text:
Most Cited Journal of Symbolic Computation Articles
The most cited articles published since 2011, extracted from Scopus.
Practical graph isomorphism, IIBrendan D. McKay | Adolfo Piperno
Volume 60, Issue , January 2014, Pages 94-112
We report the current state of the graph isomorphism problem from the practical point of view. After describing the general principles of the refinement-individualization paradigm and pro ving its validity, we explain how it is implemented in several of the key implementations. In particular, we bring the description of the best known program nauty up to date and describe an innovative approach called Traces that outperforms the competitors for many difficult graph classes. Detailed comparisons against saucy, Bliss and conauto are presented. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.
Computing symmetric rank for symmetric tensorsAlessandra Bernardi | Alessandro Gimigliano | Monica Idà
Volume 46, Issue 1, January 2011, Pages 34-53
We consider the problem of determining the symmetric tensor rank for symmetric tensors with an algebraic geometry approach. We give algorithms for computing the symmetric rank for 2×...×2 tensors and for tensors of small border rank. From a geometric point of view, we describe the symmetric rank strata for some secant varieties of Veronese varieties. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
On determinants and eigenvalue theory of tensorsShenglong Hu | Zheng Hai Huang | Chen Ling | Liqun Qi
Volume 50, Issue , March 2013, Pages 508-531
We investigate properties of the determinants of tensors, and their applications in the eigenvalue theory of tensors. We show that the determinant inherits many properties of the determinant of a matrix. These properties include: solvability of polynomial systems, product formula for the determinant of a block tensor, product formula of the eigenvalues and Geršgorin's inequality. As a simple application, we show that if the leading coefficient tensor of a polynomial system is a triangular tensor with nonzero diagonal elements, then the system definitely has a solution in the complex space. We investigate the characteristic polynomial of a tensor through the determinant and the higher order traces. We show that the k-th order trace of a tensor is equal to the sum of the k-th powers of the eigenvalues of this tensor, and the coefficients of its characteristic polynomial are recursively generated by the higher order traces. Explicit formula for the second order trace of a tensor is given. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.
Eigenvectors of tensors and algorithms for Waring decompositionLuke Oeding | Giorgio Ottaviani
Volume 54, Issue , July 2013, Pages 9-35
A Waring decomposition of a (homogeneous) polynomial f is a minimal sum of powers of linear forms expressing f. Under certain conditions, such a decomposition is unique. We discuss some algorithms to compute the Waring decomposition, which are linked to the equations of certain secant varieties and to eigenvectors of tensors. In particular we explicitly decompose a cubic polynomial in three variables as the sum of five cubes (Sylvester Pentahedral Theorem). © 2013 Elsevier B.V.
Exact certification in global polynomial optimization via sums-of-squares of rational functions with rational coefficientsErich L. Kaltofen | Bin Li | Zhengfeng Yang | Lihong Zhi
Volume 47, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 1-15
We present a hybrid symbolic-numeric algorithm for certifying a polynomial or rational function with rational coefficients to be non-negative for all real values of the variables by computing a representation for it as a fraction of two polynomial sum-of-squares (SOS) with rational coefficients. Our new approach turns the earlier methods by Peyrl and Parrilo at SNC'07 and ours at ISSAC'08 both based on polynomial SOS, which do not always exist, into a universal algorithm for all inputs via Artin's theorem.Furthermore, we scrutinize the all-important process of converting the numerical SOS numerators and denominators produced by block semidefinite programming into an exact rational identity. We improve on our own Newton iteration-based high precision refinement algorithm by compressing the initial Gram matrices and by deploying rational vector recovery aside from orthogonal projection. We successfully demonstrate our algorithm on (1) various exceptional SOS problems with necessary polynomial denominators from the literature and on (2) very large (thousands of variables) SOS lower bound certificates for Rump's model problem (up to n=18, factor degree = 17). © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
Gröbner bases of bihomogeneous ideals generated by polynomials of bidegree (1,1): Algorithms and complexityJean Charles Faugère | Mohab Safey El Din | Pierre Jean Spaenlehauer
Volume 46, Issue 4, April 2011, Pages 406-437
