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Saturday, 22 March 2014
Poll Results!
Last week I asked you guys if you thought that South Park: The Stick Of Truth's censorship was either fitting and necessary, because things like abortion mini games are too adult and (Posh word alert!) vulgar to put in a video game, or if you thought that since it's South Park's type of humor, and the fact that it's game is clearly rated an 18+, means that it shouldn't be censored, as it takes away what the show does best. Well, a whopping 100% of you thought that the censoring was unnecessary!
I have to agree with you guys here, as, even though some of the things in the game are quite questionable, it's all light hearted and fun, instead of just trying to be plain offensive. If it can be on TV and be accessible to everybody, then why can't it be on a game that can only be sold to 18+ year olds!
Anyways, make sure to vote in the new poll and tell us what you think in the comments!
Ubisoft Need A Plumber...
Good news for Blade Buddies, as more info on Assassin's Creed Unity has been leaked and a trailer has been released! We now know for sure that Unity will be set in England and France during the French Revolution, but this will be a next-gen (Or current gen, i guess!) only game, with another Assassin's Creed to be announced (Hopefully) for last-gen systems. There have also been some rumors going around that the hero's name is Arno. That's all we've got to go on so far, but with the help of artists, we can get a helluva lot more information! We may just see a guillotine in the trailer, but they see... a new expansive multiplayer mode! What... that's not how art works? Forget it.
Also, for people that are still looking for the definition of insanity, some details for Far Cry 4 have been leaked as well! It's set in the Himalayas and will be released early next year, plus monsters will be returning from the original Far Cry! I don't know whether this will be an over the top actiony game like Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, or a deep, psychopathic game like Far Cry 3, but what I DO know is that there will be ridable Elephants! SOLD!
Anyways, what do you guys think about the settings for these games? Will the Himalayas be hard to navigate in a game like Far Cry? And is 16th Century Paris a good setting for an Assassin's Creed game? Tell us in the comments below!
Friday, 21 March 2014
Top 5 Shortest Games!
I'm doing this Top 5 in honor of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, which you can actually beat in about 10 minutes. On with the disappointment!
5. Dear Esteban
A parody of the first person art game that doesn't require any skill or effort in any way Dear Esther, Dear Esteban only takes about 5 minutes to complete, as it doesn't make you make any choices or complete any tasks, just walk around and look at a bleak, boring island that can only be understood by "true artists". Until a giant whale flies in, and then you start to realize that this game is just taking the mick. You would probably expect it, as it was made in an event where developers made a game in a genre that they hated. Beautiful
4. Passage
Also taking about 5 minutes to complete, Passage, made by Jason Rohrer, is a really deep game about life, death and the costs and benefits of marriage. It's so artsy that it mas actually inducted into the Museum Of Modern Art in New York, and trust me, that is REALLY artsy. I'm not gonna talk about this game much, since I don't like deep games. I much prefer games where you can fight a GIANT ENEMY CRAB with the hairs on your middle toe. Don't ask why.
3. Those Darn Nipples!
Okay, this is a little too weird. Play it if you wish, but it'll be over in 2 minutes and 30 seconds, so it won't last long thankfully. The joy of indie games.
2. You Have To Burn The Rope!
Coming in at an impressive 1 minute and 20 seconds, You Have To Burn The Rope was made by a Swede (Which is pretty irrelevant) and is a platformer where you navigate through a small level, and you are told exactly what you're supposed to do. At the end of the level is the Grinning Colossus boss, and all you have to do is burn the rope that is attached to the chandelier. SPOILERS!
1. Run Jesus Run
This is the best game I've ever played, and since it's number 1 on this list, the shortest one, too. I completed this game in about 45 seconds, but it's still a great game! The controls are left and right arrow keys to run, and spacebar to Do Jesus Things. Have you played it yet?
What so you guys think? Have you played games shorter than these? Tell us in the comments below!
Justice In The Form Of Shakespeare!
A citizen of Bristol took the law into his own hands a couple of days ago when he found a reasonably priced PS3 bundle on Gumtree and quickly ordered it, but the seller took the money and ran off, as he was a scammer. There must have been high splunge readings on that day. (Futurama reference!) Anyways, after visiting the police and being told that there was a very slim chance that they would be able to find the scammer, he decided to text the entire works of Shakespeare to him.
Much more effective than yo mama jokes, i would say.
However, these aren't just huge messages; Joseph The Scammed (As i shall call him) has copied and pasted tiny amounts of his works into texts, so teh scammer is pretty much getting hundreds of texts every hour. And guess what? He's been doing it for a WEEK now. People, give that man the job of Commissioner, because this punishment is a helluva lot more effective than prison! It's the modern equivalent of Chinese Water Torture! We could abolish the death penalty people!
I know that this article seemed a little off topic, but a PS3 was involved in it, so it counts!
Thursday, 20 March 2014
Kickstarting Thursday with Chaos Reborn!
Chaos Reborn is made by the people who made the original XCOM, which is a game no one except pure 90s kids will remember. Chaos Reborn is based on the ZX Spectrum game Chaos which, but it isn't really a sequel, more of a complete revamp of it. In Reborn, there will be tough decisions, unique levels and varied battles to keep you on your toes. There will be an RPG single player mode where you play as a wizard who can control and summon many different monsters, but there will also be competitive multiplayer and co op as well, so there should be some definite replay value with Chaos Reborn!
Let's start with the story, shall we! The Chaos world is contested between two sets of gods, the Gods of Law and the Gods of Chaos. There is a war between the two sets of Gods and their respective followers, but the Gods of Law ultimately win, and they decide to install Wizard Kings on every island to keep the peace. The Gods of Chaos decide to hide their artifacts in caves, hoping that their followers will find them and help them regain control. You play as a Wizard Apprentice, who sets out to become a God so he can control the world. A pretty bog standard RPG story, but the being-a-god part really makes it interesting.
The core gameplay is Wizard Battles, which are turn-based combat battles that are fought in an arena. There are 80 spells to cast and 24 creatures to summon, including some from the original Chaos that probably no one will remember, and the arenas are randomly generated, so you'll always have a different battle to fight, and many different modes to play! And that's just the single player battles! The multiplayer battles are are quite similar, but contain players and AI to add variation to the battles! There are co op battles, plus there will be leagues, leaderboards and tournaments to contest.
The system of the game is to go to each realm and defeat the Wizard Lords and, once you've beaten all of the Lords, you can challenge the Wizard King. If you defeat the King, you then gain artifacts and treasure, which you can spend on equipment like body gear and staffs. There are new randomly generated realms every day, and you can also design your own for others to play, so there's really an infinite amount of levels to play: one thing that hugely justifies the price! You can level up your wizard and your items, plus you can upgrade your spells and learn more by finding Spell Books scattered about.Your Wizard changes stats and abilities entirely dependent on what items you give him. There are three categories: Staff, Body Gear and Head Gear, all of which can be scavenged, found, bought and leveled up!
Chaos Reborn will be completed at about May 2015, so you've got a while to wait, but I recommend funding this! As of the time of writing, it is 38% funded, and still has 27 days to go, so you've got lots of time to make your decision! It only costs $20 to get the game DRM free, plus you get alpha and beta access, and a PDF of the artbook and game guide, plus a downloadable soundtrack. If you want to splash the cash though, you can spend $5,000 and get the game, the artbook, the game guide, the soundtrack on CD, personalized equipment, the ability to be a God in the game and have it modeled to your likeness and the ability to choose your bio and what you're the god of, plus you can bless your followers (don't ask me what that means.), you'll have a god aura around your character, you will be a ruler of a world that has battles by itself where you can earn XP and gold from, you will have your own guild which you can recruit people for and name, plus you get access to the god forums on the Chaos Reborn website, your name will be in the credits as a Supreme Benefactor (Don't ask me what that means either!) and you will be invited to the launch party in London where you can meet with the developers!
Make sure to fund Chaos Reborn at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1206403106/chaos-reborn-from-the-creator-of-the-original-x-co!
EE? More Like EA!
After EE was voted was voted Best Mobile Operator in the UK on Tuesday, EE pretty much undid that award after some of their unlucky Bacon Worshipers in places like Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester were unable to text, use 4G and, most importantly, MAKE CALLS. I mean, everyone goes crazy for phone calls, right? Or am I just living in 2001? Anyways, EE is blaming the network failure, which happened from Wednesday evening until Tuesday morning, on "gremlins". And we thought that they were satisfied with breaking planes. Greedy eejeets!
However, EE has managed to fix the problem pretty quickly, so that's all fine and dandy. It's good that they did, as 24.9 million people are subscribed to EE, which is a pretty meteoric rise since they were founded in 2012! This is really the first problem EE have had in a long time, and that's probably the reason why it's been voted the UK's Best Mobile Operator. So it's REALLY not like EA at all. Never ever forever never ever.
What do you guys think? Were you affected by the network drop? Or is this just a minor incident that you isn't that important? Tell us in the comments below!
Sport Relief!
Hi Guys
I just want to say that I'm running 6 Miles in Brighton for Sport Relief, and if anyone wants to sponsor me, you can do so here.
I just want to say that I'm running 6 Miles in Brighton for Sport Relief, and if anyone wants to sponsor me, you can do so here.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
A Windy Forge!
Hi guys!
Joe here with a review of Windforge. This game, as always, will be judged on the graphics, game play, story and soundtrack as well as the UI and custom features so you guys know what you're in for. This game was made by Snowed In Studios and is available on Steam, Desura and the Humble Store.
Let me start of with some background information, so lets meet our character!
You can create a character with some basic choices e.g hair colour, gender etc and choose an occupation of your character. I chose a male butcher with blue hair! ;) These choices will affect how your character looks and feels at the start of the game.
The story of this game is not what i expected at all! When i heard of this game I was expecting something to do with wizards or magical forces in some unknown land. Anyway the story starts on Cordeus, a town dependent on mining whale oil, as all the food and technology comes from this oil. However the number of sky whales are going extinct so your character is enlisted to find a new source of energy for the town. Ancient people named the Aetherkin had exotic sources of energy. Energy more powerful than anything any human has ever seen. Unfortunately, research related to the Aetherkin is strictly forbidden by law. It is up to you to find this energy without being caught...
Joe here with a review of Windforge. This game, as always, will be judged on the graphics, game play, story and soundtrack as well as the UI and custom features so you guys know what you're in for. This game was made by Snowed In Studios and is available on Steam, Desura and the Humble Store.
Let me start of with some background information, so lets meet our character!
You can create a character with some basic choices e.g hair colour, gender etc and choose an occupation of your character. I chose a male butcher with blue hair! ;) These choices will affect how your character looks and feels at the start of the game.
The story of this game is not what i expected at all! When i heard of this game I was expecting something to do with wizards or magical forces in some unknown land. Anyway the story starts on Cordeus, a town dependent on mining whale oil, as all the food and technology comes from this oil. However the number of sky whales are going extinct so your character is enlisted to find a new source of energy for the town. Ancient people named the Aetherkin had exotic sources of energy. Energy more powerful than anything any human has ever seen. Unfortunately, research related to the Aetherkin is strictly forbidden by law. It is up to you to find this energy without being caught...
This game is an RPG platformer that is set in a steampunk world. There are many craftable items and you even get to fly your own airship. What's not to love ?? The unchangeable key bindings are very annoying when playing this game; maybe something they could change in the future. One fun feature of gameplay is there is no barriers; you can break everything and with no invisible walls the possibilities are endless. Another key point of gameplay is that your decisions can reflect on how the world evolves.
What's not to love.
The difficult controls and inventory screens let this game down. To start I couldn't work out what I was doing for a while, which is not good for a first time player of this game. Also the story is narrated with pictures. With text based story the game was hard to get into which was really disappointing as it had so much promise. The graphics were OK, nothing too amazing but the animation did fit the steam punk feel of the game, so they did well on that!
Why this game is cool
The originality of the story is very good and the whole feel of the game is just very nice. Personally I haven't seen another game out there that is done quite like this one. Also the soundtrack is amazing. I really like soundtracks of games so hats off to the audio team for that. For me the story was the selling point of the game so I am glad that it delivered.
This game was good. I was pleased with the outcome but it's nothing amazing. As Snowed In Studios' first major game, I think it may put them on the map so who knows what's on the cards!
Graphics: The graphics were suitable but could have been better, maybe some crisper imagery and smoother animation sequences.
Story: The story was very good. In my opinion I enjoyed the game and I feel it was the strongest part of the RPG.
Soundtrack: The score by Mike O.K was sweet. I am a sucker for good audio so this really boosted the whole game for me adding so much to the story.
Gameplay: This is what let this game down. The key bindings and inventory screens really disappointed me. Some of the controls were hard and the actions could be a bit more in depth.
This game was very entertaining, I enjoyed playing it so I recommend that you guys check it out and keep an eye out for this developer as you never know what's around the corner. SHOUT OUT to Jennifer Chorlton who sent us a review copy of the game, your the best! :)
THE SCORE: out of 10 I give this game an 6.5 as there was a lot to improve on, but all in all a solid game!
Hope you liked the review and make sure to check out the game if it sounds good to you!
Have fun
Joe :)
Facebook Page!
Hi Guys!
I'd just like to say that Gadgets And Khajiits has a new Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/GadgetsandKhajiits?ref=ts&fref=ts, so make sure to visit it if you want to keep up with the latest articles on Gadgets And Khajiits! It's run by new guy Michael!
I'd just like to say that Gadgets And Khajiits has a new Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/GadgetsandKhajiits?ref=ts&fref=ts, so make sure to visit it if you want to keep up with the latest articles on Gadgets And Khajiits! It's run by new guy Michael!
Wayback Wednesday: THQ!
It all started in 1990, when Jack Friedman started T*HQ, a toy company. However, Friedman bought the creators of the original Prince Of Persia, Broderbund, and dipped their toes into the world of gaming, starting in 1991 when they developed their first game, Peter Pan and the Pirates, which was actually a more important title than you'd think, as it gave T*HQ a secure stream of money. By the end of the year they made over $30 million in profit thanks to their partnership with Nintendo, and by 1992 T*HQ were making games based of Ren & Stimpy and Wayne's World, and they were secure until 1995, when they lost money because the Sega Genesis was beating the SNES, and a new CEO was appointed, who immediately fired half the staff and instead of making games for the new Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64, they made games for people who still had their SNES or Genesis. A bold move, but it worked!
Come 1997 and T*HQ were now THQ, and THQ were making 3D games galore, but nothing they made was really spectacular. That was until later that year, when they managed to strike up a deal with WCW to make some of the best dang wrestling games ever, namely WCW Vs. The World and WCW Vs. nWo: World Tour, which was one of the biggest money makers THQ ever had. WCW/nWo Revenge soon came out, and everyone loved it, but then EA stole WCW's license, and THQ were forced to buy WWF, which then went on to be THQ's biggest line of games, with such hits as WWF No Mercy, and THQ kept on publisher WWF/WWE games right until WWE 13, when they went bankrupt and handed over the reigns to 2K Games.
Once the noughties rolled around, THQ were buying many companies like Volition, who were future creators of the GTA-but-waaay-more-immature game Saints Row. Up until 2008, THQ were in their Golden Age, publishing a constant stream of WWE games, while thinking up new titles like MX vs. ATV and Metro 2033, but then in 2008, the sun started to set for THQ, with the recession kickstarting THQ's descent. Many bad decisions were made, with THQ trying to make AAA kids games that cost $60, which no one would buy, they were being way too cocky by bigging up all of their titles, and then having them all come crashing down.
In an attempt to keep their heads above water, THQ decided that they would need a new innovation; Nintendo could do it with the Wii, so why couldn't THQ, creators of the most innovative wrestling games and master of innovation do it? Well, that lifejacket was the uDraw, and since you can pick one up for about £10 now, you can tell it didn't go down well. Since the Wii was a family console, THQ should've just made uDraws for the Wii, but instead they invested tons of money in making it for the Xbox 360 and PS3, therefore losing all that money.
In the aftermath, THQ had to sell their studios, stop many of their series like Red Faction, and eventually went out with a poof in January 2013. However, it wasn't all bad, as many people didn't lose their jobs, with many developers joining other developers like Volition joining Koch Media and THQ Montreal joining Ubisoft.
So for publishing games like Saints Row, Metro, Red Faction, MX vs. ATV, Company of Heroes and the WWF/WWE series, we salute you!
It's Like The Matrix, Except You're Daft Punk!
Look's like Sony GOT LUCKY with their Project Morpheus model, am I right?
Yep, Sony are stepping into the VR business with their Project Morpheus VR product, which makes some people look uncannily like Jean Claude Van Damme or whoever is the guy that plays guitar in Daft Punk! They revealed it yesterday at GDC in San Francisco, the first big game conference of the year, and buy golly gosh does it look cool! Instead of having the Oculus Rift's blocky look, Sony has gone for a more streamlined, futuristic approach, which could possibly add a helluva lot to the price tag. Oh yeah, did I mention that you can play games in 1080p on it?
|I am officially the king of bad jokes
