text:
External Affairs Associate
The Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness (ICPH) seeks an external affairs associate to join a multi-member external affairs team. Primary responsibilities include: media relations (proactive and reactive); writing and editing (press releases, blogs, talking points, newsletters and other collateral materials); social media strategy and implementation; government and community relations; updating media database; assisting with marketing and advertising; maintaining external affairs archives (publications, media mentions, articles, videos); and assisting with other duties as assigned.Qualifications and Expectations:•Bachelor's degree preferably in communications, journalism, or public relations•3 to 5 years experience preferably at a non-profit, in government, or media•Excellent writing and verbal skills and ability to adapt writing style to audience (ie. Blogs, marketing/advertising, speeches, etc.)•Ability to take direction and juggle multiple projects simultaneously•Keen attention to detail, well-organized, deadline-oriented•Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite a mustCompensationStarting salary is commensurate with experience and salary history. ICPH provides excellent benefits including health and dental insurance, employer funded retirement benefits, life insurance, disability, and ample vacation, holiday, personal, and sick leave time. Please submit cover letter, resume, writing sample, and at least one example of a recent media placement to Linda Bazerjian, Director of External Affairs at firstname.lastname@example.com. Indicate the position's title in subject line of your email.


text:
List Price: $9.99Copyright Year: 2010Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers LimitedPublication Date: 3/3/2011Binding: PaperbackPages: 320Size: 4.75" wide x 7.50" long x 0.75" tall Weight: 0.594Language: English
The story of one amazing woman's crusade to help abandoned horses and disadvantaged children which changed their lives forever.Once much loved and cherished racehorses are often abandoned to a life of starvation and neglect. Left unwanted and unloved it's these beautiful animals often die alone in squalor. One woman was determined to change all that.Helen Yeadon held back the tears as she watched another brutally neglected racehorse arrive at their stables ' abandoned by all and without the will to survive, Gee was in a pitiful state.Then another troubled soul arrived at their stables, Sophie was a quiet and withdrawn teenager who had stopped speaking ' causing her friends and family much anxiety. Soon, Helen watched as a miraculous thing began to take place. Gee started to respond to Sophie's presence and Sophie in turn started to respond to Gee. An unlikely friendship began to develop and an idea formed in Helen's mind.Fast forward five years and Greatwood is bringing disadvantaged children and abandoned racehorses together. This unique project allows children with special needs, emotional and behavioural issues and autistic spectrum to learn life skills through interaction with and caring for the horses.
*A minimum purchase of $35 is required. Shipping is provided via FedEx SmartPost®
and FedEx Express Saver®. Average delivery time is 1 – 5 business days, but
is not guaranteed in that timeframe. Also allow 1 - 2 days for processing. Free shipping is eligible only in the continental United States and excludes
Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. FedEx service marks used by permission."Marketplace"
orders are not eligible for free or discounted shipping.
Learn more about the TextbookRush

subset: commoncrawl


text:
There have been revelations this week about the beauty regime of the world's most-photographed woman, Kim Kardashian, in the wake of the birth of her first child.
Grazia quizzed "a Hollywood source" who stated, confidently, that Kardashian's "glow" is down to "getting her face vacuumed once a week. The treatment uses a supersonic suction device that draws out blackheads, dead cells and impurities, and hydrates dry skin by improving blood-flow."
Kardashian vacuums her face once a week? When CW had a three-month-old baby, it wasn't managing to shove the Henry around the front room once a month. There was a


text:
Don't tell the Euro Kiddes
Social Situations
General Gun Discussions
> Don't tell the Euro Kiddes
December 26, 2002, 02:34 PM
I don't think any of them have made the jump so far. If no one tells them, maybe the litttle trolls will stay away.
If you enjoyed reading about "Don't tell the Euro Kiddes" here in TheHighRoad.org archive, you'll LOVE our community. Come join
today for the full version!
December 26, 2002, 03:17 PM
It's only a matter of time before a "Viggen/Murt" show up..:D
December 26, 2002, 03:27 PM
Agricola is like a pet spider. I won't mind him showing up. Nothing ever changes in debating him, but it sharpens the skills....
December 26, 2002, 03:37 PM
Agricola is like a pet spider.
Hey now, quit insulting Heinlein and Mannerheim! Mannerheim started gnashing his fangs when he read that (with all eight eyes). ;)
December 26, 2002, 03:40 PM
Oh, oh.
Maybe you shouldn't let them read ag's posts if they're impressionable.... :D
December 26, 2002, 03:47 PM
Wolf spiders everywhere would start paratrooping on top of Agricola's house and we'll find the first reported incident of a human dessicated by arachnids?
Agricola, and anyone from Europe, is welcome on THR as long as the forum rules are respected.
December 26, 2002, 03:59 PM
See my location? :)
I'm not sure what a "Kidde" is, but I don't think I qualify. I'm probably too old, too conservative and own too many guns. Agricola probably shares at least one of those characteristics... :D
BTW, I used to be UltimaThule on that (voice cracking), that other board. I just felt like a change, you know. Just had my Christmas bath and everything, so why not a new handle as well?
December 26, 2002, 04:08 PM
Oh, but Ultima Thule was such a cool handle. I didn't matter what it meant. It was the sound of it. Uuuulitma Thuuuule. Uuuultima Thuuuule. Uuuultima Thuuuule...
Sorry, I must have gotten carried away.
December 26, 2002, 04:11 PM
Myattemtp to help you understand the word, M67. I am guessing that you do NOT fit the term.
"Kidde" is a kind word that is being used to describe an young child who does not yet know and understand the ways of the world. Could possibly be describing a younger person who is too caught up in themselves, no respect, party crowd, going with the flow, everything is good except anything that comes close to the right wing.
December 26, 2002, 04:22 PM
Not you M67. I haven't seen Metallic Kittty or Konstantin yet. Doesn't apply to Agricola either.
December 26, 2002, 04:34 PM
BTW, I used to be UltimaThule on that (voice cracking), that other board.Glad you're here! :D
I have many pleasant associations with posts under your old user name. I'll try to mentally associate them with your new one. :D
December 26, 2002, 04:37 PM
a younger person who is too caught up in themselves, no respect, party crowd,
Heh, some might argue that "euro-kiddy" would suit me :rolleyes:
Just joking, not so much a kid anymore, and as to Euros, I fart in their general direction. :p Well, south and downwards, that is ...
Anyway, Norway is back in numbers. Good to see you Ultima^H^H^H^H^H^H M67! Nice nick, you can't go wrong with a Mauser. I'll see you on the shooting range, and I'll add those Spyderco Natives to my order to Linda Glasshartt. Ønsker deg en fortsatt God Jul og et riktig Godt Nytt År! (Seasons greetings in Norwegian, if anyone wondered...)
I have a feeling this new board will be a good one! Nice to see you all again! *Grouphug*
December 26, 2002, 04:43 PM
Glad you made it here, too! :DØnsker deg en fortsatt God Jul og et riktig Godt Nytt År! And I thought English was tough! :eek:
December 26, 2002, 04:47 PM
Welcome, NonServiam !
It's good to see another Norwegian member join the club. ;)
December 26, 2002, 05:19 PM
And I thought English was tough! A Spanish lady I know had something to say about that. "English? That's just Norwegian grammar with a French vocabulary." Before moving to Norway she used to teach at an English university, so I assume she knows what she's talking about... :D
December 26, 2002, 05:28 PM
first reported incident of a human dessicated by arachnids? .
hey now, its not nice to get my hopes up like that....
if the pic attachment thing were working, you'd be looking at a picture of an arachnid perfectly capable of doing such a thing.
rock jock
December 26, 2002, 06:10 PM
Agricola is like a pet spider.
Let me just say for the record that the only good spider is a boot-squashed and napalm-incinerated spider.
December 26, 2002, 06:32 PM
oh come on rock jock....take a look at these and see if you could really squish something so amazing.....
(sorry for the OT drift)
http://www.swiftinverts.com/pix/purp2.JPG ecuadorian purple
http://www.swiftinverts.com/pix/Tiger4.jpg costa rican tiger rump
http://www.bighairyspiders.com/pix/cobalt1.jpg cobalt blue
http://www.bighairyspiders.com/pix/cobalt2.jpg cobalt in attack posture
http://www.bighairyspiders.com/pix/usambara2.jpg usambara baboon, note the colors on the foot pads.
http://www.bighairyspiders.com/pix/ornata6.jpg fringed ornamental
http://www.bighairyspiders.com/pix/speck14.jpg green bottle blue
to keep it on topic, i did just buy a rifle that was manufactured in europe. decided to get the Mauser 98k from cdnn investments...hope it gets delivered by new years!
December 26, 2002, 06:38 PM
To keep it on topic - if I ever see one of those beasts in my home (or even near it), I'm reaching for the nearest shotgun!!! :eek:
December 26, 2002, 07:15 PM
M67,A Spanish lady I know had something to say about that. "English? That's just Norwegian grammar with a French vocabulary." Before moving to Norway she used to teach at an English university, so I assume she knows what she's talking about... She's grossly underestimating the difficulty of English. I can't really imagine anything more challenging for a non native English speaker than becoming fluent in it. The "ough" string has roughly 452,000 different pronunciations depending on the word and context. It's full of logical contradictions such as inflammable and flammable, and strange redundancies. The worst thing is that conversational English usually bears but a scant resemblance to written English.
I count myself among the luckiest of the passengers on this planet Earth to have been born right in the middle of it instead of being faced with having to learn it as an adult.
The French stiffly resist having their language mongrelized, but American English revels in grabbing convenient words from other languages or just making them up when nothing else quite fits. Perhaps its worst faults are the Protean definitions that are perfectly fine.
To find out what The Constitution means, we have to figure out what the words used meant in 1789, whereas any reasonable person would think the common words used should carry the common definition used today.
That's all perfectly acceptable to us, but it drives the French nuts, and they could never figure out what a literal translation of that last statement means any more than the Germans could figure out what "Nuts" meant when they demanded the surrender of Bastogne in December, 1944.
rock jock
December 26, 2002, 07:26 PM
oh come on rock jock....take a look at these and see if you could really squish something so amazing.....
You're right spaceman. Squishing would put me in too close of a proximity. I would opt for my 20 gauge.
December 26, 2002, 07:30 PM
Hey Russ, I'm no Eurotroll, I'm just a fanatic RKBA gun-nut like the rest of y'all!!! ;) :) :) :) :cool:
rock jock
December 26, 2002, 07:34 PM
Hey, Kraut, I appreciate your enthusiasm but please refrain from the strong language.
Edited to say: "Thanks, Kraut!"
December 26, 2002, 07:51 PM
" She's grossly underestimating the difficulty of English "
Also English only uses 26 letters (which western kids learn in their infant years), whereas Japanese/Cantonese consist of however many hundreds of characters. Japanese students continue to learn the Japanese 'alphabet' well into their high school years, and at the end of it all English is the most difficult language to learn. Go figure.
And as for the Euro (trash) trolls, I'd say it would be better to spend ones time informing people who aren't intentionally misguided or myopic.
December 26, 2002, 08:07 PM
I guess you won't be visiting with us any time soon - I do have a nice furry tarantula. :D
December 26, 2002, 08:09 PM
Not at all, Runt (and I still haven't forgotten your description of Oleg's behind on TFL!!! :D :D :D ). I'll just bring my shotgun along, in case it gets into the spare bedroom with me!
December 31, 2002, 10:54 AM
Welcome Krautgunner!
Great to see people who love firearms here. You could probably help us understand some of the socialist attitudes we run into some times. I like a good debate but some of the Europeons we have had on TFL lately really were unpersuadable ( is that a word?). My ancestry is English. Some of my family are from Scotland but I think they came with the Norman invasion. Please don't tell me that makes me French!
December 31, 2002, 03:36 PM
There's quite some folks from Europe who showed up on TFL and now here.
Ah well, these Europeans don't speak Norge too well, but they speak German and French.
December 31, 2002, 03:42 PM
It's good to know I'm not the only one.
I won't step on them unless Im wearing my boots. My other shoes have treads and they(if small enough) could get away and go tell their friends and they already know what I look like. :uhoh:
The only things spiders are good for, are eating other bugs(no problems here) and being good targets when sighting in the .22 or larger at 100 yds. :ar15:
December 31, 2002, 09:18 PM
Hi Russ, I'm living in the People's Republic of Germany! :banghead: :fire: :cuss: :cuss: :cuss:
But I'm no socialist, communist, nazi, mush-minded liberal sissie or similar human aberration!
I just like to keep and shoot firearms and I fight with all legal and democratic means to keep our rights to do so well and alive!
I can't understand those socialist attitudes of many of my fellow compatriots myself!
Sometimes I feel that I'm living in the wrong age and the wrong place in human history!
The early nineteenth century in the USA would suit me fine, but alas I'm stuck in the 21th century in Germany! :banghead:
January 2, 2003, 03:40 AM
Paris, France:
Inspired by the commercial success of the United States Army's "Boot Camp" video game, the General Staff of the French Army has announced plans to market "Ultimate Surrender," a video game based upon the proud military traditions of the Gauls. In this game, we follow the exploits of Lucky Pierre, an apprentice garlic salesman from Marseilles, as he joins the French Army and begins a rigorous course of combat training.
* The First Level of the game is called "Survival School," and the players have to help Lucky Pierre survive 24 hours without red wine or crème brulé.
* The Second Level is "Capitulation," and the goal here is to see which player can have Lucky Pierre surrender the fastest without firing a shot or getting his uniform dirty.
* Level Three is "Collaboration." Here the players battle to see who can collect the largest numbers of pairs of nylon stockings and packages of chocolates by having Lucky Pierre curry favor with members of the occupying forces.
* Level Four is "Be Ungrateful to America for Rescuing France Once Again." In this extremely challenging part of the game contestants vie with one another to see who can make Lucky Pierre behave in the surliest manner when the United States inevitably comes to the rescue of the defeated French.
* The Final Level is "Pretending to Have Been in the Resistance." Here contestants compete in a battle of tall tales and whoppers as they try to protect Lucky Pierre from treason charges.
Marketing tests show that "Ultimate Surrender" is a big hit with French teenagers and young adults who are too young to have experienced France's lightening surrender to the Germans in 1940 or its defeat by the Vietnamese in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu or President De Gaul's surrender of French Algeria after the Foreign Legion had actually defeated the enemy there. "Zees is a great tool to inspire ze patriotism in ze youths, n'est ce pas?" said General Jean-Jacques Loseur, Commander-in-Chief of the French Army, during his weekly press conference. "Since ze end of ze Cold War we French have not had many opportunities to surrender or to show great cowardice in the face of much weaker opponents." When questioned about comments made in the French Chamber of Deputies that "Ultimate Surrender" makes the French Army look like a bunch of gutless mama's boys, General Loseur pulled out a white handkerchief, put his hands over his head and said, "Oh heck, I give up."
January 2, 2003, 05:51 AM
Do I count?
Live in the UK and am only just out of my teenage years.
Oh and please don't drop any spiders on Agricola, he's local law enforcement to me and the last thing I need is him being any grumpier than normal if he encounters me on the way range!
Great new forum by the way.
January 2, 2003, 12:29 PM
There are alot of hoplophobes in Europe because they never handled weapons in their life.
Its like a youth learning to drive a car for the first time. Always a bit of fear of the machine because they have yet to master it.
January 2, 2003, 01:05 PM
As seen when I mounted a black widow in the sample holder of a scanning electron microscope a few years ago:
If you enjoyed reading about "Don't tell the Euro Kiddes" here in TheHighRoad.org archive, you'll LOVE our community. Come join
today for the full version!
vBulletin® v3.8.6, Copyright ©2000-2016, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.