Solving multihomogeneous systems, as a wide range of structured algebraic systems occurring frequently in practical problems, is of first importance. Experimentally, solving these systems with Gröbner bases algorithms seems to be easier than solving homogeneous systems of the same degree. Nevertheless, the reasons for this behaviour are not clear. In this paper, we focus on bilinear systems (i.e. bihomogeneous systems where all equations have bidegree (1,1)). Our goal is to provide a theoretical explanation of the aforementioned experimental behaviour and to propose new techniques to speed up the Gröbner basis computations by using the multihomogeneous structure of those systems. The contributions are theoretical and practical. First, we adapt the classical F5 criterion to avoid reductions to zero which occur when the input is a set of bilinear polynomials. We also prove an explicit form of the Hilbert series of bihomogeneous ideals generated by generic bilinear polynomials and give a new upper bound on the degree of regularity of generic affine bilinear systems. We propose also a variant of the F5 Algorithm dedicated to multihomogeneous systems which exploits a structural property of the Macaulay matrix which occurs on such inputs. Experimental results show that this variant requires less time and memory than the classical homogeneous F5 Algorithm. Lastly, we investigate the complexity of computing a Gröbner basis for the grevlex ordering of a generic 0-dimensional affine bilinear system over k[x1,...,xnx,y1,...,yny]. In particular, we show that this complexity is upper bounded by O(nx+ny+min(nx+1,ny+1)min(nx+1,ny+1)ω), which is polynomial in nx+ny (i.e. the number of unknowns) when min(nx,ny) is constant. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
Variant quantifier eliminationHoon Hong | Mohab Safey El Din
Volume 47, Issue 7, July 2012, Pages 883-901
We describe an algorithm (VQE)for a variant of the real quantifier elimination problem (QE). The variant problem requires the input to satisfy a certain extra condition, and allows the output to be almost equivalent to the input. The motivation/rationale for studying such a variant QE problem is that many quantified formulas arising in applications do satisfy the extra conditions. Furthermore, in most applications, it is sufficient that the output formula is almost equivalent to the input formula. The main idea underlying the algorithm is to substitute the repeated projection step of CAD by a single projection without carrying out a parametric existential decision over the reals. We find that the algorithm can tackle important and challenging problems, such as numerical stability analysis of the widely-used MacCormack's scheme. The problem has been practically out of reach for standard QE algorithms in spite of many attempts to tackle it. However, the current implementation of VQE can solve it in about 12 hours. This paper extends the results reported at the conference ISSAC2009. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
Genus 2 point counting over prime fieldsPierrick Gaudry | Éric Schost
Volume 47, Issue 4, April 2012, Pages 368-400
For counting points of Jacobians of genus 2 curves over a large prime field, the best known approach is essentially an extension of Schoof's genus 1 algorithm. We propose various practical improvements to this method and illustrate them with a large scale computation: we counted hundreds of curves, until one was found that is suitable for cryptographic use, with a state-of-the-art security level of approximately 2 128 and desirable speed properties. This curve and its quadratic twist have a Jacobian group whose order is 16 times a prime. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
Quartic curves and their bitangentsDaniel Plaumann | Bernd Sturmfels | Cynthia Vinzant
Volume 46, Issue 6, June 2011, Pages 712-733
A smooth quartic curve in the complex projective plane has 36 inequivalent representations as a symmetric determinant of linear forms and 63 representations as a sum of three squares. These correspond to Cayley octads and Steiner complexes respectively. We present exact algorithms for computing these objects from the 28 bitangents. This expresses Vinnikov quartics as spectrahedra and positive quartics as Gram matrices. We explore the geometry of Gram spectrahedra and we find equations for the variety of Cayley octads. Interwoven is an exposition of much of the 19th century theory of plane quartics. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
A worst-case bound for topology computation of algebraic curvesMichael Kerber | Michael Sagraloff
Volume 47, Issue 3, March 2012, Pages 239-258
Computing the topology of an algebraic plane curve C means computing a combinatorial graph that is isotopic to C and thus represents its topology in R2. We prove that, for a polynomial of degree n with integer coefficients bounded by 2 ρ, the topology of the induced curve can be computed with O(n8ρ(n+ρ)) bit operations (O indicates that we omit logarithmic factors). Our analysis improves the previous best known complexity bounds by a factor of n 2. The improvement is based on new techniques to compute and refine isolating intervals for the real roots of polynomials, and on the consequent amortized analysis of the critical fibers of the algebraic curve. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
Symbolic computation of strongly nonlinear periodic oscillationsY. P. Liu | S. J. Liao | Z. B. Li
Volume 55, Issue , August 2013, Pages 72-95
Based on Wu's elimination method and homotopy analysis method (HAM), an algorithm is proposed to compute accurate analytic approximation of periodical oscillations with high nonlinearity. A Maple package is developed for periodically oscillating systems of center and limit cycle types, which delivers accurate approximations of frequency, mean of motion and amplitude of oscillation automatically. Since HAM is valid for highly nonlinear problems, the package can be used to find accurate approximate solutions of nonlinear oscillation systems with strong nonlinearity. For systems with physical parameters, it can provide possible constraint conditions on parameters. Several examples are given to illustrate the validity and effectiveness of the algorithm and the Maple package. This package is freely available online, which provides an easy-to-use tool for scientist and engineer to solve accurate approximations of periodic oscillations of dynamic systems with high nonlinearity. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.