However, to use the Morpheus, you won't have to take the red pill. Instead, you'll have to buy the Playstation Camera, which will track your head movements, but there are still sensors in the camera, so it'll be very accurate. Apparently, Sony have been working on it for 3 years, and this is still the unfinished prototype, so the Morpheus might get smaller and more powerful in months to come. No price or release date have been announced, but what we DO know is that this may be the start of games coming with VR modes, so you can play your games on the TV or the Morpheus, as it's been announced that the demonstration on Wednesday will include the new Thief game, so fingers crossed it works!
What do you guys think? Does a PS4 Virtual Reality headset excite you? Or do you just want to play your games on your big TV? Tell us in the comments below!
Sunday, 16 March 2014
End Of The Week Extravaganza: March 16th!
Good news for Fine Fans and Schafer Stalkers alike, as Double Fine have revealed that the sequel to their damn funny trick-or-treat-em-up is coming this Halloween, so instead of going round drug dealer's houses and begging them for your teeth-rotting treats, you can just kill them and get your candy instead! On the game, that is. Also, Dooble Nice have announced that Gone Home, the not quite a horror but still trouser browningly scary adventure game, is coming to consoles as well, so if you'd prefer to pay high prices on a network full of weirdos than buying it for 70p in a Steam Sale, then A) you need help and B) good news for you!
Sure, Team Ico announcing that their long awaited spiritual sequel to Shadow Of The Colossus, The Last Guardian, is still very much a project and still in development may sound like good news, but to be honest, it's just giving us false hope. It's no lie that developers say these things a lot and end up delaying or cancelling their games (A la Duke Nukem Forever and Aliens: Colonial Marines), but the thing that worries me is that games that are delayed a lot seem to be kinda bad. Sure, this could very much be not the case since Team Ico are developing it, but when you hear about the endless delays of games that turned out bad (A la Duke Nukem Forever and Aliens: Colonial Marines, again.) then you start to get a bit doubtful about it. Fingers crossed, though!
Never has a game with swords, serpents and (As Will Wright calls it) "WooHoo" been so anticipated. I'm pretty sure that the last word told you that that game is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Sadly, it's been delayed until 2015, but you want a new taste of WRPG (The W is WooHoo, not Western) than Dragon Age: Inquisition is coming out by the end of this year, so look out for that, weirdos!
What do you guys think about these slithers of news? Will Costume Quest 2 be as fun and entertaining as the original? Will The Last Guardian ever come out? And will The Witcher 3 be worth the wait? Tell us in the comments below!
What do you guys think about these slithers of news? Will Costume Quest 2 be as fun and entertaining as the original? Will The Last Guardian ever come out? And will The Witcher 3 be worth the wait? Tell us in the comments below!
Sam's BAFTA Predictions: Right Or Hong Kong Wrong?
Action And Adventure: Sam Said: Tomb Raider. Winner: The Last Of Us
Games Innovation: Sam Said: The Stanley Parable. Winner: Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons
Artistic Achievement: Sam Said: Bioshock Infinite. Winner: Tearaway
Mobile And Handheld: Sam Said: Tearaway. Winner: Tearaway
Audio Achievement: Sam Said: Battlefield 4. Winner: The Last Of Us
Multiplayer: Sam Said: Battlefield 4. Winner: GTA V
Original Music: Sam Said: Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. Winner: Bioshock Infinite
Performer: Sam Said: Steven Ogg (Trevor). Winner: Ashley Johnson (Ellie)
Best Game: Sam Said: GTA V. Winner: The Last Of Us
British Game: Sam Said: GTA V. Winner: GTA V
Sports: Sam Said: Forza Motorsport 5. Winner: FIFA 14
Strategy And Simulation: Sam Said: Papers, Please. Winner: Papers Please
Family: Sam Said: Tearaway. Winner: Tearaway
Game Design: Sam Said: GTA V. Winner: GTA V
Debut Game: Sam Said: The Stanley Parable. Winner: Gone Home
Story: Sam Said: The Stanley Parable. Winner: The Last Of Us
Out of the 16 awards I predicted, only got 5 right! I appreciate that I'm not a huge gaming critic and I don't have every system, so then again I probably know a helluva less about why these games won. However, I have 1 major gripe with the award winners:
FIFA 14 winning Sports. FIFA 14 is basically FIFA 13 but more "realism", aka much more frustrating to play. I think that Forza 5 deserved it because even though it had microtransactions, it was one of the first great next gen exclusives, along with Resogun, and that it should have won. Either that or NBA 2K14. The graphics are some of the best I've ever seen, and better yet it has a great LeBron James story mode! Why the hell did FIFA win?
Anyways, that's just my opinion, and we'd love to hear yours! Make sure to vote in the poll and tell us in the comments section if the winners were spot on, or you thought there were other games more deserving of them!
Wayback Sunday? SEGA!
SEGA started off as two companies; Service Games was a jukebox and slot machine company that was started in 1940 by Raymond Lemaire and Richard Stewart, while Rosen Enterprises was a photo booth company that was started in 1954 by David Rosen. As Rosen Enterprises grew and grew, making coin-op games, Rosen Enterprises merged with Service Games in 1965, and thus started SEGA. In 1966, SEGA made their first game, Periscope, a submarine simulator, and then they were sold to Gulf and Weston, not to be confuse with Smith And Western. I know how people get games consoles mixed with FINE FAMILY DINING!
10 years later, and SEGA had made $100 million because of the arcade boom, and they kept on getting more and more money. Come 1982, SEGA had made the first ever 3D game, SubRoc 3D, but the next year they lost some money, albeit making their first ever console, the SEGA 1000, in Japan. By 1986, SEGA were expanding their horizons to the US and Europe. They released the SEGA Master System, which was popular in everywhere but the US and Japan, and made their first mascot, Alex Kidd. Still, the NES seemed more popular, and then the first console war started.
Coming out in 1989 in the US and 1990 in Europe, the Sega Mega Drive was released, and so was an anti-Nintendo campaign. Once Nintendo released the SNES, the two companies really started clashing. To beat the SNES, SEGA decided they needed a new mascot: Sonic The Hedgehog. The game helped the Mega Drive outsell the SNES at one point, and SEGA kept on going, making a CD Drive add-on for their consoles, therefore making their games more powerful, and the same year they created their most successful game ever, Sonic The Hedgehog 2.
That was the Dreamcast. It was sure to be a winner; it had a great price, and powerful parts. It pretty much failed in Japan, as people preferred to buy the Nintendo 64 or the Playstation 1, but in the west, it was wildly successful. The Dreamcast kept on selling and selling until the PS2 was launched in 2000 worldwide, mainly because of such innovative games as Jet Set Radio, Shenmue and (My personal favorite) Seaman. However, once the PS2 launched, Dreamcast sales fell, and with SEGA knowing that they were beaten, stopped making consoles and became a third-party publisher.
However, by 2005, SEGA were making money again, mainly because of their arcade machines and highly successful Yakuza game. The same year they also managed to buy the Football Manager franchise, publishing every year and providing a steady source of income. Somehow, SEGA still earned money years later, because of such games as Shadow The Hedgehog and Sonic Riders, but in 2006, their profits had almost dropped to 100%. However, they got back up on their feet, and made some great titles in the following years, including Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colours and Sonic The Hedgehog 4, Part 1 and 2. SEGA are still going strong, but have controversially revealed that their next game, Sonic Boom, will have the Sonic characters redesigned. Time will tell how SEGA will do in the coming years.
So for making games like Sonic The Hedgehog, Virtua Fighter and Yakuza, SEGA, we salute you!
Raucous Reviews: Plants VS Zombies: Garden Warfare
Before I start the review, I just want to say sorry for it being so late. Somehow, the postal service took TWO WEEKS to deliver it.
Ever heard the saying "There's nothing like defending a a mentally unstable man's house with genetically modified killer plants."? Well, that's the creed Plants VS Zombies: Garden Warfare lives by, and, for PopCap's first venture out of the puzzle world, it sure follows it well.
Let's start off with the part of Garden Warfare that makes me want to love it sooooo much: it's a BALANCED class-based shooter, a la Battlefront 2. Sure, some people claim that the Chomper is overpowered, but I found killing it just as easy as playing as it, as is the case with all the other classes. The fact that all the different classes have different abilities, like the Foot Soldier's High Jump, or the Cactus' Garlic Drone, means that you can slaughter those not so dumb Zombies (Or human-sized "plants") in a variety of different ways. It's truly a third-person shooter done right.
You can also customise your Plants and Zombies cosmetically and ability-wise using stickers found in packs, for instance upgrading a Chomper to a Fire Chomper, giving it the ability to breathe fire, or putting a top hat on a Sunflower. The game contains no microtransactions at all, as coins are pretty easy to get. I found myself getting about 5,000 coins a match, and since the most expensive pack is 40,000 coins, anyone can do well. It's a fun, easy game to play, but can also be hugely competitive when you want to.
However, since it's a multiplayer-only game, you'd expect it to have quite a lot of modes and maps, but you'd be wrong. This is where Garden Warfare falls the most, as it only has 5 modes (2 of which are just "classic" versions of other modes) and only 8 maps to play them on. Still, the Garden Ops mode is impressive (More on that later) but the Team Vanquish and Gardens And Graveyards modes are copies of Team Deathmatch and Battlefield's Rush respectively, but they are still fun, albeit very short. Garden Ops, however, is a gem of a mode, with Horde Mode-style gameplay. You and up to 3 others (As plants) pick a garden and defend it from waves of Zombies, working together as a team and planting Potted Plants, which are little turrets that each have their own ability. The Boss Waves are determined by a slot machine, and the imaginative and creative enemies are really fun to defeat with your friends (Or strangers).
Unfortunately, that's really all Garden Warfare has to offer, but the fact that it's an easy game to play, yet still replayable, makes it a good game to play if you're short on time. The controls are simple and responsive, so easy anyone could play it! The sound effects are cartoony and quite funny, so it seems it's a game that takes itself seriously at times, but can make you laugh when it wants. Still, the graphics are a bit of a letdown, as I found that textures seemed to take ages to load, but I was playing it on Xbox 360, so I 'm unsure whether that is the case on the One or PC.
The Verdict
Garden Warfare is fun game. It's not deep and contains almost no story, which means it's a great game to pick up and play when you're short on time, but the pack system and character customisation keeps you coming back for more. Sure, the Garden Ops mode is a great one to pick up and play, the map and mode count don't seem to justify the £40 price tag; I think it suits more of a £25 to £30 price range, but if there's a good deal on it, or you have money to spend, I would buy it. I recommended Plants VS Zombies: Garden Warfare to anyone that is short on time and wants something to pick up and play, or any casual gamers who are looking for a shooter where their mum isn't insulted a kajillion times. Overall, I give Plants VS Zombies: Garden Warfare a...
Easy to play
Limited modes and maps
Great Customisation
Price is too high
Pack system is well made
Easy to find a game
A huge thanks to Tristan Rosenfeldt at EA for providing us with a review copy of the game.
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At the same time, wider access to personalised medical treatment is encouraging the uptake of novel, improved therapeutics. The availability of drugs that target viral hepatitis infections according to distinct genetic strains is promoting market development.
HBV and HCV are prevalent among illegal drug users and migrant populations across Europe. However, low awareness means that many affected patients remain untreated.
"Wider access to national counselling programmes and enhancing awareness among high-risk populations such as drug users, infected mothers, and migrants is critical," concludes Chopda. "Such initiatives, together with free screening and reduced treatment costs, will help limit the incidence and impact of Hepatitis B and C."
If you are interested in more information on this research, please send an email to Anna Zanchi , Corporate Communications, at firstname.lastname@example.com
Analysis of the European Hepatitis B and C Therapeutics Market is part of the Life Sciences Growth Partnership Service programme. Frost & Sullivan's related research services include: European HIV Drugs Market, European Hepatitis B and C Diagnostics Market, U.S. Hepatitis C Market, and U.S HIV/AIDS Therapies Market. All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants.
Our "Growth Partnership" supports clients by addressi
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Giant Beastcast: Episode 06
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Her Story is a bold and largely successful experiment in interactive crime fiction.
Rocksteady's gorgeous-looking third Arkham game refines its open-world format a bit and lets you drive a whole hell of a lot of Batmobile.
It's squid kids and ink blasting abound in Nintendo's exceptionally fun new online shooter.
Company »
A tree is a perennial woody plant. Trees are often used in games as a natural wall, providing a barrier as well as cover. Many games also use them to make their environments looks more natural and attractive.
An article of clothing that rests on top of one's head.
The topmost bone in the human body, it contains the brain and the eyes, and is generally considered a good thing to keep intact.
Doors are a common object in most video games, as well as the keys and objects needed to open them. From role playing to shooters, doors are an important component of many games.
Beards are visible facial follicle growth, commonly associated with adult male homo sapiens. In video games, beards are commonly found in character customization systems (i.e. Rock Band) or when pirates are involved (i.e. the Monkey Island series).
A container for trash. Often an in-game breakable object, filled with useful items/magic.
Facial hair consists of anything from a mustache to sideburns. Facial hair has been a close friend of gaming from the beginning.
Even though water in games tends to bring about death, we all still hold it near and dear to us. After all, the human body is comprised mostly of it.
Shines light in dark places and sets things on fire. Some are magical.
Rocks are the hard objects found randomly scattered across the ground all over the Earth's surface. They're not good for much more than smashing stuff or being made into other things. Handily crushes Scissors but cannot defeat the mighty Paper.
Traffic cones are used mostly in driving and racing games, but have appeared in many other video games as well.
Paper is a thin material made of plant fibres, used to write or print upon. In terms of Rock, Paper, Scissors; it defeats rock, but is defeated by scissors.
Whether it's worn for protection or style, helmets appear in various game genres.
A clock is a device used to tell time.
A sculpted representation of a person or object, generally in butter or stone.
A ladder is used to gain access to higher or lower ground. Also used as a weapon in most wrestling games.
A framework built into a wall or roof to let in light or air.
A piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall typically used to advertise. A good example is a movie poster.
Whether it's a regular piece of colored fabric or the high-tech keystone of a base's defenses, the flag is the most important asset a team can have and the most precious thing the opposing team can steal. It is also used for racing games.
Umbrellas are found in all sorts of games. They appear as items to protect against rain and as weapons, among other uses.
Cars go places. Hopefully fast.
Crates sometimes contain things!
A flat surface that is often used to place objects upon - most commonly, food.
A furniture that provides a place to sleep. In video games, often used to regain health, skip time and *ahem* other activities...
Divider that seperates land or structures from one another
The headwear of a distinguished gentleman. Top hats can be associated with classical renaissance as well as modern Gothic subculture.
Object used to make up a skeleton or skeletal frame.
An artistic work that has been created by applying pigment to a canvas, often via the use of a brush.
A bridge is something that quickens your journey by allowing you to go over an obstacle, like a river or gorge, instead of making you go through it. It is made of a variety of materials like wood or steel.
A valuable item that is highly sought after, often used as a reward or incentive to complete objectives. Also used as a currency in many role-playing games.
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New exhibit open at Cattaraugus County Museum!
There is a new exhibit open at the Cattaraugus County Museum and Research Center. Titled "War is Cruelty; A Sesquicentennial of the Civil War in its Third Year", the exhibit will run through October 2013.
This exhibit, intended to compliment our summer long series of Civil War related programming, is made possible in large part due to generous loans from private collectors within Cattaraugus County. We hope to see you!
Cattaraugus County Sheriff Sponsors Local Police Training
Cattaraugus County Sheriff Timothy S. Whitcomb
Sponsors Local Police Training
Little Valley, NY – Sheriff Timothy S. Whitcomb announces the completion of local police trainings. On April 26, 2013 thirteen local law enforcement officers completed 80 hours of specialized training as a General Topic Instructor.
Civil War Event Series this Summer at the Cattaraugus County Museum
Check out all of the events that are part of the Civil War Event Series this Summer at the Cattaraugus County Museum!
Community Health Survey
Let Your Voice be Heard!
How many times have we commented, complained, or whined about something that impacts us or a family member or friend? Perhaps we have said "I wish they would…", or "I wish there could be…", or "How come we can't get help with…?" The Cattaraugus County Health Department would like to give you the opportunity, between now and June 21st to Let Your Voice Be Heard!
Job Opportunities At The County Jail
Little Valley, NY – Sheriff Timothy S. Whitcomb announces job opportunities at the County Jail as a Part-Time Corrections Officer. The job responsibilities include guarding and attending to the care, well-being and discipline of jail inmates.
If accepted, 7 weeks of field training are required as well as successful completion of a Corrections Academy. Applicants MUST have availability to perform shift work, various shifts including weekends and holidays, and have flexible hours.
Heart Health and Signs of Heart Attack
Below are informational handouts from Upper Allegany Health System/ Olean General Hospital regarding heart health, signs of heart disease, and how to recognize a heart attack.
Please review them all for some great heart health tips!
Early Identification & Recognition Program to partner with the Olean YMCA for Healthy Kids Day 2013!!
The Early Identification & Recognition Program (EIRP) is partnering with the Olean YMCA for Healthy Kids day on Saturday April 27th, 2013.
Tire Disposal Dates
View the tire collection schedule for 2013 from the Cattaraugus County Department of Public Works.
Top 10 Most Wanted by the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office
View the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office Top Ten Most Wanted
Draft Hazard Mitigation Plan available online for review
Cattaraugus County seeks public comments on its draft Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The public's assistance in this process will assist the County in completing its mandatory five-year update of its existing plan. Members of the public are encouraged to go online (http://www.cattco.org/form/draft-hazard-mitigation-plan-few-questions) to review and make comments on the draft plan.