text:
Erie-area Christians unite in annual worship
The crowd was small but the unity genuine at a Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and St. Boniface Catholic Church service.
Members of the Greene Township parishes came together last Sunday in worship for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. A second local service, held by Inter-Church Ministries of Erie County, will take place this Sunday.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed Jan. 18-25 and is promoted by the World Council of Churches' Commission on Faith and Order and the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
"It's a way for Christian churches across the board to come together and say even though there are subtle differences, we have a common purpose to worship the same Lord," the Rev. Bill Cox, pastor of Prince of Peace, said.
The Rev. John Schultz, pastor of St. Boniface, said their churches have a history of joining for events.
"We actually do this through the whole year," Schultz said.
He and Cox said members of the two parishes are neighbors, and some have intermarried.
Karen Allgeier works at St. Boniface School and is the secretary at Prince of Peace. She said the unity service was a way to recognize the value of working together.
St. Boniface member Paul Vallimont likes to fellowship with neighbors.
"I think it's very good the two churches get together as much as they do," he said.
Vallimont, Allgeier and nine others joined the two pastors for the unity service held at St. Boniface.
They sang hymn lyrics like "Summoned by the God who made us, rich in our diversity, gathered in the name of Jesus, richer still in unity."
Cox said the Greene groups hold their own event not to be exclusive, but so members can come together in their own township. He said few make it to the Inter-Church Ministries annual event.
That ecumenical worship service moves around and this year will be Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran, 8942 West Ridge Road, Girard.
Organizers said it will include a combined choir with singers and musicians from west Erie County churches, ecumenical reflection and celebration of diverse spiritual gifts.
DANA MASSING can be reached at 870-1729 or by e-mail. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNmassing.


text:
Helly Hansen Wool Pertex Sweater
Bought this from a Helly Hansen outlet, never seen…
Fabric: Wool-Teflon mix with Pertex liner
Price Paid: �$50 (sale)
Bought this from a Helly Hansen outlet, never seen another one like it. Showerproof thanks to DWR'd Teflon/Wool mix outer, Pertex inner wicks moisture away and acts as windproof barrier. Only problem is really heavy rain gets in by running down the back of your neck. Can be worn down the pub or on a mountain, a little heavy due to wool but more cozy than a fleece.
Helly Hansen Wool Pertex Sweater
The Wool Pertex Sweater has been discontinued.reviewers paid:
The Helly Hansen Wool Pertex Sweater is not available from the stores we monitor.
If you're looking for a new wool jacket, check out the best reviewed current models.


text:
Marie-Claire ShanahanIntroduce Yourself -
Hi all! It's really great to see this community coming together here. I'm an Assc Professor of Science Education and Science Communication at the University of Alberta and very interested in building science culture in Canada. I'm also a sometimes writer and blogger focusing on science media and education issues http://boundaryvision.com/ (ya, I know I need to get back to posting there...). You can find me on twitter (@mcshanahan) or more likely at my desk trying to stay off twitter while I catch up from a busy teaching term. Terrific to meet you all.
Add a comment...


text: If one gets rid of the friction caused by air it is much easier to go faster than the speed of sound? And your reasoning is, if you get rid of photons/light you will be able to travel faster than light. Well I'm not sure if that is how it works. but i like that your thinking. you might try your questioning at this other forum. http://www.physicsforums.com/


text:
SEA LIFE UK - Loch Lomond >
Explore our creatures >
Queensland Grouper
The giant grouper, also known as the Queensland groper in Australia, is the largest bony fish found in coral reefs, and the aquatic emblem of Queensland, Australia. It can be found from near the surface, usually around 3m, to depths of 100m. It can grow up to 9 feet (270 cm) long and weigh up to a huge 880 pounds!
It eats large a variety of animals including small sharks and rays, young sea turtles, fish of all sizes, crabs and spiny lobsters. Groupers "lurk and lunge" when feeding. Hiding in a cave or under a big table top coral, it then waits for its prey to pass by. Then the grouper jumps out and slurps up the animal into its big mouth before the prey realises what's happening!
Join SEA LIFE for news and special offers!


text:
Aaron Wiliams, Texas
Size: 6-0, 204. 40-time: 4.55
Projected round: 1-2
Mayock: "He can play corner, but ultimately, I think his best position is going to be inside. In today's NFL of multiple-receiver sets and pass-first offenses, I think you're going to see more and more free safeties who look like corners. Williams reminds me a little bit of the kid out of Ohio State that the Saints drafted a couple of years ago, Malcolm Jenkins. He was kind of a borderline first-round corner, but when they kicked the kid inside, he had a heckuva year last year. If I drafted him, I'd probably try him at corner first, but I think he's eventually going inside."