Abstract interpretation meets convex optimizationThomas Martin Gawlitza | Helmut Seidl | Assalé Adjé | Stéphane Gaubert | Éric Goubault
Volume 47, Issue 12, December 2012, Pages 1416-1446
Numerical static program analyses by abstract interpretation, e.g., the problem of inferring bounds for the values of numerical program variables, are faced with the problem that the abstract domains often contain infinite ascending chains. In order to enforce termination within the abstract interpretation framework, a widening/narrowing approach can be applied that trades the guarantee of termination against a potential loss of precision. Alternatively, recently . strategy improvement algorithms have been proposed for computing numerical invariants which do not suffer the imprecision incurred by widenings. Before, strategy improvement algorithms have successfully been applied for solving two-players zero-sum games. In this article we discuss and compare max-strategy and min-strategy improvement algorithms for static program analysis. For that, the algorithms are cast within a common general framework of solving systems of fixpoint equations . x→=e where the right-hand sides . e are maxima of finitely many . monotone and . concave functions. Then we indicate how the general setting can be instantiated for inferring numerical invariants of programs based on non-linear templates. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
A symbolic summation approach to Feynman integral calculusJohannes Blümlein | Sebastian Klein | Carsten Schneider | Flavia Stan
Volume 47, Issue 10, October 2012, Pages 1267-1289
Given a Feynman parameter integral, depending on a single discrete variable . N and a real parameter ε, we discuss a new algorithmic framework to compute the first coefficients of its Laurent series expansion in ε. In a first step, the integrals are expressed by hypergeometric multi-sums by means of symbolic transformations. Given this sum format, we develop new summation tools to extract the first coefficients of its series expansion whenever they are expressible in terms of indefinite nested product-sum expressions. In particular, we enhance the known multi-sum algorithms to derive recurrences for sums with complicated boundary conditions, and we present new algorithms to find formal Laurent series solutions of a given recurrence relation. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
Tropical linear-fractional programming and parametric mean payoff gamesStéphane Gaubert | Ricardo D. Katz | Sergeǐ Sergeev
Volume 47, Issue 12, December 2012, Pages 1447-1478
Tropical polyhedra have been recently used to represent disjunctive invariants in static analysis. To handle larger instances, tropical analogues of classical linear programming results need to be developed. This motivation leads us to study the tropical analogue of the classical linear-fractional programming problem. We construct an associated parametric mean payoff game problem, and show that the optimality of a given point, or the unboundedness of the problem, can be certified by exhibiting a strategy for one of the players having certain infinitesimal properties (involving the value of the game and its derivative) that we characterize combinatorially. We use this idea to design a Newton-like algorithm to solve tropical linear-fractional programming problems, by reduction to a sequence of auxiliary mean payoff game problems. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.