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185.18.14 CUDA, some change.....
Hi All,
I don't have it working yet, but I've made some progress on the CUDA issue in the 185.X series. Looking at the CUDA 2.2 release notes, the instructions call out for gcc to yse the -malign-double flag due to the way 64-integers compile by default in gcc. When I add -malign-double to CFLAGS, instead of getting a 100% complete error when CUDA starts a task in BOINC for GPUGrid, it now just sits there, with the GPUGrid tasks in the queue, but does not change the 1st task from "Ready to Start" to "Running", so nothing starts. So I need one of 2 things...
1.) What are ALL the gcc flags I need for NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-185.18.14-pkg2.run to compile the CUDA driver correctly in 64-bit linux? Or....
2.) How do I get NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-185.18.14-pkg2.run to use the nvcc compiler from the CUDA Toolkit?
Mike Doerner
Re: 185.18.14 CUDA, some change.....
I doubt that the inctruction are talking about compiling the drivers but the CUDA Applications.
Re: 185.18.14 CUDA, some change.....
OK, from forums.nvidia.com they're telling me nvcc can't be used for compiling the kernel module (i.e. must be the same as compiled kernel.)
So what gcc flags MUST be enabled/disabled in order to get the CUDA component to work properly? When -malign-double isn't enabled, I get an immediate "100% complete" when a task starts in BOINC for GPUGrid, but when -malign-double is enabled, the tasks do not start for GPUGrid in BOINC. FWIW, I'm SuSE 11.1 and KDE 4.2.2, gcc 4.3.3.
Mike D
Re: 185.18.14 CUDA, some change.....
Re: 185.18.14 CUDA, some change.....
So how do you get the 185.X series to work With BOINC and GPUGrid? The 180.X series works, but has problems with occassional frozen screes when CUDA is running.
Mike Doerner
Re: 185.18.14 CUDA, some change.....
Me too.
185 driver series - SETI@home CUDA works only 1s and complete task as bogus
180 driver series - no problem what so ever
Re: 185.18.14 CUDA, some change.....
Mike D
Re: 185.18.14 CUDA, some change.....
I don't have any boinc.log in BOINC directory ( either in system log directory ) and currently theres no SETI job at all ( nor GPU not CPU ) to test or run from pure terminal.
So I have nothing to post, only that I had this problems with 6.4.5 BOINC Manger and custom made seti program from Crunch3rs so it could be compiled against specific CUDA 2.1 code and therefore don't work with 2.2 available with 185 series driver.
Now I have BOINC Manger 6.6.31 and I wonder if official CUDA SETi client is available with this version on Linux or again I will be forced to use this Windows based custom made Crunch3rs version...
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What does DAL mean in Turkish?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand DAL in the International field in general and in the Turkish terminology in particular.
Find a translation for DAL in other languages:
Select another language:
What does DAL mean?
- dekaliter, dekalitre, decaliter, decalitre, dal, dkl(noun)
- a metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters
Discuss this DAL abbreviation with the community:
Use the citation below to add this abbreviation to your bibliography:
"DAL." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2015. Web. 6 Jul 2015. <http://www.abbreviations.com/term/400793>.