text:
The Grind: 1UP's RPG Blog
Full coverage on console, PC, MMO and tabletop RPGs.
Skyrim's Latest Update Revives Hope of Revisiting Morrowind
By Chris Pereira Oct 16, 2012 1:42 PM PSTTags: PC The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (XBOX) Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon (PC) Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS3) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (XBOX 360)
Bethesda yesterday released a new beta update for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, bringing the game up to version 1.8. It will come to all Steam players, as well as those on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, at a later time. For now, only those who specifically opt in to receiving the update (instructions on how to do so can be found here) will be able to receive exciting new features such as "Fixed rare crash when using vampiric grip," "General memory and stability improvements," and the much-anticipated, "Fixed rare issue where exterior door would not open properly."
On the surface, the update appears to be insignificant unless you're suffering from one of the specific problems being addressed. However, some sleuthing on the part of fans has revealed hints in the patch about Skyrim's next downloadable content pack -- one which may contain some particularly interesting additions.
In addition to a trademark filing on the name "Dragonborn" by Bethesda parent company ZeniMax found by Bethesda forum member Mardoxx, it's been discovered that the latest update contains references to Dragonborn. The prevailing belief is this is the name of the next DLC release. If so, that in and of itself is no big deal; we know more DLC is coming, and the name doesn't tell us much considering Dragonborn is a term used throughout Skyrim.
Where eyebrows start to be raised are in some of the other things buried in this latest patch. Among them are files containing the words "DragonMounted," which has been taken to mean that dragons will soon be something you can ride like a horse. That concept is awesome -- flying around the world would be much more fun than riding on a horse or using fast travel, and doing so on the back of a dragon would make your character look much more imposing. Of course, we can't dismiss the possibility "DragonMounted" is merely referring to dragon-mounted AI characters. That would be awfully disappointing if it proves to be the case, though it would serve fans right for jumping to totally awesome conclusions.
What seems like less of a leap is the other big detail Mardoxx mentioned: the DLC is set in Solstheim. If the name sounds familiar, it's because it was the location of the excellent Bloodmoon expansion for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. It's an island located to the northwest of Vvardenfell, the main landmass in Morrowind, and is fairly similar to Skyrim in terms of climate (snowy with some forested areas), making it a relatively easy location to set a Skyrim expansion in. Purported locations within Solstheim include Raven Rock (the East Empire Company settlement you help to develop in Bloodmoon) and Castle Karstaag.
The idea of being able to revisit the locales from Morrowind in future Skyrim content first arose when it was discovered that the landmasses from both Morrowind and Oblivion were included in Skyrim. As Bethesda later explained, this was primarily so that they could be seen from the high mountains located in Skyrim. In his explanation, game director Todd Howard did not shoot down the possibility that these areas could be used in the future, helping to sustain hope that DLC would eventually open these locations up to Skyrim players.
Morrowind remains my favorite game in the series and, as such, I'd love to be able to revisit its world in particular within Skyrim. While a promising mod project is hoping to bring Morrowind as a game into the Skyrim engine, an official DLC release would have to include new content in that region. As much as I would like to go back and reexperience a nicer-looking version of that game, I'm also interested in seeing its setting used for something new.
Being able to go back to Vvardenfell itself in Skyrim seems unlikely, though, due to the way things have changed there. The volcano in the middle of the region, Red Mountain, erupted prior to the events of Skyrim, and most of its inhabitants have since left. Whether there's enough of a presence from anyone to sustain a DLC pack remains to be seen.
At the very least, returning to Solstheim would be a welcome move, even if the location itself isn't as unique as it once was. Presumably players would be doing more than building a home and establishing a family, so those who took issue with Heathfire should be in store for something more up their alley. And for longtime series fans like myself who have fond memories of exploring the snowy expanses of Bloodmoon, Dragonborn could be as close as we get to having the opportunity to revisit Morrowind.
Mass Effect 3's Surprisingly Resilient Multiplayer Keeps Chugging Along
By Chris Pereira Oct 12, 2012 1:20 PM PSTTags: PC Mass Effect 3 (XBOX 360) Mass Effect 3 (PS3) Mass Effect 3 (PC) Mass Effect 3 (Wii U)
When multiplayer support in Mass Effect 3 was confirmed last year, it did not come as a complete surprise. The preceding year had been filled with rumors of Mass Effect multiplayer; initially it was said to be coming as part of a "multiplayer-focused" spin-off game, and later we heard Mass Effect 3 itself would contain cooperative play with a mode that sounded similar to the Horde mode made famous by Gears of War. That turned out to be accurate and, as you'd expect, the (inaccurate) notion of "EA forces multiplayer on previously single-player-only RPG series" ruffled some feathers. The matter was exacerbated when it came out that this mode could have an effect on the outcome of the single-player story, even though it was also noted that the ideal ending (such as it was) could still be reached without ever touching multiplayer.
I would imagine that many of those who were up in arms over the addition of multiplayer assumed the mode would die a quick death. Surely, its inclusion was little more than an EA-mandated feature meant to make the game more appealing to anyone looking at the back of the box. As it turns out, not only are people still playing, BioWare is continuing to deliver a substantial amount of free downloadable content for this mode.
This week saw some of the biggest shows of support from BioWare since Mass Effect 3 was released. The new Retaliation DLC pack includes a handful of new Collector weapons, new kits, playable Volus characters, hew 'Hazard' versions of existing maps (for example, one map will now seen acidic rain fall from time to time which you must avoid), new weapon upgrades, and a new faction of enemies to face off against in the Collectors. And yes, to answer the question you're wondering right away, Harbinger can assume direct control of Collector forces from time to time.
The most significant addition in the Retaliation DLC, however, is the new challenge system. Up until now, BioWare has hosted weekend events every other week where players were tasked with certain objectives. For instance, this past weekend's Operation: Overdrive asked squads to manage a full extraction from any map in under 20 minutes, and for all players to contribute to the completion of 200,000 total extraction waves. The completion of either goal resulted in a specific reward being handed out a few days later. The new challenge system will be taking the place of these operations, making it so that, at any time, you'll have numerous goals to work toward achieving. These range from earning a certain number of points with a particular skill to being extracted a certain number of times. In addition to these, BioWare will now have weekend events using the challenge system. Not only will these be held every week, as opposed to every other week, the rewards for completing them will be distributed to players immediately upon completion, rather than making them wait several days.
The standard challenges (i.e. not the limited-time weekend events) reward players with Challenge Points, which are really the game's equivalent of Gamerscore. Certain high-level challenges will also unlock banners and titles that can be seen in the multiplayer lobby, so there will be an actual reason to complete them. These challenges may not be a groundbreaking feature or anything that dramatically changes the game, but for dedicated players who continue to enjoy it, this gives them specific goals to work toward while playing, as well as something more to earn beyond in-game credits for purchasing equipment. And, from what a post on the official BioWare blog had to say, it does sound as if plans exist to offer rewards beyond banners, titles, and points. Whatever the final rewards end up looking like, this is the kind of feature that can really help to extend the life of a multiplayer game.
Also launched this week is the new N7 HQ website. From here, players can track their challenges, view their characters and inventory, check out leaderboards, and compare their character setups with other players'. It's a nice addition that I'm sure players will appreciate, though it's clear the site still needs some work. At the very least, the ability to see descriptions of each class' skills would be nice. Why this didn't happen I'm not sure; weapons display some information when placing your mouse over them, although what's provided is awfuly minimal.
Keep in mind, every bit of this (and all previous multiplayer content) has been released for free, and not only on PC -- all of it is available to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players, too. EA and BioWare do have a vested interest in keeping players playing besides hoping they don't sell their used copies: the in-game store sells item packs (containing a random assortment of items; you don't buy specific weapons, classes, or upgrades) to be purchased with a currency obtained with real-world money. No doubt the hope is players will be encouraged to spend money on BioWare Points to buy these packs, but remember that all of these packs can be purchased with a currency earned simply by playing the game. In all the time I've spent playing, I've never felt like I was at a severe disadvantage because I decided to acquire items only with the credits I earned by playing.
It's been a few months since I last played ME3's multiplayer. When I went back to play through the Extended Cut, I first decided to play a few hours of multiplayer to raise my Galactic Readiness, and I realized how I had forgotten just how fun its multiplayer is. Despite all the naysayers (I was personally open to the idea of a multiplayer mode, so long as it didn't detract from the quality of the single-player experience), it is a legitimately good time -- unspectacular, perhaps, but entertaining nonetheless. With all of this new content, the silly-looking Volus classes especially, I'm excited to try all of this out for myself. Even though we're in the middle of the busy fall release period, it's a testament to Mass Effect 3 that I'm interested in doing so. If nothing else, it'll help kill some time until that Mass Effect mod for Sins of a Solar Empire is released.
World of Warcraft Pulls a Dragon Ball Z
By Dustin Quillen Oct 11, 2012 3:53 PM PSTTags: PC World of Warcraft (PC) World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC) World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (PC) World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC) World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (PC) World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (MAC)
Longtime World of Warcraft players know that, when it comes to storytelling, Blizzard has always had a knack for constantly raising the stakes. Just as the original game's minor league evildoers gave way to the demonic armies of Illidan Stormrage in The Burning Crusade, the next two expansions upped the ante even further. By Cataclysm we were taking on the colossal dragon Deathwing, who, you might recall, very nearly shattered the world of Azeroth upon his reemergence.
Here's the problem with ratcheting up a villain's capabilities to such extremes: Once a bad guy threatens to single-handedly crack open an entire planet, there isn't really anywhere to go from there. The next antagonist can't exactly show up with a plan to ruin your cousin's Bat Mitzvah. At the same time, if every subsequent adversary also tries to blow up the world, then the whole planetary destruction thing starts to lose its impact. There's no winning either way.
Plenty of stories have struggled with this, but few as notoriously as Dragon Ball Z. Less than a third of the way through the show's very first season, nemesis-of-the-moment Vegeta effortlessly obliterates a planet full of bug people by pointing his finger in their general direction. Talk about a tough act to follow.
So now that Deathwing's been dealt with, what's next for World of Warcraft? Well, Mists of Pandaria introduces the Sha -- amorphous, monochromatic blobs that have mostly lain dormant for thousands of years. According to legend, the last great emperor of Pandaria created the Sha when he imprisoned his own doubt, anger, fear, and sorrow within the land itself. Most of us would probably hire a therapist, but who am I to question the will of the emperor?
Anyway, it turns out that these gooey manifestations of raw emotion feed off the negative thoughts and feelings of Pandaria's people. The Pandaren are about as laid-back as a civilization can get, though, so the Sha never posed much of a hazard for them. Naturally, that all changes once the war-crazed Horde and Alliance show up.
If Mists of Pandaria sounds a bit dialed-back from Cataclysm, that's because it totally is. You aren't rescuing the world from utter destruction, near as I can tell; if anything, you're simply mopping up the mess your people helped cause in the first place. This expansion also conjures up a supporting cast of lesser enemy factions, of course, but the Sha? The main event? They basically amount to little more than the pink slime from Ghostbusters 2 -- not quite a worthy successor to Deathwing The Worldbreaker, if you ask me.
Don't get me wrong, I actually think the Sha make for a fresh and interesting foe. Blizzard at least deserves credit for cooking up something outside the realm of dragons, zombies, and demons. I'm just not convinced that these things live up to the expectations the game's writers have established over the years, and, as a result, the whole expansion sort of feels like a weird side story.
Maybe it's intentional. Perhaps the devs planned Mists as a lighter piece of content in hopes of resetting fan expectations -- you know, before the next crazy disaster strikes Azeroth in a year or two. It's also possible that they're saving the serious threats for future updates. An unfinished quest chain involving Wrathion, Deathwing's son and the last living black dragon, indicates that Blizzard still has a surprise or two in the pipeline for Pandaria.
I'll be back with more Mists of Pandaria impressions next week. Try not to let any malevolent weirdos blow up the planet until then.
Pokemon Black/White 2 Feels Like a Nintendo 3DS Game
By Kat Bailey Oct 11, 2012 9:58 AM PSTTags: Pokemon Black/White 2 (NintendoDS)
I've been ambivalent about the Nintendo 3DS from the beginning. When it arrived last year, I wasn't a fan of the 3D effect, the battery life, or even the screen. It felt extraordinarily dated to me.
That changed back in August when I traded in my 3DS for a new 3DS XL during PAX. As usual, the big, beautiful screen makes all the difference; all the sudden, 3DS games actually feel like a marked upgrade over their DS counterparts. But I've also been surprised by the degree to which it's refreshed Nintendo DS games for me, most especially the excellent Pokemon Black 2 and White 2.
Playing Pokemon on Nintendo's newest platforms isn't exactly a new thing for me. Back in 2003, I regularly played Pokemon Crystal on my Game Boy Advance. When the Nintendo DS Lite arrived in 2006, I used it to play Pokemon Emerald. The sharper screens and more attractive ergonomic design of the newer systems came at a price though. If I wanted to trade or transfer my Pokemon, I had to go right back to the older systems.
To Game Freak's credit though, Pokemon Black and White 2 is not only fully-functional when played on the Nintendo 3DS, the experience is arguably superior to that of playing on a DS or DS Lite. Putting aside a few jaggies here and there, it looks great on the 3DS XL's enormous screen, and the online functionality is near perfect. I can't imagine playing it on anything else.
Among the elements that have impressed about the Nintendo 3DS Pokemon experience is how well it interacts with the classic DS. Where it was impossible to link up the Game Boy and GBA, thus stranding millions of second generation Pokemon on outdated systems, trading between the DS and the 3DS is a piece of cake. The Memory Link and PokeLab feature, both of which interact with DS Download Play, are likewise fully-functional. The 3DS doesn't even balk at the fact that I'm trading with a Japanese copy of Pokemon Black.
In an added touch, the 3DS offers access to the Pokemon Dream Radar app, which can be downloaded for $2.99. Yeah, the Dream Radar should really be free for what it offers (or it should be free in the first month of Black/White 2's release), but zapping clouds and capturing Pokemon in a fashion befitting the Ghostbusters is enjoyable enough. The main reason to get it is for the Pokemon that it yields, most notably the new forms of Thundurus, Landorus, and Tornadus. For some it will be a ripoff, most notably because the game only spits out one of each, but that's how Game Freak has done business since the beginning of time. No reason to expect that they will be changing that any time soon.
The Dream Radar is interesting because it provides a reasonably glimpse into Game Freak's plans for the 3DS going forward. At a guess, we'll be seeing more paid apps in the future. They could be apps that facilitate the online play, StreetPass functionality, or offer mini-games. Maybe Nintendo will even be nice enough offer an app along the lines of the incredibly useful Pokemon Box for the GameCube. Regardless, the Dream Radar is the future.
What's really nice about the Dream Radar is that it makes Black/White 2 feel like an actual 3DS game. It's reasonably attractive, ties in nicely with the game itself, and offers some incentive to make the jump to the new console. And as I mentioned, Black/White 2 actually looks suprisingly good on the 3DS screen. It doesn't show well in screenshots -- few portable games do -- but it's by no means ugly.
The one thing that's just a shade annoying about playing on the 3DS? If the wi-fi is turned off when playing Black/White 2, and you want to do play online or something, you have to exit the game to turn it back on. That's pretty much it.
I don't want to say that Pokemon Black/White 2 has single-handedly swayed my opinion of the 3DS, but it's certainly helped. For me at least, the gap between this generation and the last has finally been bridged.
Resident Evil Could Be a Better RPG Than an Action Game
By Kat Bailey Oct 05, 2012 1:32 PM PSTTags: System Shock 2 (PC) Resident Evil 6 (PS3) Resident Evil 6 (XBOX 360) Resident Evil 6 (PC)