Discovering invariants via simple component analysisGianluca Amato | Maurizio Parton | Francesca Scozzari
Volume 47, Issue 12, December 2012, Pages 1533-1560
We propose a new technique combining dynamic and static analysis of programs to find linear invariants. We use a statistical tool, called . simple component analysis, to analyze partial execution traces of a given program. We get a new coordinate system in the vector space of program variables, which is used to specialize numerical abstract domains. As an application, we instantiate our technique to interval analysis of simple imperative programs and show some experimental evaluations. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
The modpn library: Bringing fast polynomial arithmetic into MapleXin Li | Marc Moreno Maza | Raqeeb Rasheed | Éric Schost
Volume 46, Issue 7, July 2011, Pages 841-858
We investigate the integration of C implementation of fast arithmetic operations into Maple, focusing on triangular decomposition algorithms. We show substantial improvements over existing Maple implementations; our code also outperforms Magma on many examples. Profiling data show that data conversion can become a bottleneck for some algorithms, leaving room for further improvements. © 2011.
Rational general solutions of planar rational systems of autonomous ODEsL. X. Châu Ngô | Franz Winkler
Volume 46, Issue 10, October 2011, Pages 1173-1186
In this paper, we provide an algorithm to compute explicit rational solutions of a rational system of autonomous ordinary differential equations (ODEs) from its rational invariant algebraic curves. The method is based on the proper rational parametrization of these curves and the fact that by linear reparametrizations, we can find the rational solutions of the given system of ODEs. Moreover, if the system has a rational first integral, we can decide whether it has a rational general solution and compute it in the affirmative case. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
Algorithms for computing triangular decomposition of polynomial systemsChangbo Chen | Marc Moreno Maza
Volume 47, Issue 6, June 2012, Pages 610-642
We discuss algorithmic advances which have extended the pioneer work of Wu on triangular decompositions. We start with an overview of the key ideas which have led to either better implementation techniques or a better understanding of the underlying theory. We then present new techniques that we regard as essential to the recent success and for future research directions in the development of triangular decomposition methods. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
Discriminants and nonnegative polynomialsJiawang Nie
Volume 47, Issue 2, February 2012, Pages 167-191
For a semialgebraic set K in R{double-struck}n, let Pd(K)={f∈R{double-struck}[x]≤d:f(u)≥0∀u∈K} be the cone of polynomials in x∈Rn of degrees at most d that are nonnegative on K. This paper studies the geometry of its boundary ∂Pd(K). We show that when K=R{double-struck}n and d is even, its boundary ∂Pd(K) lies on the irreducible hypersurface defined by the discriminant δ(f) of f. We show that when K={x∈Rn:g1(x)=...=gm(x)=0} is a real algebraic variety, ∂Pd(K) lies on the hypersurface defined by the discriminant δ(f, g1,..., gm) of f, g1,...,gm. We show that when K is a general semialgebraic set, ∂Pd(K) lies on a union of hypersurfaces defined by the discriminantal equations. Explicit formulae for the degrees of these hypersurfaces and discriminants are given. We also prove that typically Pd(K) does not have a barrier of type -logΦ(f) when Φ(f) is required to be a polynomial, but such a barrier exists if Φ(f) is allowed to be semialgebraic. Some illustrating examples are shown. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
Symbolic graphs for attributed graph constraintsFernando Orejas
Volume 46, Issue 3, March 2011, Pages 294-315
In this paper we present a new class of graphs, called symbolic graphs, to define a new class of constraints on attributed graphs. In particular, in the first part of the paper, we study the category of symbolic graphs showing that it satisfies some properties, which are the basis for the work that we present in the second part of the paper, where we study how to reason with attributed graph constraints. More precisely, we define a set of inference rules, which are the instantiation of the inference rules defined in a previous paper, for reasoning about constraints on standard graphs, showing their soundness and (weak) completeness. Moreover, the proof of soundness and completeness is also an instantiation of the corresponding proof for standard graph constraints, using the categorical properties studied in the first part of the paper. Finally, we show that adding a new inference rule makes our system sound and strongly complete. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
Applying abstract acceleration to (co-)reachability analysis of reactive programsPeter Schrammel | Bertrand Jeannet
Volume 47, Issue 12, December 2012, Pages 1512-1532