text:
Drink Hail!
Next Show
April 10th
Shenanigans in Dahlonega, GA
Looking to hire Three Quarter Ale for your wedding, club, or corporate event? ...Maybe to bang out some jolly tunes while your coven conjures up spring? Need some handy info to pass on to your boss, warlord or fellowship of elves? Then check out our Digital Press Pack! Download it, save it, send it to your friends (or enemies, especially if they love showering amazing musicians with gold).


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VIDEO: First Look - MERRY FRIGGIN' CHRISTMAS, Starring Robin Williams
In the wake of Robin Williams' death on Monday, the iconic actor left four feature films that have yet to be released, including MERRY FRIGGIN' CHRISTMAS, set to be released on November 7th. ET has shared an exclusive first look at the film below.
The film follows Boyd Mitchler (Joel McHale) and his wife Luann (Lauren Graham) as they spend a dreaded Chrismas with Boyd's father Mitch (Robin Williams) and his family of misfits. Upon realizing that he has left all of his son's gifts at home, Boyd hits the road with his father and younger brother in an attempt to make the 8-hour round trip before sunrise.
Clarke Duke, Oliver Platt, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Tim Heidecker and Candice Bergen also star.
Source: ET
About Author
- Mark Wahlberg Partners With Indian Motorcycle on Limited Edition Apparel Line
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- VIDEO: Joan Rivers Snubbed? Watch OSCARS' In Memoriam Tribute
- Kirk Cameron, Kelsey Grammer, ANNIE and More Top 2015 RAZZIE AWARDS; Full List!
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- Actor Joe Mantegna Becomes Saint Pio Foundation Goodwill Ambassador
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- Gay Men's Health Crisis to Honor THE NORMAL HEART's Larry Kramer with Lifetime Achievement Award