Resident Evil understood early on that horror is not solely a product of terrifying monsters or macabre imagery. It also stems from the feeling that you've lost control and you're at the mercy of your surroundings. For that reason, Resident Evil's gradual move into the realm of action-oriented third-person shooter has always been a little puzzling to me. I get that Capcom wanted to go more mainstream, but the move appears to have come at a terrible price. After all, even a nightmare fueled beast of impossibility doesn't seem that scary when you've got a bazooka at you're disposal.
It makes me wonder -- why not make Resident Evil an RPG instead? I'm not talking about a turn-based, Final Fantasy-style RPG with spiky hair and summons and all that (though that would certainly be certainly). I mean a slower-paced, stats-driven action RPG. Something along the lines of Ken Levine's seminal horror RPG System Shock 2.
Action games can make for perfectly serviceable horror titles (see: Resident Evil 4, Dead Space), but a properly done survival horror RPG has at least one built-in advantage -- realism. In games like System Shock, you are not a superhero per se. You can't control your trajectory when traveling through the air. It takes a bit to build momentum when running.
We're more accepting of these elements in RPGs because we expect them to be there. More often than not, the sole purpose of a shooter is to put you on a power trip. People don't like to feel vulnerable or human when they're playing something like Gears of War. They like to feel like they can mow down the entire world with a shotgun. In an RPG, realism and depth are bigger priorities.
In a Resident Evil RPG, the action could afford to be slower and more considered. The monsters could be more nuanced and difficult to take down due to an increased emphasis on special abilities and special types of ammo (see again: System Shock 2). There is value to be found in customization as well. I can imagine ugprades that would quell the terror of the main character in the face of a horror like a Regenerator and steady their shot.
Character development is important in horror movies. It was the bond that we felt with Ripley that helped make Alien and Aliens so completely terrifying. Over the course of two films we saw her as tough but scared, then panicked, then shellshocked, then finally as a kind of warrior mom. We were with her every step of the way. RPGs do a better job than any genre of turning that kind of development into actual gameplay concepts. It removes the comfortable distance afforded by Resident Evils 4, 5 and 6, and puts the player directly in the shoes of the main character.
A Resident Evil RPG would also be afforded much greater latitude in its storytelling. Put it this way: there can be real terror in the simple act of making a decision. And there is no genre better-suited for presenting tough decisions. Here's a generalized example. Remember Ashley Graham from Resident Evil 4? Remember how annoying she could be? Part of it was due to the fact that Resident Evil doesn't do a whole lot to establish a bond between Ashley and the player. As a result, she's more an irritation than anything. Her best moment is when you actually take care of her and have to sneak past a handful of guards, adding a degree of personalization and helplessness that isn't present when she's simply getting in Leon's way.
In an RPG, there's more of an impetus to actually to get to know her. Sidequests and dialogue trees are just a couple elements that can add depth to a character and establish that all-important bond. Throw in a few difficult choices, and maybe Ashley becomes more than just an unwanted companion. Maybe the player, in the personage of Leon, actually wants to protect her in the face of the overwhelming terror that awaits.
At this point, any new direction would probably be good for Resident Evil. The general perception these days, especially with underwhelming response afforded Resident Evil 6, is that the series has lost its way. Capcom wants to appeal to a broader audience and the fans want a return to the halcyon days of Resident Evil 2.
A Resident Evil RPG would signify a return to the roots of the franchise while capturing the attention of the kind of gamers who normally wouldn't give Resident Evil the time of day. With the right depth, decision-making, and pacing, it could retain everything that made the original games so scary without actually regressing to the terrible controls and chunky polygons. It's a shot in the dark, but at this point, anything would help.
If Pokémon Plans to Evolve, Going Online-Heavy Won't Be the Way
By Chris Pereira Oct 02, 2012 4:21 PM PSTTags: Nintendo DS Pokemon Black/White 2 (NintendoDS)
Pokémon is a franchise frequently criticized for failing to evolve. Given industry trends and advances in technology, we've been wondering for years now if and when we would see an online-focused Pokémon game -- more specifically, a Pokémon MMO. While that might seem like too radical of an idea for Nintendo, remember it's Game Freak that develops the games and that this week will see premium downloadable content released for New Super Mario Bros. 2, which is not something we would have seen from Nintendo even a few years ago. That said, it would seem an online-oriented Pokémon title is not in the cards at this point in time.
Game Freak producer Junichi Masuda recently discussed the idea of a persistent online Pokémon game with Gamasutra, and much to the chagrin of those looking forward to such a game, he indicated such a project is unlikely. "I really like online connectivity, but for example, we're having this phone call right now, and it's really cool that we can communicate with each other from two really faraway places," he said. "But at the same time, it would also be really great if we could talk in person.
"That's another thing we could do; it's much more enjoyable when you're talking in person. So I think the best way is to have kind of both at the same time, being able to enjoy this kind of faraway communication, as well as having aspects that allow you to enjoy communication face-to-face and in-person communication."
I can understand not wanting to abandon gamers who want to be able to play together in-person, but if that's the big reason for not wanting to do a more online-oriented game, I do find myself questioning the logic. Even if we accept that playing together in-person is superior to playing online, it's not an option for everyone. The developers do understand that, or else we wouldn't have online features of any sort in Pokémon. But why is it these can't be taken further? It's not as if an online-centric game has to completely leave out any local multiplayer; if that's deemed important, there's no reason why Game Freak could not still provide a rich multiplayer experience for those wanting to play in-person. It also would not have to be the permanent direction for the series: Dragon Quest X being an MMO doesn't mean every future Dragon Quest release will be one, too.
Certainly, part of the reason why I am intrigued by an online Pokémon game is because I've grown tired of the series' formula. When I realize Pokémon Black/White Version 2 are being released this Sunday, I begin to get excited about picking one or the other up. That is, until I realize what's likely to happen if I do: I'll play for five to ten hours before growing tired of an experience that is, in many ways, so much like every prior Pokémon game I've played.
Masuda compared Pokémon to a sport like soccer or basketball, where the core mechanics have changed very little over time -- only the specific rules have. That got me thinking about whether I simply look at Pokémon games in the wrong way; would I feel differently if I considered them more akin to the latest entry in an annual sports franchise than a new JRPG? Maybe I would, until I realize that I have no issue with the core gameplay. I'm not asking for, say, dramatically redesigned combat. But is it really so much to want the main game to consist of something other than the standard "collect all these badges and then face the Elite Four" routine? Black/White Version 2 adhere to that norm, just like their predecessors, and that does little to excite me as someone who started playing the series with the release of Pokémon Blue.
Pokémon is hardly the only Nintendo franchise to be criticized for not changing enough over the years, though at least something like Mario gets the occasional fresh title like Super Mario Galaxy. Pokémon doesn't even need something as dramatically different as that; the core of the Pokémon RPGs seems to lend itself to an online title of some sort. Perhaps the lack of such a game should be no surprise -- Nintendo does, after all, seem to fail time and again to grasp what it is gamers want from online gaming. With games like Outernauts cropping up and World of Warcraft featuring its own take on Pokémon in Mists of Pandaria, it does seem like Nintendo risks losing some fans to games more willing to provide the kind of online experience in a Pokémon-style game they want.
For some people, the Pokémon formula staying intact for Black/White Version 2 -- games that could have easily bucked the trend -- won't be an issue. Newcomers, in particular, are sure to be in for a good time as Game Freak has had nearly 15 years to perfect what it's trying to do. Others will be fine with it either because the new features that are included interest them or because they buy every Pokémon game no matter the circumstances. Others yet, myself included, will skip this release and continue to hope for something -- anything -- new to come along to shake up the formula. An online-centric title may or may not be the best possible answer, but it's hard to imagine such a dramatic change not making things feel comparatively fresh, which is all I'm really asking for.
Active Time Babble XXXVIII: Journey to the West
By Kat Bailey Oct 02, 2012 3:30 PM PSTTags: Diablo III (PC) Guild Wars 2 (PC) Torchlight II (PC) World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (PC) World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (MAC) Diablo III (MAC)
It's that time of year. After a solid summer's worth of Japanese-developed RPGs, the fall slate of MMORPGs and dungeon crawlers are upon us.
Joining me for a nice, in-depth discussion about Torchlight II are GameSpy's Mike Nelson and Dan Stapleton. This being a loot-based RPG, Diablo III naturally comes up as well, and we talk a bit about how well it's held up over the past few months. Personally, I think both are pretty solid dungeon crawlers; but, of course, Torchlight II is cheaper.
For the second segment, Polygon's Phil Kollar drops by to talk about Guild Wars 2, which has gotten its share of accolades over the past month. Mists of Pandaria also comes up toward the end of the chat. I've said this before, but it's remarkable how little excitement there's been for Mists of Pandaria. It's like it's the forgotten expansion.
As always, out next episode is up in the air, but I expect there will be some Pokemon chatter in there. Until then!
Episode breakdown (Download it now!)
- 0:00 | Theme & Introduction
- 00:35 | Torchlight II & Diablo III Discussion
- 35:00 | Musical Interlude: Reach out to the Truth
- 35:30 | Guild Wars II & Mists of Pandaria
- 1:15:00 | Outtro
Mists of Pandaria Proves That Great Artists Steal
By Dustin Quillen Sep 30, 2012 5:21 PM PSTTags: PC World of Warcraft (PC) World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC) World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (PC) World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC) World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (PC) World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (MAC)
"Uh... What happened to all of my spells?"
That's the very first thought that popped into my head when I started up Mists of Pandaria last Tuesday. Granted, I expected some changes after spending well over a year in retirement from World of Warcraft, but this? This was jarring to say the least.
Immolate? Gone. Curse of Agony? Nixed. Incinerate? MIA. Not only was my Warlock missing a number of core abilities, but she also had this strange purple bar beneath her health and mana -- what about Soul Shards, the resource that used to go there? Surely Blizzard hadn't done away with the mechanic that's defined the class since before World of Warcraft launched in 2004. Or had they?
When you've spent literally months of your life mastering one thing only to find yourself, at the flip of a switch, rendered clumsy and incompetent -- let's just say it ain't a pleasant feeling. So, rather than invest the time I'd need to properly understand my character's capabilities once again, I did what any frustrated coward in my position would do: I got the hell out of there.
Specifically, I fled into the comforting arms of the familiar. See, I've played a lot of World of Warcraft over the years -- no exaggeration, thousands of hours -- but one other game franchise clocks in at a very close second: Pokemon. And it just so happens that Blizzard's fourth WoW expansion does a pretty convincing impression of Pikachu and friends.
Mists of Pandaria introduces the new Pet Battle system, which takes all of those useless mini-pets we've been collecting since World of Warcraft released and pits them against one another in turn-based combat. It apes Pokemon right down to its implementation of rock-paper-scissors-style type advantages, limited move sets for each creature, and the ability to capture new pets in the wild once you've lowered their health enough. The camera even defaults to the appropriate over-the-trainer's-shoulder view during battles.
I went in expecting some hacked-together forgery of Nintendo's monster-battling juggernaut, but came away legitimately impressed. Sure, the type weaknesses and resistances don't make as much intuitive sense as they do in Pokemon ("Undead are weak to critter damage? What?") and each monster has just three move slots to work with rather than the four I'm accustomed to -- that's all just nitpicking, though. On its own this mode could pass for a standalone downloadable game, but it works amazingly well in the context of Warcraft's huge, established world. I'm hooked.
As for my poor, neglected Warlock, I did eventually get back into the swing of things. I'm fast approaching the new level cap of 90, which means I'll soon be ready to jump into some PVP and raids with my guild. Hopefully the constant pet battling won't make me too much of a liability.
Check back next weekend for more of our month-long coverage of Mists of Pandaria.
Living in the Past: Live-A-Live
By J Kriebel Sep 28, 2012 7:20 AM PSTTags: SNES Live a Live (PC)
Note: For the sake of making the post easier to read and follow, the commonly accepted English names of characters have been used, as the game has never been officially translated to English.
If you were playing video games during the Super Nintendo era or a fan of classic JRPGS, then the name Squaresoft likely holds a great deal of meaning for you. The company released many of the best RPGs available for the Super Nintendo, several of which are considered among the greatest games ever released. Though RPGs were still something of a niche market in the west, in Japan the genre was in full swing and Squaresoft was experimenting with the limits of an RPG, crossing genre boundaries and daring to try new and untested ideas. One such game, lost to the annals of obscurity especially here in the west, was 1994's Live-A-Live.
Live-A-Live is at once a collection of very clever ideas, and the poor execution of several of those same concepts. It is a game that has a great deal of heart, but not the resources to see the vision through as intended. Live-A-Live as a product of post Final Fantasy VI Squaresoft is a telling artifact of Square's future that was to come. It is a lost piece of Squaresoft history that never made it to America, and Live-A-Live is far more than the sum of its parts. It is a title that is full of fantastic ambition, yet sometimes riddled with the worst elements of JRPG design. Live-A-Live is an experiment of sorts, stretching the boundaries of what a JRPG could be with divergent gameplay and narrative styles presented through eight unique chapters that each follow a separate protagonist and a final chapter that ties the various stories together.
As a Super Nintendo game released in 1994, Live-A-Live is far from any sort of major technical achievement, featuring graphics that look like a step backward from the previously released Final Fantasy VI, looking more like Final Fantasy IV and V in design and world navigation. Most of the game looks solid aside from a few of the chapters which are lacking in cohesion. There are colorful and detailed sprites on display, especially for the protagonists and chapter bosses. Some of the designs feature creatures more bizarre and otherworldly than even Final Fantasy titles, with at least two sprites for each enemy. The same compliment cannot be said of the battle animation. For the most part, the protagonists are all well animated and feature differing art based on what percentage of health they have remaining, but the same cannot be said for the enemies. While Final Fantasy IV through VI featured enemy sprites without animation, watching the still sprites move about the battlefield and use some of their special abilities looks awkward at the best of times and outright poor at the worst. A fair amount of palette swapped enemies also diminishes the impact of the art design. While some moments of very clever and inspired art design show through, such as the end credits sequence, the game on the whole suffers from mediocre presentation from a company known for pushing hardware to its limits. It looks worse than both the last great Square game before it, Final Fantasy VI and far worse than the next to come, Chrono Trigger.
Live-A-Live struggles with consistency in narrative, gameplay and visual design but an area where it universally succeeds is in the soundtrack. Composed by Yoko Shimomura of Kingdom Hearts, Legend of Mana, and Super Mario RPG fame, the Live-A-Live soundtrack spans a strong blend of multiple styles to fit the eight protagonists and give each a distinct set of tracks. Each of the eight initial chapters features a set of unique exploration themes and a unique battle theme to break up the typical RPG monotony of the same battle music for an entire game. All of the music is solid and there are a few standout tracks which have continued to appear on Square Enix music compilations, remix albums and on Drammatica, a collection of Shimomura's best work. From the faux Spanish guitar and lonely whistles of the western chapter, to the pump-you-up modern day themes that echo Shimomura's work on Street Fighter II, to the gothic tones of the final chapter, the soundtrack to Live-A-Live is far and away its strongest aspect. Yoko Shimomura produced a soundtrack full of surprises for the SNES era, evoking a soundtrack completely different from previous Squaresoft RPGs.