Acceleration methods are commonly used for computing precisely the effects of loops in the reachability analysis of counter machine models. Applying these methods on synchronous data-flow programs, e.g.. Lustre programs, requires to deal with the non-deterministic transformations due to numerical input variables. In this article, we address this problem by extending the concept of abstract acceleration of Gonnord etal. to numerical input variables. Moreover, we describe the dual analysis for co-reachability. We compare our method with some alternative techniques based on abstract interpretation pointing out its advantages and limitations. At last, we give some experimental results. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
Sparse polynomial division using a heapMichael Monagan | Roman Pearce
Volume 46, Issue 7, July 2011, Pages 807-822
In 1974, Johnson showed how to multiply and divide sparse polynomials using a binary heap. This paper introduces a new algorithm that uses a heap to divide with the same complexity as multiplication. It is a fraction-free method that also reduces the number of integer operations for divisions of polynomials with integer coefficients over the rationals. Heap-based algorithms use very little memory and do not generate garbage. They can run in the CPU cache and achieve high performance. We compare our C implementation of sparse polynomial multiplication and division with integer coefficients to the routines of the Magma, Maple, Pari, Singular and Trip computer algebra systems. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
Efficient algorithms for order basis computationWei Zhou | George Labahn
Volume 47, Issue 7, July 2012, Pages 793-819
In this paper, we present two algorithms for the computation of a shifted order basis of an m×n matrix of power series over a field K with m≤n. For a given order σ and balanced shift s→ the first algorithm determines an order basis with a cost of O ~(n ω{left tortoise shell bracket}mσ/n{right tortoise shell bracket};) field operations in K, where ω is the exponent of matrix multiplication. Here an input shift is balanced when max(s→)-min(s→)∈O(σ/n). This extends the earlier work of Storjohann which only determines a subset of an order basis that is within a specified degree bound δ using O ~(n ωδ) field operations for δ{left tortoise shell bracket}mσ/n{right tortoise shell bracket}; While the first algorithm addresses the case when the column degrees of a complete order basis are unbalanced given a balanced input shift, it is not efficient in the case when an unbalanced shift results in the row degrees also becoming unbalanced. We present a second algorithm which balances the high degree rows and computes an order basis also using O ~(n ω{left tortoise shell bracket}mσ/n{right tortoise shell bracket};) field operations in the case that the shift is unbalanced but satisfies the condition ∑i=1n(max(s→)-s→i)≤σ. This condition essentially allows us to locate those high degree rows that need to be balanced. This extends the earlier work by the authors from ISSAC'09. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.
Computing representatives of nilpotent orbits of θ-groupsWillem A. de Graaf
Volume 46, Issue 4, April 2011, Pages 438-458
Two algorithms are described for finding representatives of the nilpotent orbits of a θ-group, corresponding to a Z/mZ-grading of a simple Lie algebra g over C. The first algorithm uses the classification of the nilpotent orbits in g, an idea also used in Doković (1988a). To get a working algorithm from it, we combine this idea with a new method for computing normal sl2-triples. The second algorithm is based on Vinberg's theory of carrier algebras, that reduces the classification of nilpotent orbits to the classification of subalgebras of g with certain properties. We describe an algorithm for the latter problem, using a method for classifying π-systems. The algorithms have been implemented in the computer algebra system GAP (inside the package SLA). We briefly comment on their performance. At the end of the paper the algorithms are used to study the nilpotent orbits of θ-groups, where θ is an N-regular automorphism of a simple Lie algebra of exceptional type. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
Rank-profile revealing Gaussian elimination and the CUP matrix decompositionClaude Pierre Jeannerod | Clément Pernet | Arne Storjohann
Volume 56, Issue , September 2013, Pages 46-68
Transforming a matrix over a field to echelon form, or decomposing the matrix as a product of structured matrices that reveal the rank profile, is a fundamental building block of computational exact linear algebra. This paper surveys the well-known variations of such decompositions and transformations that have been proposed in the literature. We present an algorithm to compute the CUP decomposition of a matrix, adapted from the LSP algorithm of Ibarra, Moran and Hui (1982), and show reductions from the other most common Gaussian elimination based matrix transformations and decompositions to the CUP decomposition. We discuss the advantages of the CUP algorithm over other existing algorithms by studying time and space complexities: the asymptotic time complexity is rank sensitive, and comparing the constants of the leading terms, the algorithms for computing matrix invariants based on the CUP decomposition are always at least as good except in one case. We also show that the CUP algorithm, as well as the computation of other invariants such as transformation to reduced column echelon form using the CUP algorithm, all work in place, allowing for example to compute the inverse of a matrix on the same storage as the input matrix. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.


