the new Airbourne song "No One Fits Me (Better Than You)" check out the video!Read More »
Corey Taylor & Lzzy Hale Acoustic version of "You Shook Me All Night Long" (VIDEO)by Mark Fleischer
Corey Taylor(Slipnot & Stone Sour) & Lzzy Hale(Halestorm) teamed up at last year's Download Festival and did an acoustic ver...Read More »
Halestorm Re-Make Of Heart's "All I Wanna Do (Is Make Love To You)"by Mark Fleischer
AC/DC Releases Bon Scott Video "Dog Eat Dog"by Mark Fleischer
AC/DC has been going back in the vaults and releasing some classic Bon Scott video's. Here is Dog Eat Dog....Enjoy!Read More »
Go Inside the Studio With Dream Theater (VIDEO)by Mark Fleischer
Dream Theater is working on their self-titled album which is due out in stores September 24th. Here is an inside the studio look.Read More »