Live-A-Live follows eight different characters with gameplay variations in each chapter, but the battle system remains a unifying element between them. It is a unique beast, unlike any of Squaresoft's other Super Nintendo RPGS. Battles are fought on a 7x7 grid in a manner almost like small scale Tactics Ogre battles combined with aspects of Final Fantasy, Grandia or Lunar. All attacks are special abilities chosen from the particular character's repertoire and there is no MP or SP system as all attacks can be used without limit but stronger ones take time to charge. Characters are completely healed after every battle, which is a necessity of Live-A-Live's narrative focused design and eliminates the need for inns and all but one shop. While this system has the potential to make each battle significant and challenging, it turns most into meaningless conflicts that consist entirely of abusing your current character's most powerful attacks. It makes many of the scripted battles feel hollow as they either present no strategic challenge or are overly difficult because of inconsistent battle design. The system gives almost no information to players and the strength of enemies, effectiveness of items and attacks must all be learned through experimentation. There is simply not enough information available to the player to understand the mechanics of the game except through trial and error. The different narrative structures also leave certain characters heavily underpowered for the finale while others are able to grind during the course of their narrative. The battle system manages to make a passable RPG experience by the final chapter once a full party has been assembled, but the game loses all challenge once each character has their final technique. Live-A-Live will leave you with fond memories of its story and music, but not its battle system.
The narrative of Live-A-Live is one of its most interesting aspects, and stands alone from other RPGs in the Square catalog. While having multiple protagonists to choose from was something the SaGa series had previously done, Live-A-Live features a story that spans multiple time periods with storylines indirectly tied together by the final chapter. Each chapter features characters designed by a different prominent manga artist, but without knowing it, it's hard to tell. Live-A-Live is largely a story about different heroes finding their place in the world, but the overall story touches on much more interesting notes than the idea of the hero's journey. The chapters are so notably different in design that each bears its own mentioning and examination.
Prehistory Chapter
This chapter tells the story of a juvenile hunter coming of age in his tribe who discovers a mysterious woman escaped from another tribe and starts a tribal war. Told almost entirely without words, it is a charming reminder of the ability Square had to deliver emotion through 16-bit sprite animation. This chapter is the most like a traditional RPG in that it features the closest thing Live-A-Live has to a shop, a barter system that combines items to make new ones. Players are also able to explore the map at their leisure for most of the chapter to grind experience and items using Pogo's sense of smell to locate battles. Featuring optional bosses, the chapter works well for the most part aside from a later spike in difficulty that will force you to spend some time grinding.
Kung Fu Chapter
This chapter features a traditional story of a martial arts master near the end of his life seeking out someone to inherit his martial arts style before he dies. After locating three potential students, he sets out to pass on his techniques while still answering calls for help from a nearby village. The chapter is largely story driven with a lot of the battles found while wandering the map being rather pointless. The master is unable to gain experience and his students will mostly power up through training. Though the game offers to let the master train all three students, players should only focus on one student as only the strongest student proceeds to the finale. Even the story driven fights in this chapter feel like filler content as the student and master are able to easily defeat any enemies encountered until a tournament style series of fights which make up the finale. The tournament ladder style fights are far more interesting and strategic than other battles throughout the chapter, but can be somewhat difficult if the player has not invested all of the master's training in the pupil who is present for the finale. Aside from being able to choose which student ultimately inherits the master's martial arts, there is nothing especially ambitious about this chapter, but the story is told competently for being so predictable. Lastly, it is worth special mention that the chapter fields one of the best songs on the soundtrack and in Yoko Shimomura's entire catalog of work 'The Fish Swims in the Ocean, The Bird Flies in the Sky' which has stellar instrumentation on the SNES sound chip, and closes out the chapter on a fantastic note.
Ninja Chapter
This chapter focuses on a young ninja named Oboro during the waning years of feudal japan, who is tasked with infiltrating the castle of a demonic warlord and rescuing a prisoner held there. While very light on actual story and narration, this chapter is by far the most mechanically complex and has very interesting gameplay. Serving as something of a ninja RPG version of Metal Gear, Oboro is free to explore the castle as he wishes to discover the tricks and traps laid throughout the castle. Battles are fought against enemies patrolling the castle which can be avoided if the player holds down Y, which allows Oboro to turn invisible while stationary on the world map. Oboro will keep track of how many humans he has killed during his assault, and the player is able to clear the castle as they wish, killing as many as all one hundred humans in the castle or none of them, slaying only the undead and demons. Most of the exploratory mechanics in the chapter work well, though there is again a bit too much information about the chapter's nuances left for the player to discover through trial and error.
Wild West Chapter
Set in a period not enough RPGs have dared to tackle, this chapter follows a gunslinger named the Sundown Kid on the run from a bounty hunter named Mad Dog. Stopping for rest in a formerly rich mining town, the Sundown Kid finds himself the honorary sheriff after the town is threatened by a vicious gang called the Crazy Bunch. In what feels like a tribute to the Magnificent Seven or Seven Samurai, the Sundown Kid must hurry to prepare the town for the coming attack from the crazy bunch. While the idea works well for the most part, a few hitches hold it back. The search through the town quickly becomes a sort of SNES pixel hunt and none of the interior art is off limits in terms of potentially housing a useful item. Collected items must then be given to the townspeople to set up as traps and each unique style of trap successfully set up will eliminate one of the enemies from the coming battle. While a neat idea, the entire chapter is timed. Atop that, traps must be prepared by giving items to townspeople, all of whom take different amounts of time to set these traps so you can't be sure which townsfolk are the most useful to you. Fortunately, the showdown with the crazy bunch can be won with solid strategy even if a single trap isn't used and can actually provide quite a challenge. This showdown is also the only real battle of the entire chapter, with a few small scripted fights with Mad Dog taking place at the beginning and end. The music in this chapter also stands out among the rest, with great instrumentation once again capturing a very strong feel of the wild west atmosphere.
Modern Chapter
This chapter follows a martial artist named Masuru who seeks to become the world's strongest warrior and sets off to challenge the greatest fighters in the world. This chapter attempts to copy quite a number of traits from Street Fighter II including a win/lose screen, and features only a series of battles. Opponents are chosen from a stage select style screen and after a fighting game style versus screen, Masuru is dropped directly into battle with them. The fights in this chapter require quite a bit of strategy in choosing your moves and positioning, as Masuru has no items and only a very weak self heal. To help expand his roster of available moves, Masuru is able to learn two signature attacks from each opponent which can be instrumental in completing the chapter. The music in the chapter attempts to channel the same vibes as the score Yoko Shimomura worked on for Street Fighter II as well as some hints of Punch-Out and Rocky. Overall the chapter is over quickly enough, provided players find a good order to tackle the world champions in.
Near Future Chapter
Though most of the chapters in Live-A-Live present unique or interesting twists on JRPG design, the near future chapter is the worst of the bunch because it represents a collection of the worst aspects of JRPG design, and is saddled with a low grade giant robot anime plot. After opening to a theme song for a giant robot, the chapter follows Akira, a youth with the power to read minds who lives in a near future japan filled with vicious biker gangs and shadowy government plots. The story is bland, absurd and filled with a lot of typical anime cliches, and becomes far too random and nonsensical to really enjoy once liquid humans are introduced as a plot element. Progress is too heavily reliant on talking to specific characters to advance the plot which is made even worse by the occasional requirement to read the minds of NPCs to progress. Players will turn a dying pet turtle into an android, steal underwear and there's a bizarre moment where you have to use a toilet of all things to proceed to the cockpit of the giant mech featured throughout the chapter. While it was nice to see Squaresoft try and insert humor and not take itself too seriously, the humor of the prehistoric chapter works far better than the toilet humor and underwear stealing antics of this chapter. The chapter features free roaming exploration of a city map that just looks garish and incomplete compared with some of the other areas of the game. The battles become wildly unbalanced and are hard to avoid when simply trying to cross the streets of the city to advance the story. The chapter fails to succeed on any level, and even the finale piloting the near invincible Buriki Daioh does nothing to really salvage the experience.
Future Chapter
Featuring the player as a small self aware robot named Cube, the future chapter is set on a starship returning to earth with a captured alien life form on board. The chapter features no combat aside from a final encounter, except for a series of optional battles as Captain Square which can be found on a terminal on the ship. These fights are actually quite challenging and strategic, but offer no reward for completion. The entire story is plot driven and actually works very well aside from a few strange moments where serving coffee is the only way to proceed. The story follows the crew members of the ship dealing with a catastrophe that strains the human crew's ability to trust one another as the ship descends into chaos. Featuring aesthetics that look heavily inspired by the Alien movies, this chapter actually works very well as it evolves into a sort of survival-horror scenario, and is the most interesting divergence from typical JRPG gameplay found in the entire game. Cube is unable to fight against the enemy that eventually begins patrolling the ship and contact with it will instantly result in a game over, which ratchets up the tension very well and begins to evoke a sense of dread as the player travels between rooms. It is a curious reminder of how effectively Squaresoft was able to bridge genres when set to it. It is easily one of the strongest chapters of the entire experience.
Medieval Chapter
Unlocked after the previous seven chapters have been completed, this chapter follows the story of the knight Oersted who becomes the celebrated champion of the kingdom and poised to marry the king's daughter. A demon interrupts Oersted's plans however and kidnaps his queen-to-be, prompting the hero to set off on a quest to rescue her. This chapter plays the most like a traditional fantasy JRPG with swords and spells, featuring all the regular trappings. Unfortunately this chapter also introduces random battles, which feels like a distinct step backwards from previous chapters, even though the design is likely intentionally trying to be reminiscent of Final Fantasy and other RPGs. Most of the chapter is spent fighting demons to level up and eventually assault the demon's lair. The story of this chapter is by far its most interesting element, and though it starts out fairly typical, the finale is quite unlike anything Square had done up to that point, turning the player's expectations entirely on their head and tying the plot threads of the various characters together in a uniquely interesting way. It is one of the most effective plot twist moments in Square's storied history.
Final Chapter
The final chapter allows the player to choose their favorite protagonist from Live-A-Live's cast to see the story through to the end. Featuring a set of new and re-purposed maps to create the final scenario, the player must search for the other heroes and create a party to confront the demon king Odio. Unfortunately, random battles make a return in this chapter, and the uneven states of the various characters coming from their own storylines can make for a very uneven experience trying to find a capable party that is able to power up sufficiently. While most of the random encounters will typically be scaled to the player's level, a few boss strength encounters can crop up from time to time with no indication to the player that they may be seriously outmatched. Each playable character also has their own dungeon that contains their ultimate weapon, but most can be very difficult to locate and like many aspects of Live-A-Live require a lot of player time and effort or a walkthrough. Without giving the story away entirely, it is important to note that the final chapter features two distinctly different paths and endings depending on the protagonist that the player chooses, as well as a false ending for each path. The overall story touches on some good notes in the role of a hero and what happens to those that are pushed too far, and that will never come back.
Ultimately the overarching story was the most satisfying element of the game along with a great soundtrack, and while I doubt the title would have found much commercial success in America given its wavering quality and poor communication with the player, traits of Live-A-Live stand as among Squaresoft's best moments. Live-A-Live has a sense of purpose and imagination in that it wanted to tell a story perhaps too grand for the current technology available, or perhaps too grand for the budget allotted to the game. It has something to it that most games are missing in this day and age, a sense of creative purpose and identity. Though it's rough around the edges and some aspects succeed more than others, Live-A-Live is a daring attempt to do something different with JRPGs of the Super Nintendo era. Considering that Live-A-Live was also directed and designed by Takashi Tokita, Live-A-Live likely contributed a great deal of insight towards Squaresoft's masterpiece time traveling RPG Chrono Trigger.
Live-A-Live offers insight to Squaresoft beyond its own offerings as a game, as it still has an impact on those who helped create it. As mentioned, the title was directed and designed by Takashi Tokita, lead designer of Final Fantasy IV, a director on the peerless Chrono Trigger, The Bouncer, Parasite Eve, and serves as current head of Square Enix's mobile development team. Tokita himself has even said the lessons he learned from the chapter by chapter format of Live-A-Live went on to formulate his contributions to Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, which like Live-A-Live was interesting as a story but had a share of gameplay flaws. Tokita is also the director and creator of Final Fantasy Dimensions, which is his own take on Final Fantasy V's gameplay, and is yet another title broken into various chapters for consumption. Tokita has even expressed his own interest in remaking or reviving Live-A-Live for mobile phones, and it might actually serve as the first SquareEnix mobile RPG that would actually benefit from the broken chapters format, if the pricing could be made reasonable.
Ultimately Live-A-Live isn't a game that changed the landscape of the industry, and wasn't among the greatest titles of what many consider Squaresoft's golden era of peerless RPGs. It probably was for the best that the title wasn't risked in America, considering the cost of SNES cartridge production. That said, it is without a doubt worth your time if you are a fan of retro JRPGs, and are willing to give it a chance. Technically, it isn't the most solid RPG around, but it has a fantastic soundtrack, genuinely interesting story, and charm in spades if you are willing to overlook the faults. Give Live-A-Live a shot, and live a little.
Half-Minute Hero Brings Frenetic RPG Action to Steam
By Chris Pereira Sep 27, 2012 1:51 PM PSTTags: PC Half-Minute Hero (PSP) Half-Minute Hero Super Mega Neo Climax (XBOX 360)
Being a premium-priced PSP exclusive, Half-Minute Hero didn't get the sort of attention it deserved. It was, thankfully, given a second chance at success when an enhanced version with the subtitle Super Mega Neo Climax was released on Xbox Live Arcade last year. For those who still haven't been able to try it for themselves, an even further enhanced version of the game -- Half Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax Ultimate Boy -- has been released on Steam today.
Although there are several game modes, the main attraction is the Hero 30 mode that is meant to play like an old-school JRPG. This mode consists of a large number of RPGs you play through in just a few minutes each; despite the title, these levels do take more than 30 seconds. You'll do much of what you'd expect to do in an RPG -- buy items, level up, fight monsters, talk to townsfolk, and so on -- except it all happens much more rapidly than in an actual JRPG.
Combat is automated, so when you enter the combat screen you'll simply run through your enemies and automatically attack them and be attacked. A constantly ticking timer (which only pauses when in town) rushes you forward, as you need to accumulate enough experience to be able to defeat the final boss before your 30 seconds elapse. You can spend money to reset the clock, but the cost of doing so increases with each reset. Resetting the clock also means having less money to spend on weapons and healing items, the latter of which can be important as you can sprint during combat or while navigating the overworld at the cost of health. It can be a difficult tradeoff to balance.
The Super Mega Neo Climax version released on XBLA received a solid reception (1UP gave it a B). The most glaring problem it had was the new art style it introduced. Whereas the PSP version exclusively offered 8-bit graphics that perfectly fit the style of game, considering it resembles the likes of early Dragon Quest game on a basic level, SMNC added a new, stylized form of graphics that neither looked good nor felt appropriate for the game. Fortunately, the original 8-bit graphics were also included, and that remains true in this version. Definitely turn them on as soon as you first start up the game.
This latest Steam version includes all of the content stripped out from the non-Hero 30 modes in the XBLA release, for those who care about any of that. Even without thoes additions, this would have been a solid deal for only $10 -- $9 if you purchase it by October 4. And with the minimum specifications being very low, there's almost no excuse for still not having played the game.
Just as importantly as the deal is the fact that this is an opportunity to push for a localization of Half-Minute Hero's sequel, Half-Minute Hero 2. XSEED was responsible for bringing the original game over on PSP, and while it is not involved with this Steam release, it has recently brought some JRPGs to Steam -- why couldn't Half-Minute Hero 2 be next? A western release on PC would certainly be better than nothing, which should be more than enough reason for HMH fans to pick up the original on Steam even if they already own it on another platform.