text:
I grabbed this quick video with LTC (R) Allen West — a candidate for Congress in 2010 and hopefully, a run for the White House in 2012. Read his after action report — post CPAC. Another great American hero who should have spoken at CPAC but didn't. We have got to get our act together. […]READ MORE
Category Archives: CPAC 2009: Pamela Geller Brings Geert Wilders to CPAC
Visions of 2012 dancing in my head ..uh huh uh huh Part II to follow……………. complete video to follow. Email this pageREAD MORE
The ballroom was electrified. We turned a corner Friday night. Something really big happened. Something historic. In the face of a complacent, lethargic Conservative leadership, we seized the moment. The individual took up the mantle for the freedoms we hold so dear. It was the first blog event of this kind and its astounding success […]READ MORE
Wilders took America by storm. I will have the video, pictures and speeches up by tonight of our event Friday. You must watch the event and send it to everyone. Wilders brought down da hous. Also, the latest polls show that Wilders' party is the biggest party in the Netherlands. Check out the notoriously hostile […]READ MORE
Patrick Poole embellishes upon the drum I have been beating all week, that despite the urgent need for bold leadership CPAC is bereft of vision, integrity, leadership. At what I am hearing is the largest gathering of CPAC attendees ever (my cabbie said 9,000), there was nothing concerning the most critical issues of our day. […]READ MORE
Atlas readers rule! The $25 Banana—priceless! If given the chance to fly back in time to hear Patrick Henry deliver his "liberty or death" speech, I probably would. No, I'm sure I would. In a very real sense, that's why I left Danville and drove almost six hours (and almost another six on the way […]READ MORE
I have much stuff to load, report and opine on. Last night's evening with Wilders was electrifying. Stunning. The packed house was wild for him. SRO and we had to turn folks away. I will be introducing David Horowitz at CPAC at 3 pm Eastern Standard time so I should be on the live feeds […]READ MORE
This is almost comic. Three in four mosques preach hate and anti-Western extremism, and un-indicted co-conspirator CAIR is calling out the FBI on basic security measures? And notice how MSNBC doesn't identify CAIR with its call letters. Neither do they point out CAIR's terror ties, or that CAIR was named an un-indicted co-conspirator in the […]READ MORE
Rockin' da house …. tonight at 6 pm, The Blue Room at the OMNI! Email this pageREAD MORE
The unmatched highlight of CPAC was John Bolton's speech. Seems to me Bolton ought to assume the mantle of leadership of the Conservative movement. And before a gathering of conservatives Bolton snarked on Obama's remark that Iran was a tiny threat – he said that President Barack Obama might learn a needed lesson if tiny […]READ MORE
This is our future. Not what the leftist islamists and the spineless conservatives are serving up cold. The most important tête à tête at CPAC. We discussed freedom of speech, the deteriorating situation in Sarajevo and Kosovo (bad and getting worse), the worsening situation in Europe, and Wilders' legal case in The Netherlands. Two of […]READ MORE
Here we are at the largest attended CPAC ever – close to 8,000 people and there is not one panel or speaker on Islamic supremacism, freedom of speech, or foreign affairs save one panel: Mark Krikorian over at NRO noticed: This year's Conservative Politcal Action Conference starts Thursday in Washington. I'll be on a panel […]READ MORE
Geert Wilders is coming to America this week. How delicious is that? We should get gaggles of giggly freedom lovers to greet him at the airport like they used to do with Beatles and Elvis. I mean it, really. He is landing in New York. Not to worry – Atlas will report all. He has […]READ MORE
Yes, I am an official blogger at CPAC – I will be there reporting all the dirt. I have been asked to introduce David Horowitz on Saturday (whoop) and I will be hosting an event you won't want to miss – more on that later. Email this pageREAD MORE

subset: commoncrawl


text:
2016 Tour of Long Beach
May 14, 2016
The Memorial Medical Center Foundation invites you to one of the premiere bicycle fundraising events on the West Coast as the Tour of Long Beach returns on Saturday, May 14, 2016 to benefit pediatric cancer research at Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach. Bring the entire family for a day of fun and see for yourself how Long Beach is becoming the most bicycle friendly city in the U.S.!