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BlackBerry, NantHealth put genome browser on Passport
The collaboration, first in what the companies hope will be a series of offerings, highlights how BlackBerry is going after regulated verticals such as healthcare.
The collaboration, first in what the companies hope will be a series of offerings, highlights how BlackBerry is going after regulated verticals such as healthcare.
Chrome browser users can now say "OK Google" to initiate a search or tell Google to set a reminder.
Hands-free search is coming to your Google Chrome browser.
The latest beta release of the Chrome browser for Linux, Mac and Windows introduces support for voice commands, as well as improved support for responsive design for web developers.
An update to the BlackBerry 10 operating system adds message filtering, picture password and offline browser reading mode.
Android, iOS and Blackberry top Dice's list of top search terms used by hiring managers at the tech job posting site.
Some people are still in denial about the rise of the Linux operating system with the Chrome Web browser interface, Chrome OS, and its hardware: the Chromebooks. The experts say, however, it's the one segment of the PC market that's growing while everything else shrinks.
Users of Google's Chrome browser on the desktop will be able to search by image, while Chrome on Android gains support for a wider range of gesture controls.
After five years of Google's Chrome browser, the search giant is hoping to take Chrome apps to the desktop.
Mozilla and BlackBerry are sharing desktop, mobile and browser security experience.
Jason Perlow calls "one device" the natural evolution of Post-PC. Matt Baxter Reynolds says it's a solution in search of a problem.
Bing search supposedly serves up more malware sites than Google, but isn't browser security performance a more important measure of security?
Microsoft has yet more updated guidance for those in search of the elusive 128 GB models of its Surface Pro tablet/PC hybrids.
The post-PC debate moves to the marketing world as a new study highlights the boosts for search advertising and e-commerce thanks to tablets.
A group of Apple users in the UK have launched a legal case against Google after the search giant was found to have bypassed privacy settings in the Safari browser by U.S. authorities.
PC making giant Lenovo may be mulling a bid to acquire the BlackBerry maker. But the Canadian government would likely have to approve any sale of the company--especially if it's being sold to the Chinese, considering recent US worries.
Chinese Internet company admits search giant Baidu will continue to dominate in 2013, but is banking on providing a better user experience through its browser and focusing on mobile search.
Mozilla has released the newest versions of its desktop and mobile software, which brings new features as well as bug fixes to the browser.
In a Google+ post, the search giant said that it is launching a "save to Drive" extension to its Chrome browser.
The app, similar to those available for iOS and the BlackBerry OS, lets users search online without needing to fire up a browser. However, it will not work on Windows RT-based systems such as the Surface tablet that will go on sale this Friday.
How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)
Windows 10
How to survive an iPhone liquid submersion (hint: it's not rice)


text:
Vermop Salmon Gmbh
|Vermop Salmon Gmbh Patent applications
|Patent application number
|DEVICE FOR WRINGING LIQUID-ABSORBING WIPING ELEMENTS AS WELL AS MOP WRINGER - A device for wringing liquid-absorbing wiping elements comprises a first substantially plate-shaped pressing jaw (
|Detection Device - The invention relates to a detection device for piece goods, in particular textiles. Starting from the marking of textiles with RFID tags that can be read out by means of a reader, as is known from the prior art, a detection device for textiles is produced within the scope of the present invention, in which electromagnetic fields of different orientation are generated by means of at least two antennas arranged at a defined angle to each other, and this ensures that the electronic markings of the piece goods disposed in a counting cage may be reliably read out independently of their relative arrangement in the space.
|STRUCTURED MULTILAYERED NON-WOVEN FABRIC - Structured, multilayered non-woven fabric, having at least two types of fibrous non-woven components (
Patent applications by Vermop Salmon Gmbh


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Pau Gasol to undergo procedure to relieve tendonosis in both knees
May 8, 2013, 7:22 PM EDT
Pau Gasol will undergo a procedure on aimed at relieving the tendonosis he's been suffering from in both knees, the Lakers announced on Wednesday via official release.
A probe will be inserted into each knee, and will direct ultrasonic energy to eliminate scar tissue without damaging healthy tissue. The timetable for Gasol's recovery will be announced one the procedure is complete.
There are many question marks in terms of how the Lakers' roster will be constructed next season, and it's unclear whether or not Gasol will be back with the team. L.A. may look to trade him for players who are a better fit for Mike D'Antoni's system, or might even consider amnestying him, as crazy as that initially sounds.
A lot will depend on Dwight Howard, an unrestricted free agent who may or may not return to the Lakers.
Gasol missed a total of 33 games due to injury, and averaged 13.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 33.8 minutes per game this season.
- robertb655 - May 8, 2013 at 8:45 PM
Still won't help his face
- money2long - May 9, 2013 at 12:04 AM
when he has 2 rings on his hand, he doesn't care what you think about his face
- melkipershero - May 8, 2013 at 10:43 PM
Send him to Germany!
- 00maltliquor - May 9, 2013 at 2:33 AM
for the treatment i'm assuming, not to an euro team, right?
- Foul Dwimmerlaik - May 9, 2013 at 6:30 AM
Uhhh… Germany? Why? *smh*
- fanofevilempire - May 9, 2013 at 9:54 AM
to get the knee operation Kobe had and recommends to
those in need.
- Foul Dwimmerlaik - May 10, 2013 at 2:05 AM
Thanks for the enlightenment, buddy. *kicks self in the glutes*
- losanginsight - May 8, 2013 at 11:47 PM
It's about time
- paulhargis53 - May 9, 2013 at 8:43 AM
money: Who cares about rings won 4&5 years ago? Your team is 1-12 in its last 3 playoff series! Third best team in California. Next year is over before it starts too. Tell lakerluver to get lost too, he lost our bet.
Signing off this way for my buddy malt,
- omniusprime - May 9, 2013 at 8:47 AM
At least this should keep Pau from playing international ball this summer. Pau just can't take the grind of playing basketball all year long, this procedure shows he has to dial it back in order to keep healthy for the important basketball – NBA.
The Lakers need to keep Gasol and get rid of the real trash – Trash Nash and Steve Flake – the two most incompetent point guards to disgrace the purple and gold. Plus the Lakers ned to fire Dumbtoni or next season is a bust.
- bougin89 - May 9, 2013 at 10:15 AM
Oh great, now the T'Wolves will trade both Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio along with a first round pick for him.
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text:
Watching professional wrestling, you tend to get the feeling that everything at some point comes full circle. Jobbers get over, tag teams form, break up, and reform, and main event fixtures get relegated to the sidelines only to at some point invariably make their glorious return. This point struck me last night while watching Monday Night Raw, particularly with Shawn Michaels once again returning to the front lines (in some form, anyway) in the shows leading up to the PPV which he will serve as main event referee in, Hell in a Cell.
It's always good to see Shawn, naturally. He's one of (if not) the best ever, certainly one of the best in my lifetime, and extremely charismatic and entertaining on the microphone. He's also been one of the biggest pains in the ass off-camera in the storied history of the WWE. Vince McMahon's consistent willingness to not only extend the olive branch, but perhaps the entire tree, has never been more evident than recently. From the expected (Bret Hart) to the nearly unthinkable (Bruno Sammartino) to the downright impossible (Ultimate Warrior), the WWE's runner has always shown the inherent ability to look past personal grievances for the power of the almighty dollar. That those overtures are regarded as concessions to the fanbase is not a total misnomer. If you want to see any of those gentlemen in a WWE ring again and are willing to pay for the privilege, well step right up.
It takes two sides to tango, however, and unfortunately in the case of some of the biggest legends of the business, they are at equal fault when it comes to their failure to remain in the business they kicked ass at. Ric Flair is one of the most singularly entertaining and bombastic talents in the sport ever. He is also an absolute legend and someone who you'd expect could play a major part in the trajectory and development of the next big talent. Unfortunately, his personal life has nearly always been a disaster, and he's become so infatuated with his own legend and press clippings that he has allowed that back story to become his front page story. Even working as a panelist at a recent WWE symposium proved a bit too much for him to bear. As much as I crave to see Flair in one form or another on my television set each week, reliving those amazing moments from my youth, I am forced to admit this is but a shell of the man who marched into the Royal Rumble, talked trash about the federation I liked the best, and proceeded to win it all.
Rivaling Flair in star power was of course WWE's own Hulk Hogan, and much like Flair, the ego and side issues have combined to form a toxic cocktail that has inebriated a legend to the point of dementia. Hogan bolted out of the WWE for about the sixtieth time, and much was made of the decision, as he brought his considerable star power and legendary status to the fledgling promotion TNA. That alone turned TNA into a rival for your attention. While the continued bungling and mismanagement of that roster can not be solely laid at Hogan's feet, it's very clear his pull extends far beyond his tear-away T-shirts these days. The more he tries to claim he's not involved, the more the gentleman protests too much, to butcher Shakespeare.
This came to a head when it became apparent that TNA and Hogan might be simultaneously done with each other, and perhaps the most popular wrestler ever in the WWE would return to the fold once again in time for WrestleMania XXX. Depending on who or what you believe, that dream was dashed due to the fact that WWE simply doesn't see Hogan as a draw anymore. Between the sex tapes, Miley Cyrus parodies, mayoral arm wrestling matches, and backstage politicking, I for one can't say I blame them. It's even more damning for the Hulkster because never before has the WWE been more open to bringing in anyone and everyone available no matter the cost. From Brock Lesnar to Rob Van Dam, now is the time to make your return and finally work that part-time schedule that the WWE has always resisted so ferociously.
The Attitude Era was so successful due to a confluence of events, but a huge part of it were the guys who headlined that time period in the ring. The fact that just about none of them can go anymore has a lot to do with wrestling's struggles since then, both true and perceived. One of the things professional wrestling has to its advantage over other sports competing for the same viewers, however, is the ability to reinvent itself. When pro football or baseball is having a slow period, they can't reach out and change the rules or manufacture new athletes. Wrestling can, because there are inherently no rules at all. It's not a level playing field. Why, then, are we finding ourselves stuck in a rut of nostalgia when we should be cheering on the next generation of stars? One of the unfortunate truths is that we do it to ourselves.
Movies have become an unfortunate glut of remakes and similar ideas only slightly repackaged. Music, once the last bastion of individual expression, is starting to sound like a whole lot of the same thing over and over again. Television is becoming an endless morass of reality shows showing us the reality of irritating people being just interesting enough that we can't stop tuning in to decry them. And in wrestling, we're content to watch John Cena Five Knuckle Shuffle and plunk the money down when The Rock takes a break from shooting another underwhelming movie to hop back into the business that we're still in love with.
I don't want this to be taken the wrong way. I think certain events, like Brock Lesnar making his return to the WWE after an extended layoff, are amazing things for the business and make for inspirational and emotional television. I look forward to the day we say the same thing about Kurt Angle. I'm glad Bret Hart patched things up with the company he busted his ass for, even if it's just so he can pop up on TV once in a while and remind us he's still around. But there's just too damn much of it. I have renounced the odd booking of talent like Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow, The Shield, Antonio Cesaro, Cody Rhodes, and of course Daniel Bryan, just to name a few. While there's nothing we can do about that, we do have the power to sound off on the fact that this new breed of guys that can actually go in the ring are worthy of everyone's attention.
Daniel Bryan is a win for everyone that's a wrestling fan, title or otherwise. I don't agree with the arc that story has taken, but it's secondary to me. Fans filling up blogs and social media with anger and venom are missing the point. Bryan went from who cares to way, way over and he's never turning back. The fact that his relationship with Brie Bella is now admitted page one material for the WWE and their marketing machine proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Now it's time to turn our focus and our dollars to the rest of this talented group, to demonstrate to the WWE brass that their penchant for loading up on stale talent to get a few more measly PPV buys is not the right decision. Now is the time. The legends of our past have proven to be more concerned with personal accomplishments than making it better. I don't want to watch HIAC because Shawn Michaels is showing up. I'm glad he's there, but I want to watch it because I want to see Daniel Bryan win the title in a moment that will be second only to another WrestleMania a decade ago.
In that WrestleMania, two men won belts and celebrated in a moment that could not have made this wrestling fan living in Philadelphia any happier than if I had reached through the television and clutched championship gold myself. No matter what sadness followed, nobody will ever take that moment away. I will always think of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, defying the odds and defining the moment, proving to wrestling fans all over the world that sometimes wrestling does, in fact, out. If we want to see and feel that again, the time is now to act. This is not a criticism of the big names of the past and what they mean to the business. This is the realization that sometimes we as fans need to step out of that circle and create a new shape. The front office will be dragged along, kicking and screaming. The ball is in our court.
*The Rhodes family storyline, amazingly, has been the best thing that has come out of the HHH Corporate scenario. It remains to be seen what will happen with The Big Show, but there have been enough about-faces in his career that I'm not holding out high hopes. Having Cody and Goldust defeat The Shield for the Tag Team Titles right after news broke that The Shield had climbed to #5 all-time in total days with the belts was inspired and did what a title change should do, namely, elevate the belt. The Shield will remain in the thick of the main event matches, but have been buoyed by those belts to attain their current level. As for Cody, heat with the boss and getting back to the family roots is perfect and opens up a whole slew of future possibilities. Will he have his long-awaited match against his brother under the spotlight at the big dance? It remains to be seen, and this IS the company that put a belt and a manager in the corner of Curtis Axel and then did....nothing, but let's appreciate the moment. Incidentally, the #1 reigning longest-tenured tag team champions in WWE history? How about Paul London and Brian Kendrick. Who'd have thunk it?
*I've never claimed to be a major fan of Randy Orton, as readers in this space know all too well. I think his ring work is fine, but he has always bored me to tears during promos and I just don't get what others are excited about. It's one big reason why I feel the past few months have been a collective yawn. I was hoping that HHH/Stephanie pushing Orton to return to his psycho heel roots would make for some entertaining television, but weekly beatdowns of The Miz just aren't doing it for me. Orton had his chance last night, as he fiendishly waltzed into the training room to perform some sadistic activities on Bryan's bride-to-be. It was reminiscent of some of the best over-the-top evil stuff we've seen from him. Unfortunately, the end result was underwhelming to me. Bryan kicked out of the Alberto Del Rio distraction rollup (a feat which ADR himself failed to accomplish when taunted with the name of John Cena), performed another minute or two of in-ring action, then raced off and broke into the locked room only to find...the Bellas and the trainer, all unable to explain where Orton was. That led to the sneak attack where Bryan was launched into a tub. And then some staring. There was a chance to do something far more memorable here in my view. It's all about the build.
*News of Bray Wyatt sustaining a reasonably serious leg injury during this past weekend's live events continues what's been an absolutely brutal string of problems for the WWE on the injury front. The good news in this situation, however, is that the WWE scribes weren't doing much with Wyatt anyway. The best thing about him other than his facial reactions have been his interviews, and his vocal cords (and ability to rock menacingly, no small talent that) remain undisturbed. Until the return of Kane, it appears that Wyatt's ravage through the midcard may be continuing with The Miz. Expected to miss up to a month, he will remain a presence on TV and thanks to the unique and inimitable tag team of Rowan and Harper, we may not miss a beat. Speaking of R&H, how about some character development for them? Let's get into their back story and what they are doing with Wyatt, shall we? No time like the present.
*In a final bit of injury news, WWE will get some assistance with the returns of Divas champion AJ Lee and Rey Mysterio. Mysterio's return to the ring has already happened, but his TV date is still TBA. It would be nice to see Rey get a run with some gold again before the end of his storied career, but with the frequent injuries it might have to be tag team belts or nothing. As for AJ, what more evidence do you need that she was right about the division? There is simply nothing interesting going on with the rest of that group. I completely forgot about Tamina Snuka until this week's Raw, and was intrigued by her improved offense. This division needs an infusion of outside talent in a hurry.
That's all I have for this week. As always, I welcome your comments in the space below or via Twitter @DharmanRockwell. I shall return on Friday with the latest news from the wrestling world. Until then, this is Mike Holland saying thanks for reading and have a good one!