text:
No matter the year, something always seems to happen when the Eagles are involved in "Monday Night Football."
From Howard Cosell in 1970 to Michael Vick in 2010, and so many incidents in between, the Eagles will make their 50th appearance on Monday night next week, when they host the Chicago Bears.
From dog bones to the formation of Eagles Court; from the "House of Pain Game" to the "Body Bag Game"; from Donovan McNabb's scramble to the disappointment of Reggie White Night, the Daily News has gone through the archives to look back at our Top 15 Monday night games and some excerpts of how we described them back then.


text:
Is Idle Parenting Better for You and Your Kids?Carolyn Castiglia
A post on Free-Range Kids today drew me to this 2008 idle parenting manifesto published in the Telegraph and written by Tom Hodgkinson, author of the How to be Free and How to be Idle. In it, he says, "Pushy parents don't help by making childhood a stress-filled time of striving and competing." Sandy posted earlier today about the negative impact competition can have on girls who play only to win, and Helaine reported Monday about the Canadian parents who sued their local hockey team for cutting their sons. Which is why, when people ask if I'm going to enroll my 4-year-old in dance class, I always say absolutely not.
To be sure, my daughter is a very gifted dancer, and I adore watching her float and bounce around the house like the natural she is. (As you can see from these videos taken last fall, she's developed two distinct techniques: "ballet moves" and "rock-and-roll moves." On a side note, I can't believe how much she's matured since then!) It's not that I don't want to nurture her love of dance, it's precisely because I want her to continue to love dancing that I haven't enrolled her in structured class. I realize Tiger Woods wouldn't be Tiger Woods were he not trained from age 2 how to be the world's best golfer, but as we all know, his athletic prowess and (perhaps deserved) grandiose sense of self has lead to other problems.
So maybe we modern parents are doing too much for our kids. Hodgkinson writes in frighteningly accurate detail about the ways we fritter away our children's time. He says, "Our children's days are crammed full with activities: ballet, judo, tennis, piano, sport, art projects. At home they are entertained by giant screens and computers. In between, they are strapped into cars and made to listen to educational tapes. Ambitious mothers force hours of homework on bewildered 10-year-olds, hanging the abstract fear of "future employers" over their heads." Even back in 2008 he was concerned about the overuse of technology, adding, "Then they buy them a Nintendo Wii, the absurd, costly gadget that's supposed to bring some element of physicality to computer games. It's only a matter of time before children have their own BlackBerrys."
Hodgkinson thinks all this overscheduling leads to, as Sierra discussed back in March, the end of play. He recalls a time when his eldest child was "a victim of chronic over-stimulation by his anxious parents," and "screamed 'I need some entertainment!' during a bored moment." For Hodgkinson, that was a turning point, obviously. The event that led him to create his idle parenting movement and the mantra: "Leave them alone."
That's all well and good. But where does idle parenting fit in with the news that authoritative parenting results in healthy, successful offspring? Do any of us really know what we're doing? Maybe the answer lies in borrowing a bit here and there from opposing parenting styles that compliment each other.
I'm with Hodgkinson to the extent that he argues we "put too much work into parenting, not too little," and that "by interfering a lot, we are not letting children grow up and learn themselves." I have become a somewhat idle parent by default: I don't have enough money or time as a single mother who works to overly structure my daughter's every waking moment, and I have seen how creative she is as a result. When she's not in school, she's often home with me while I work, and she never complains of being bored. She spends her days playing with dolls, stuffed animals, coloring, filling out her various workbooks, and yes, watching TV. But she spends at least four hours a day entertaining herself without any media at all.
Hodgkinson explains that he has gotten better at idle parenting as time has gone on and he's had more children. He says, "The eldest had a surfeit of anxious parental supervision and is still the trickiest and most needy (although we're working on it). The second had a little less attention and she is more self-sufficient. The third was born on the bathroom floor and has had to get on with his own life." Many parents probably feel parenting gets easier as children are added to family, no doubt due to some extent that the more children there are, the less time there is to dote (or fret) over them.
"Another great advantage of being idle is that it avoids causing resentment in the parent," writes Hodgkinson. He's clearly onto something there, since as New York magazine's current cover story points out, parents who spend too much time worrying their kids aren't perfect feel unhappy. (Duh.)
I have to admit, when I first got pregnant, I thought I'd have taken part in more "little nurseries at your house where parents can chat and kids can play while you ignore them" than I have. Is it so wrong that I dream of sipping wine and eating crackers with a friend while the children play politely at our feet? (Hodgkinson asks, "Would I be less grumpy if I drank less alcohol?," a question I often ask myself on days I wake up dehydrated. Idle parents are apparently also lovable drunks. You have to embarrass your kids somehow, I guess.)
Maybe it's not wrong to dream of a charmed life, but it is unrealistic. While I love Hodgkinson's philosophy in theory, I think like most philosophies, its practical application can be a bit elusive. For example, I think he goes a bit too far in saying "We don't waste money on family days out and holidays," though my ex would be thrilled to know he's not alone in his love of thrift. I'm all for not being lavish, but come on… a day at the zoo is hardly extravagant. I'm totally up for "filling the house with music and merriment," but I'm not down with being "down with school." I think it's overly moralistic and simplistic to suggest, as the Puritans do, that idle hands do the devil's work, but I understand there is a grain of truth in the phrase. When it comes to parenting, as in all things, it's probably best to find some kind of middle ground.