Join in the fun by participating in the Tour of Long Beach's 5-mile Free Family Fun Ride, or the picturesque 30-mile course on the bike paths and streets of Long Beach, the 62-mile through Long Beach to Newport Beach or the 100-mile Cruz Gran Fondo which loops through Long Beach then heads south down the Southern California Coast through Sunset Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. All paths lead to a full-day Finish Line Festival with live entertainment, food trucks, beer garden and much more fun.
Whether you ride for exercise or fun, join us and help support the children and families at the Jonathan Jaques Children's Cancer Center at Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach.
2016 Top Fundraisers
Congratulations to our participants – you made every pedal count!
2016 Hero
Darryl Sockwell: $3,830
2016 Victory's Circle
Michelle Mix: $3,483
Robert Brown: $2,986
Ken Potter: $1,930
Jeff Hancock: $1,800
Mark Pelham: $1,665
Kathleen Estrada: $1,517
Christina Kallarou: $1,380
Dao Huynh: $1,345
Janis Hebermehl: $1,300
Stuart Mocilnikar: $1,272
Gus Jimenez: $1,245
Eric Coyle: $1,230
Kirby Anthony: $1,175
Scott Cameron: $1,125
Henry Avila: $1,100
Hani Freudenberger: $1,005
Ana Castillo Villanueva: $1,005
Sam Contreras: $1,001
Tour of Long Beach is produced by the Memorial Medical Center Foundation and benefits the Jonathan Jaques Children's Cancer Center at Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach.
The Memorial Medical Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is the designated recipient of all gifts and grants on behalf of Long Beach Memorial and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, Federal ID #95-6105984.
Memorial Medical Center Foundation
2801 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90806 • PH: (562) 933-GIVE (4483)


text:
The last time I saw Morrissey at the Brixton Academy, he was in The Smiths and lines of horse-backed police awaited our exit. The police are out in force in nearby streets as I arrive tonight, and the singer alludes to the weekend's unrest, wondering if David Cameron has ever been to Tottenham and pointedly playing "People Are the Same Everywhere". But Morrissey always carries a self-provoked micro-climate of trouble.
"All of the rumours keeping me grounded," he's soon singing during 1994's "Speedway", "well I never said they were completely unfounded". There were weary shrugs at his latest decision to say something outrageous, but Morrissey's need to be embattled is part of what keeps him musically alive. His band provide a rock sound of exciting attack, while throughout the crowd there is fervent activity and idolisation. The latter is fed by a star who needs and understands it, leaning down to shake hands and take gifts.
Two songs from the generation-defining Smiths album The Queen Is Dead are inevitable highlights. "I Know It's Over" awakens now nostalgic memories of virginal longing in the middle-aged, and every word of "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out", that romantic ode to romantic defeat, is hymned by the crowd.
Morrissey has if anything lost perspective since those classics of adolescence, but retains potent confidence that he matters. He throws his shirt into the crowd at the end, a relic of a man who remains a sacred and profane star.
- More about:
- Carling Academy Brixton
- David Cameron
- Morrisey
- Tottenham


text:
Bad Manners Tickets
What people are saying about Bad Manners
Rated 5 out of 5 by Party Animal Gaz from Quality night out! Have seen Bad Manners on numerous occasions at The Fleece, a top venue for Two Tone & Ska events. Totally awesome, & Buster & his band never fail to deliver a top night out. Was also fortunate enough to grab a quick 'selfie' with the man himself. Can't wait to be there watching them again on Boxing day,... Cheers Buster!!!
Date published: 2015-11-08
Rated 5 out of 5 by michmrsh73 from Fantastic Show Fantastic show 3rd time i'd seen Buster & the boys would highly recommend to anyone
Date published: 2015-11-13
Rated 4 out of 5 by Ska rd4Life from Old Ska Boys and Girl's Big Night Out. Live Rooms Chester held this concert. The atmosphere built up as a DJ- Old School played tracks of two tone classics and mod revival tunes for the packed concert. It was hot and the tunes and flowing beer created a great atmosphere. Bad Manners are a top band whose familar songs made everyone dance the night away. They really know how to play and Busterblood vessel may not be as big as he once was but his heart is and this showed. These guys create a feel good night out that is infectious and i would say you would have to be dead below the waist not to be foot tapping and going for a few moves that you remembered from your youth. Great night, great venue, and top top band. Next time they are in town go see you won't be disappointed.