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Click to expand
What do you think? Give us your opinion. Anonymous comments allowed.
#1 - Mecryte (10/17/2013) [-]
The way I read the backstory to this was that "Tempest" was supposed to be the rigged winner. 4chan decided that they wanted something else. They went En masse to the site and voted the crap out of "Hitler did nothing wrong." Like many other contests that 4chan finds it's way into, it was deemed unfair, and thus, halted.
#7 to #1 - shiningfinger (10/17/2013) [-]
I still don't get how these things are unfair.
Its not like they've broken ANY of the rules.
Its not like they've broken ANY of the rules.


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The internet totally freaked out yesterday over a report that NBC was on the verge of killing off three of its beloved Thursday night sitcoms: "30 Rock," "Parks & Recreation" and "Community." Freaked out prematurely, as it turns out: "30 Rock" and "Community" have both been renewed, albeit for shorter, 13-episode seasons,
while the fate of "Parks & Rec" is still officially up in the air as has "The Office." "Parks & Rec" got a full 22-episode renewal." [Updated]
The fourth-place peacock network hasn't gotten too many calls right over the last few years — if it had, it wouldn't still be in fourth place — but this is one of them. NBC, I applaud you.
Let's start with "Parks & Rec." It's terrible. Good riddance. Maybe it was funny when it started. I wouldn't know. I've only been watching it for the past couple seasons, at the urging of friends who keep insisting that the dozen or so awful episodes I've forced myself to sit through aren't the good ones, and that I really ought to give it another chance.
Well, I'm tired of giving it chances. I'm glad I won't have to anymore. [Update: My jubilation was premature.] "Parks & Rec" stars a number of very talented comic actors. I look forward to watching them on other shows, shows whose writing is less lazy, cartoonish and sappy. (Related: If you are one of the strangely large number of self-styled TV snobs who turns your nose up at "The Office" but still adores "Parks & Rec," well, I don't know what to tell you. They are the same show.)
"30 Rock" and "Community" are a different kettle of fish entirely. The former was truly great for a number of years. It's just not anymore. It's gotten flabby, repetitive and — the only sin that really matters — just not very funny anymore. It's time to let it die a dignified natural death.
If some fans think "30 Rock" is too young to go — well, all the better. There's a reason the series that become cult classics are often the ones that, like "Arrested Development," "Firefly" and "Freaks & Geeks," got canceled before their time. Like rock musicians, TV shows that survive too long inevitably become embarrassing reminders of their former greatness.
"Community" has been frequently brilliant in its three seasons, and truly unlike any other show on TV. Even though it's ripe for cult immortality, I'm happy it's not ending just yet, both as a fan and on a personal level. (I doubt he'd remember me, but when I was in high school I took improv lessons from creator/showrunner Dan Harmon and was a fan/stalker of his comedy troupe, the Dead Alewives.)
But I'm also happy NBC plans to make fewer episodes next season. Deadline's Nellie Andreeva says this is a way of saving money so the network can invest in more new shows — something it desperately needs if it's ever going to find another true ratings hit on the order of "Friends" or "Seinfeld." I look at it as a form of quality control.
The 12-episode seasons standard in premium cable have conclusively proven that less is usually more, especially for shows driven by the vision of a single writer/auteur. The more distinctive the creator's voice, the denser and sharper the writing, the more the series suffers from being diluted to 22 episodes, a measure that requires more farming out of the actual scripting. Magnificent as some of "Community's" most audacious episodes have been (be sure to watch its "Glee" parody if you haven't already), it's been up-and-down in a way that suggests Harmon's attention getting stretched too thin.
For a network TV example, look at how "Friday Night Lights" blossomed into the best drama on TV after NBC cut a deal with DirecTV that allowed it to produce 13-episode seasons without the dangling carrot of a back-nine pickup. Now there's a show that didn't outstay its welcome.