text:
Are you seeking to help clinicians deliver the best possible care during medical emergencies?
Despite best intentions, well-trained clinicians often miss known key steps during critical events.
This FREE perioperative Emergency Manual contains 25 critical events as well as Crisis Resource Management key points. It has been iteratively tested with simulation over many years.
* Given requests for easier mobile access on multiple devices using PDF bookmarks: As of July 2015 the downloadable pdf can still be printed but also has bookmarked hyperlinks to jump directly to specific events on computers and mobile-devices. We cannot supply specific IT support and warn users that the red home buttons we added to go from each event back to table of contents may not work on some mobile devices or on some readers, though the hyperlinks work more reliably. If any added features of this cost-free download do not work, please try a different device or pdf reader or consult your institution's IT for help.
- In simulation studies, integrating emergency manuals results in better management during operating room critical events. NOTE: Familiarization and training in why and how to use EMs appears to be key for success.
- Pilots and nuclear power plant operators use similar cognitive aids for emergencies and rare events, with training on why & how to use them.
- During a critical event, relevant detailed literature is rarely accessible.
- Memory worsens with stress & distractions interrupt planned actions.
- Expertise requires significant repetitive practice, so none of us are experts in every emergency.
"Anesthesiologists have developed many tools to rescue patients from life-threatening situations, from the laryngoscope to the pulse oximeter to crisis management in the simulator. The latest of these is the Emergency Manual, a cognitive aid for any medical provider confronted with a crashing patient. This tool will save lives."
"This manual is an excellent addition to every anesthesia cart and OR nursing station. It is helpful pre-, during, and post-crises. A great deal of expert medical wisdom, academic research and practical, simulation-tested protocols are condensed into this compact, accessible manual."
"Our trauma patient had refractory hypotension before Stanford implemented emergency manuals in our ORs… There were plenty of people available, so someone could have taken the 'reader' role. Tunnel vision is a real issue under stress when caring for unstable patients or in code situations and emergency manuals can help."
"During a recent MH crisis, I assigned a 'reader' to read aloud from the accessible emergency manual. As event leader it was extremely helpful. The clear directions helped guide a calm, unified, team response. I knew that no evidence-based part of the treatment algorithm would be missed, giving our patient the best chance for full recovery."
"I noted climbing EtCO2, despite increased minute ventilation. Having used the emergency manual to review 'what if' cases, I thought to reach for it and found the correct page within seconds of considering the diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia. It helped our team to manage this unexpected event efficiently and accurately."
"Having the emergency manual as a staple resource in the OR and at home is extremely helpful… I look to the manual to guide me, either during an event or after one to make sure that I have covered everything."


text:
7 March 2007
TVs put squeeze on minor metals
Ever heard of the ruthenium rush, the bismuth bonanza or the indium stampede?
Demand for cellphones and flat-screen TVs is depleting global supplies of a host of uncommon metals. Indium is built into a billion consumer devices a year, for instance in phone displays, and prices have soared. Some estimates say reserves could run out within five years. Bismuth, used in lead-free solder, has doubled in price in two years, while the price of ruthenium, used in resistors and disc drives, has risen sevenfold in a year.
To meet demand, tech firms must mine the growing mountains of electronic waste to recover the materials, says Rüdiger Kühr of the United Nations University in Tokyo, which this week launched a global e-waste initiative. "The recycling of trace metals is essential to ongoing production," he says....


text:
This industry report analyzes "gamification" and the use of this new approach to marketing by a variety of industries. Gamification applies game mechanics (challenges, achievements, awards, etc.) to affect consumer loyalty and engagement, and monetization.
The report highlights the principles that make gamification effective, best practices used in real-life cases, design and analytics, and examples of gamification platforms and vendors.
"Gamification has become extremely popular across industries as multiple companies have seen amazing results," said Brett Sappington, director, research, Parks Associates. "This new approach to marketing involves a greater level of interaction with and understanding of consumers, leveraging key motivations that drive behavior. Creative programs can be tremendously effective; however, companies need to follow certain principles and best practices to engage and motivate their customers."
The Bottom Line
1.0 Report Summary
1.1 Purpose and Scope of Report
1.2 Data Sources
2.0 Introduction to Gamification
3.0 The Impact of Gamification on Engagement, Loyalty, and Growth
4.0 Strategies and Tactics
4.1 Design
4.2 Analytics
4.3 Impact on Monetization
5.0 Applying Gamification Strategies
5.1 Retail
5.2 Energy
5.3 Television
5.4 Consumer Packaged Goods
5.5 Education
5.6 Health
6.0 The Future of Gamification
7.0 Glossary and Index


text:
CLEMSON - The day Danny Ford's coaching path was born will forever be remembered for the losing coach's exit, not the winning coach's entrance.
Google "1978 Gator Bowl" and browse a slew of stories on how Ohio State's legendary leader hastened his swan song, all by slugging a Clemson player out of frustration for making the game-clinching interception.
"Woody Hayes vs. Charlie Bauman" is the top YouTube link, while "Woody Hayes KO'd himself in 1978 Gator Bowl," "'78 Gator bowl packed more than just punch" and "The Punch Heard 'Round the Gator Bowl" are among the memorable headlines.
Little is it evident to the curious reader that a future national championship winner earned his first coaching victory that day on the opposite sideline. And he barely even knew what he was doing, and is still waiting for that postgame handshake that will never come.
Danny Ford, who turns 66 years old Dec. 19, stopped by Clemson's football complex Wednesday to retell some favorite stories from half a lifetime ago - the first day he had command of Clemson's football team.
That happened to be the program's only previous matchup with the Buckeyes in its history; No. 12 Clemson and No. 7 Ohio State will meet for the first time in 35 years Jan. 3 in the Orange Bowl in Miami.
Holding court with reporters for 40 minutes, the first thing Ford wanted to clear up was he was happy to speak, but didn't want to wrest attention away from the current players or coaches. He's still happily milking cows and riding his tractor on a nearby farm, attending the occasional game at Memorial Stadium (like when he was inducted to the Ring of Honor Aug. 31 before the Georgia opener) but more content to listen on the radio away from the spotlight.
The second thing Ford wished to express: Woody Hayes is not a bad guy, and felt bad about punching an opposing freshman defensive back out of emotion.
"Some things people probably don't realize: (Hayes) called after that and got Charlie Bauman's telephone number," Ford said. "It was on a Sunday. He called and asked me, could he speak with him? I said, 'Certainly, but he was at study hall.' He said, 'Well, we don't have study hall on Sunday night. We just have study hall on Monday through Thursday. I think I'll go back and put that in.' He did visit with him."
Hayes, of course, would never coach another game, his career over after five national championships in 28 years guiding the Buckeyes. He passed away in 1987.
By knocking off the Buckeyes and garnering Clemson's first bowl victory in 19 years, Ford earned his first and only win as an interim coach, upon Charley Pell's sudden resignation at the end of the 1978 season.
Ford stayed on, winning Clemson's only national title three years later. With 96 wins in 11 full seasons (plus that Gator Bowl), he still trails only Frank Howard among the program's coaching wins leaders.
When he replaced Pell, Ford was 30 years old, the youngest head coach in Division I college football.
"Certainly you thought you were always ready, but no, I had no clue," Ford said.
It didn't take long for Ford to witness the spoils of being the head man, learning so in Jacksonville.
"I'd never even had a king-size bed. I had a suite about the size of this room with everything in it you could have, ten floors up. I said, this coaching's pretty good stuff," Ford said. "But the closer it got to the game, I kept wanting to lift that window and jump out that thing and not have to go put a football team on national television. But the window was screwed down, I couldn't open it."
Ford kept the laughter going with other recollections, like questions about whether a 30-year-old could handle the job.
"They asked me, 'Are you scared of the job?' I said, 'The only thing I'm scared of is a snake.' Today, I still ain't messing with a snake for nothing. Everything else I think I can handle," Ford said. "Still, if you've never done it . I mean, I think I can drive in a car, but until I get in there and really do it, you have no idea whether you can do it or not.
"I guess it'd be like driving a motorcycle and it goes dead on you 4-5 times. At least we had good enough players - and we had some great players - to overcome anything that I could screw up."
Ford also recalled not getting to shake Hayes' hand after the game, in part because of the famous fracas which had occurred just before the final gun.
"I don't remember seeing him after the game. I'm not so sure the police didn't escort him off the field," Ford said. "I knew I was supposed to go to the field win or lose."
Former Clemson head football coach Danny Ford talks about the Tigers' 1978 Gator Bowl win over Ohio State at the Clemson football facility on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013 in Clemson, S.C. Clemson and Ohio State will play for the second time in the 2014 Discover Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens. Fla., on Jan. 3, 2014. (AP Photo/Anderson Independent-Mail, Mark Crammer) GREENVILLE - OUT; SENECA - OUT×