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V.20 No.5 |
The Daily Word 02.09.11: Beer Marshmallows, Plastic Rice, Chicken Wyngz
By Tom Nayder [ Wed Feb 9 2011 9:01 AM ]
The House fails to extend the Patriot Act.
President Obama is having lunch with the GOP leadership today.
China is making fake rice from plastic and selling it as real rice.
Governor Martinez is blaming NM Gas for the gas shortage.
School bus accident in Mississippi leaves 3 dead, and 60 injured.
Sources say production has begun on Apple's next-generation iPad.
Ever wonder what would it look like if Disney made a Superman cartoon?
I have a feeling this guy is getting fired.
Astrology has been re-affirmed as a trusted science in India.
Why isn't the liberal media covering the boneless wyngz controversy?
CNN admits it has a Fox Problem.
No one knows the reason why all Wells Fargo ATMs went offline this week.
Pharmacist accidentally gives abortion-inducing drug to pregnant woman.
Police find drugs in a man's penis.
Fox News calls Bulletstorm the worst game in the world.
Nerdy website overthinkingit.com analyzes 10 years of Law & Order episode outcomes.
Everything you ever wanted to know about Mike, the Headless Chicken.
Most distant galaxy yet has been discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope.
If I had ever successfully watched an episode of Dr. Who this flowchart may be more interesting.
Have a look at 14 of the most expensive meals in the world.
If you pirated a copy of The Expendables you should think about getting a lawyer.
Beer marshmallows? Beer marshmallows!
The CIA's Flickr page sucks way worse than the Alibi's.
Family thinks they're buying a Dora the Explorer DVD, actually gets Bubble Butt Bonanza #17 instead.
400 Super Bowl ticket-holders who were screwed out of their seats are offered a pretty sweet deal.
10 things you you should know before you go furniture shopping.
V.19 No.49 |
The Daily Word 12.15.10: Stealing Organs, Stealing Chips, Stealing Booze
By Tom Nayder [ Wed Dec 15 2010 10:07 AM ]
Kosovo authorities may have harvested organs from prisoners of war.
Florida school board shooting caught on tape.
YAWN! Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is Time's 2010 Person of the Year.
Is it racist to call a fatso fat?
Farmington city council approves a six-month moratorium on medical marijuana producers.
What were Richard Holbrooke's last words?
My new hero steals $1.5 million worth of gambling chips from the Bellagio.
The head of King Henri IV has been identified.
Dead man found in an RV in Deming.
George Clinton apparently no longer thinks sampling is cool.
Albuquerque teens steal car, vodka.
Dead gladiators were thrown out with the trash.
Our cubicles are getting smaller.
Titanium foam may soon help rebuild your bones.
This Korean fake girlfriend app will cheer you up, right?
The worst gifts for your foodie friends.
The 60 best new Tumblr blogs of 2010.
Yes, this is a nativity scene made from pork.
Meet Iapetus, our solar system's weirdest moon.
Top ten overused resume phrases.
V.19 No.48 |
The Daily Word 12.02.10: The exclamation point edition!
By Marisa Demarco [ Thu Dec 2 2010 10:23 AM ]
Lobo Lucy was groped, according to APD.
No condoms for APS students, say emotional parents.
New major at UNM.
Interpol issues an arrest warrant for Dick Cheney. Ex-VP will be charged in a Nigerian bribery case.
Holy matrimony! Same-sex couples can't divorce in Iowa.
2018 World Cup heading to Mother Russia. U.S. loses 2022 to Qatar.
Shark attacks at Egyptian hotel. Sharktopus!
Sports training for babies. 400 babies!
Ant-covered Jesus smote.
Usher Molests Inanimate Objects: A Guide
Eminem hoards Grammy nods for his tired b.s.
300 sextillion real stars!
V.19 No.45 | 11/11/2010
The Daily Word 11.10.10: Pissed-off students, the history of style, mysterious gamma ray bubbles, sausage bites
By Laura Marrich [ Wed Nov 10 2010 12:59 PM ]
U.K. students riot in the streets over fee hikes that would triple tuition.
Meanwhile, UNM academics won't feel next year's 5 percent budget cut, acting president Paul Roth indicated yesterday.
Not so at CNM. Several vocational programs will be cut in the fall.
Sara Lee will be swallowed by Mexico's gigante food corporation Grupo Bimbo.
Mustachioed movie critic Gene Shalit is leaving "Today."
Hear arts and culture critic Dave Hickey talk about "the History of Style" tonight at 516 ARTS. He's amazing. It's at 7 p.m. and costs $10.
The FDA unveils 36 proposed warning labels for cigarette packaging.
Two "huge, mysterious gamma ray-emitting bubbles" are sitting at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, astronomers say.
Gwyneth Paltrow thinks she's a country music singer now.
Dunkin' Donuts rolls out sausage-pancake munchkin thingies.
V.19 No.39 |
The Daily Word 09.30.10: Un-naked Santa Fe, Ochocinco Os, Color Me Badd
By Marisa Demarco [ Thu Sep 30 2010 10:51 AM ]
Apartment fire kills a baby.
Albuquerque balloonists missing in Italy.
For all his talk of government spending, Jon Barela's company sure does like those film tax rebates.
Santa Fe stiffens its nudity law to prevent another World Naked Bike Ride.
A distant, Earth-like planet that may have life.
Canada's throwing out its anti-prostitution laws.
Drivers text anyway.
Tony Curtis died.
Lobo Club won't spend donations to buyout (fire) Locksley.
Chad Ochocinco cereal box accidentally advertises a sex-talk phone number.
Obama likes Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity.
AIG says it's totally going to pay us back.
The men of Color Me Badd tell their story.
It's OK to vote against stuff.
Does gargling salt water help anything?
V.19 No.28 |
The Daily Word 07.21.10: Trillion Dollar War, Deceit Rape, Eye-Rolling Outlaws
By Tom Nayder [ Wed Jul 21 2010 10:10 AM ]
After $1,000,000,000,000 (yes, a trillion dollars) do you feel safe?
Nineteen people arrested at a North Carolina school board meeting after a fight broke out over busing students.
The Senate broke the deadlock on jobless benefits.
Man arrested in Israel for deceit rape.
Most. Massive. Star. Ever.
Crafty serial killer caught in Washington DC.
Why did BP Photoshop its oil spill command center?
Rare Shri Lankan loris photographed for the first time ever.
Who owns Facebook?
Ice-T arrested in New York (not for pimping).
If we outlaw eye-rolling then only criminals will eye-roll.
Woman in Utah with two uteruses is pregnant with two babies.
Check out this security footage of a badass bank heist.
Playboy launches a non-nude website for guys who are afraid of boobs.
Cute animal being cute.
How to win at Rock Paper Scissors.
It looks like a tomato, but it's an apple.
Classic movies improved with a Mel Gibson voiceover.
V.18 No.53 | 12/31/2009
Once in a Blue Moon
By Marisa Demarco [ Thu Dec 31 2009 5:45 PM ]
The second full moon to occur in a single month is called a blue moon. Every two or three years, we have one. Well, that's the modern definition, and it's actually based on a mistake made in 1946 in a Sky and Telescope article. There's an older definition. Debate ensues.
The term "blue moon," used to indicate an impossibility. These days, it more often means something is rare.
For instance, there's one tonight—on New Year's Eve, even! You could say the NYE blue moon only happens once in a ... while.
It won't really be blue, though.
Some say this uncommon moon is auspicious (if you make plans under a blue moon, they will transpire, guaranteed). Others fear it's foreboding (those plans may befall you in savage or unhappy ways). Some people think it's no big deal at all. Hopefully, these folks are interesting in other ways. (Yeah, you heard me.)
Today's Events
Beyond Meditation: Community HU Chant at Eckankar Center
To the Last Word Poetry Slam at Warehouse 508More Recommented Events ››
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Olivier Douliery / Abaca Press
May 2, 2012
Newt Gingrich finally ended his Republican presidential candidacy, unbowed and with a backhanded endorsement of the party's presumptive nominee. "This is a choice between Mitt Romney and the most radical, leftist president in American history," he said. In classic Gingrich fashion, he began his farewell remarks by tracing his career in public life back to high school in the late 1950s. He also reprised many of the themes of his campaign and promised that, along with his wife, he would pursue them in the years ahead. Story
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Tucson Area Bulletin Board:
View Single Post
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Tucson AZ
Oddometer: 1,037
I've commuted on the drz all the way through winter, in January my rides started before the sun rose, so about as cold as it gets in AZ.
Being a poor HS student, I found that layers are they key. I found one of the most important layers is a long sleeve Under Armour shirt (the tight kind). Then various layers of light cold weather gear depending on how cold. Then a riding jacket, then the second most important, the windbreaker. I found without either the windbreaker or Under Armour I was freezing no matter how many other layers I had. The windbreaker keeps the cold out, Under Armour keeps the heat in. Same concept with gloves, I had some of those small cotton gloves, as well as big poofy winter gloves.
That's my experience, maybe an electric vest would be better, so you don't have to have 5 layers of cold weather gear
but I found that I was fairly comfy with what I had said above.
2000 Suzuki DR-Z400S
And what is good, Phaedrus, and what is not good- Need we ask anyone to tell us these things? Pirsig
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- We are a Shooting Sports Specialty Store. Serving the SW corner
of Arizona since 1956.
- Our personnel is extremely knowledgeable and very customer service oriented,
with over 59 years experience in the industry. We have developed the contacts
and resources to help you find what other dealers may not be able to.
- We invite you to visit our web site www.spragues.com
or stop by our store whenever you fin


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The Giant Beastcast: Episode 06
Become Premium to Watch
Her Story is a bold and largely successful experiment in interactive crime fiction.
Rocksteady's gorgeous-looking third Arkham game refines its open-world format a bit and lets you drive a whole hell of a lot of Batmobile.
It's squid kids and ink blasting abound in Nintendo's exceptionally fun new online shooter.
Character »
Spanning across 120,000 light years, the Star Wars galaxy has been home to the Galactic Republic, the Galactic Empire, the Jedi Order, and a multitude of star systems and inhabited planets.
A desert planet in the Star Wars universe, Tatooine orbits twin suns and is primarily populated by moisture farmers and those looking to let the imperial heat die down. It reportedly has rich mineral deposits, but the harsh weather and conditions makes mining too expensive to be profitable.
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I'm a RP-addict and so most of my drawings are about my RP-Chars, who are also part of some stories I write. It's nice to actually see my RP-characters, so I use my "drawing skills" to make them come "real" - not only for me, but for other people who read my texts.
In these days, my main character is Zrasiramasas, so most of the pics are and will be about him or the guys who are with him. Don't worry: he is NOT a cute vampire, his eyecolor was chosen about 16 years ago
In general, my passion in art is drawing portraits but I try to expand my drawings a bit - backgrounds, perspectives, groups, SCENES... it's very hard for me, but in a future far far away I will be able to draw something like that which would not look like a drawing of a 5-year-old ;D


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Originally Posted by Mainecoonmaniac
The recipients will be lucky to get them. I know they won't end up in the recycle bin.
Well maybe not. Someone who saw my production line today, commented "I've seen pictures like that on Instagram."
Did you smack them on the back of the head? People who do that deserve the smack.
Technological society has succeeded in multiplying the opportunities for pleasure, but it has great difficulty in generating joy. Pope Paul VI
So, I think the "greats" were true to their visions, once their visions no longer sucked. Ralph Barker 12/2004
Originally Posted by sly
Well maybe not. Someone who saw my production line today, commented "I've seen pictures like that on Instagram."
Don't cast your pearls to the swine. Only connoisseurs will treasure them.
We are buried beneath the weight of information, which is being confused with knowledge; quantity is being confused with abundance and wealth with happiness.
We are monkeys with money and guns.
― Tom Waits
Originally Posted by mark
Did you smack them on the back of the head? People who do that deserve the smack.
Well, no. She's a client for my keep-a-roof-over-our-heads job. A lovely person who will be a joy to work with. I'll just see if i can sneak a little photo education in around the corners.
Actually ...... (as my niece was want to say when she was 6)
Until I discovered APUG and other internet resources, I had very little exposure to most of the historical processes. I have no problem with Instagram emulating cyanotypes - I just wish it gave credit for where the ideas for most of the "filters" originated.
Photography is a complex and fluid medium, and its many factors are not applied in simple sequence. Rather, the process may be likened to the art of the juggler in keeping many balls in the air at one time!
Ansel Adams, from the introduction to The Negative - The New Ansel Adams Photography Series / Book 2
Thats awesome I was thinking of doing some nice cyanotype prints and frame them for small gifts but Christmas cards are such a cool idea, it also works well due to blue being a 'cooler' colour which would work well with a winter photo.


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In this humorous collection of celebrity wit, acclaimed broadcaster and humorist Charles Osgood offers witticisms penned by luminaries ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Andy Rooney.
Known for his clever commentary and witty radio-show rhymes, Charles Osgood here selects and introduces a collection of hilarious correspondence from some of our best-loved politicians, authors, and stars of the stage and screen. Funny Letters from Famous People delivers rib-tickling communications… (plus)
Editeur: Crown Archetype ( 1 mai 2003)
Format: EPUB
Taille du fichier: 1,76 Mo
Protection: DRM
Langue: Anglais
The epistolary novel (a novel made of a series of documents, usually letters) got started in the 15th century according to wikipedia, and people are...


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MIZELL STEWART: America's day of reckoning
Complicated relationship is the main issue
The day of reckoning is coming for Americans — but that day has less to do with the question of raising the debt ceiling and more with our complicated relationship with the federal government.
That relationship was exemplified in two articles that shared space at the bottom of the front page of Tuesday's Courier & Press.
The first outlined the sorry state of negotiations between President Obama and Republican congressional leaders over budget cuts versus revenues to get the nation's spiraling deficit under control.
Right next to it was an article detailing the frustration of Hoosiers affected by the heavy rains and flooding that struck the area a few weeks ago who are being denied federal disaster aid.
Indiana was not granted a federal disaster declaration, though residents of several counties in neighboring Kentucky will see that aid.
The most interesting part of that article was an interview with a West Side man who suggested the denial was political: Indiana is being punished for its resistance to President Obama's policies.
Well, sir, I'd hasten to point out that our friends across the river elected Rand Paul to the U.S. Senate — and he's no friend to the Obama administration. These days, blue describes grass and the University and Kentucky in the Commonwealth more than statewide politics.
No, it's not political. It is about the money.
The day of reckoning is this: If there is the political will in Washington to truly deal with spending and debt, the relationship between Americans and their federal government will have to change at a fundamental level.
That's not going to happen any time soon, and here's one example:
Despite all the rhetoric flying back and forth on the debt ceiling, the House decided last week to grow the debt even further.
The vote came in favor of extending the National Flood Insurance Program, which is the insurer of last resort as most homeowners' insurance policies don't cover flooding.
According to Thomas Voting Reports, which compiles votes in Congress each week for the Courier & Press, representatives voted 408-22 to not only preserve the program but to allow it to go another $3 billion in the red over the $17.8 billion it already owes the U.S. Treasury.
Granted, the bill also includes several long-hoped for reforms, but it increases the debt nevertheless.
A separate bill to repeal the NFIP — backed by those who believe the federal government needs to get out of the flood insurance business — failed 384-38.
The latter bill failed because there is no "flood insurance business." The potential losses are so great that private insurers have abandoned that market.
It's a small example, but if we want government to continue to be the insurer of last resort — and I would imagine those of us facing being wiped out completely by a natural disaster would welcome the help — we have to be willing to pay the tab in both good and bad times.
We cannot continue to borrow money and just pay the bill later. But to really address the issue, Americans will also have to give up some of the assurances that we have come to enjoy.
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Fighters Uncaged Xbox 360 Cheats
- Game: Fighters Uncaged
- Game Description: Fighters Uncaged is Ubisoft's first motion gaming offering for the Kinect, developed by AMA Studios. Aimed at the hard core gamer, Fighters Uncaged makes a bold attempt at the experienced gamer market. Does it fall short? You be the judge.
Secret Achievements cheat for Fighters Uncaged on Xbox 360
It's a long way down - 5 Gamerpoints - Knock an opponent to the ground.
King of the world - 70 Gamerpoints - Win League 1.
Once upon a time… - 5 Gamerpoints - Perform a combo.
Rising Star - 40 Gamerpoints - Win League 2.
Secret achievement - 50 Gamerpoints - Unknown.
The killer shout - 5 Gamerpoints - Use a super strike.
The Sandman - 5 Gamerpoints - KO your opponent while he's groggy.
Young hopeful - 30 Gamerpoints - Win League 3.
Game Name: Fighters Uncaged
Cheat Name: Secret Achievements
Submited by: killr20 on Sun, 26th December 2010 07:30 PM
Comment on the Secret Achievements cheat for Fighters Uncaged:


text:
1. Open the subs and put salami, ham and pepperoni.
2. Spread some sauce and cheese.
3. Place the subs on a foil and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 F.
4. Fold the subs and cut into half. Serve.
This video is a creation of CookinforCollege.You can visit CookinforCollege for complete recipes, and more videos.


text:
Mikey Baseball
Baseball, around and beyond the Capital Region
By Mike Gwizdala | About Mikey Baseball
Monthly Archive for April, 2012
The Lineup Card
Hello there folks, get ready for the rundown around baseball, as we write out… The Lineup Card. Sorry to borrow from Bill Maher's shtick, but "New Rule" give the kid the baseball or get more creative. I got my first foul ball when I was a little kid at Durham Athletic Park, during a Durham […] [Read More]
Hairston Hits For The Cycle
It was an ugly 18-9 loss for the New York Mets, at the hands of the Colorado Rockies. Yet one silver lining was the theatrics of Scott Hairston. An unlikely candidate, given he only had five hits on the season, coming into the contest. With the cycle, which Hairston also completed in just six innings, […] [Read More]
Capital Region Roundup
– New York Mets third baseman David Wright homered in a 5-1 win over the Miami Marlins. Wright's two-run blast was significant because he passes Darryl Strawberry for the franchise record in RBI, driving in over 735 on his career. – Former Albany-Colonie Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter now has a 15-game hitting-streak. Jeter went 2-for-4 […] [Read More]
The Lineup Card
– If you're wondering why mostly everyone has disdain for our Congress and doesn't take them seriously when they cry foul on the federal budget deficit. Two words: Roger Clemens. What a waste of tax payer dollars. Sorry but nobody freaking cares. – Chicago White Sox starter Phil Humber pitches a perfect game and as […] [Read More]
Highlanders 6 Red Sox 2
During pregame ceremonies at Fenway Park, there were a lot of names and numbers to be celebrated. However when game-time rolled around, there were none to be found. I'm sure the commemorative programs were nice but one didn't really need one today. Think Jackie Robinson Day, except the complete opposite. It was the first meeting […] [Read More]
Fenway Park At 100
In Boston, Braves Field is now Nickerson Field, which belongs to Boston University. Huntington Avenue Grounds, besides being mentioned in "Tessie" by the "Drop Kick Murphys," is now Solomon Court at Cabot Center, on the campus of Northeastern University. Yet 100 years later, Fenway Park still stands at 4 Yawkey Way. My first MLB game […] [Read More]
Curtis Granderson, Curtis Granderson, Curtis Granderson
Curtis Granderson goes 5-for-5 with three home runs in the first four innings. Former Albany-Colonie Yankee Derek Jeter, ties Dave Winfield on the all-time hit list. Plus former Albany-Colonie Yankee Mariano Rivera picks up the save, preserving a 7-6 win for the New York Yankees over the Minnesota Twins. [Read More]
The Lineup Card
Hello there folks, get ready for the rundown around baseball, as we write out… The Lineup Card. – Baseball is back in full swing and it's about to be in the mid-80's on Monday around here. Raise your hand if you're ready to catch a ballgame. I don't know about you, but with the AHL […] [Read More]
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