Date published: 2015-11-05
Rated 1 out of 5 by Anonymous from bad manners is the right name for them Shocking.........got these tickets as a birthday present saw just over half hour of them play as they were over an hour late on stage......lead singer was clearly very drunk as he staggered on set...couldn't hear a word he was singing for the first few songs....support band were far better than the main act. One star is over generous.
Date published: 2016-08-07
Rated 1 out of 5 by Lowy from Bad manners all right-be better if they had turned up The support band SKAFACE were fantastic and I would definitely go and watch them again unfortunately Bad Manners couldn't be bothered setting off in plenty of time so didn't make it due to traffic. unprofessional, unreliable. unbelievable, add to that warm beer and slow service. thank god for skaface.
Date published: 2016-06-02
Rated 1 out of 5 by Debbie66 from no show I went with friends, got the train to Preston and booked a taxi to pick us up after going back to Blackpool.... Watched the supporting band Ska face who were fab... then to be told Bad Manners had cancelled as stuck on the motorway..... I know its not their fault but what a let down.....
Date published: 2016-05-22
Rated 2 out of 5 by Extonville from Let down! No show Bad Manners! Support act (Skaface) were good though as was the band in the pub across the road beforehand. Won't be going to see them on the revised date. Management at 53º would've known earlier that Bad Manners weren't going to turn up - poor! 2 stars for the support act
Date published: 2016-06-01
Rated 1 out of 5 by KJA92 from Show Cancelled Sadly, Bad Manners weren't able to make it as they were stuck in traffic! However, Ska Face (great support act btw) were awesome which was a good start to the night. Such a shame it ended early and on such a low, a lot of people left disappointed. :(
Date published: 2016-05-21


text:
KU's Robinson, Chalmers master thieves
When it comes to picking the pocket of opponents on the hardwood, there are few better in the nation than KU's Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.
Share this video
J. Wilson's 785-312-9057
Find more businesses on Marketplace
Arts & Entertainment · Bars · Theatres · Restaurants · Coffeehouses · Libraries · Antiques · Services


text:
Fermented with wild yeasts and aged in wine barrelswith orange peel, Sofie is a tart, dry, sparkling ale. A subtle, spicy white pepper note, a hint of citrus from the orange peel and a creamy vanilla finish make Sofie an intriguing choice for Champagne drinkers and beer drinkers who are fond of Belgian Saisons.
|Technical notes
|Style: Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale Alcohol by Volume: 6.5% International Bitterness Units: 25 Color: Champagne Hops: Amarillo Malt: Pilsner, Wheat
|Food pairing
|Food Pairings: Sofie pairs with a wide variety of foods, its light and refreshing qualities complement lighter flavors like fresh oysters and contrast rich shellfish like lobster. Cheese Pairings: Brie
|When the first Goose Island Brewpub opened its doors in 1988, domestic, mass-produced beer was deeply ingrained in Midwestern culture. The craft beer industry was still in its infancy, with only a handful of brewpubs in existence in the Midwest. In his travels across Europe, beer-lover John Hall had enjoyed a distinctive local brew in each region he visited. Hall was convinced that Midwesterners could produce beers as good or better than those hed tasted in his travels. Living on the shore of the largest system of fresh water on the planet Earth, in a city with rapidly evolving tastes John decided that his hometown, Chicago, would be the ideal place to do just that. The key to building interest in craft beer, Hall decided, was to allow consumers to watch the brewing process while providing them with the then-novel experience of enjoying a wide variety of distinctive beers that had been produced on-site. Hall wanted to not only cater to his customers tastes, but to challenge them as well. Goose Islands brewers set to work crafting a diverse selection of unique beers and on Friday, May 13, 1988 the Goose Island Brewpub was born. It turned out that John was right; Chicagoans palates evolved rapidly once Goose Islands Brewpub opened its doors and introduced the city to distinctive craft beer. By 1995, the brewpub had become so popular that John Hall decided to open a larger brewery and bottling plant to keep up with demand. Finding still more room for growth, in 1999 Hall opened a second Goose Island Brewpub just a stones throw away from historic Wrigley Field. Today, Goose Island continues to brew an innovative selection of over 50 craft beers at the brewpub, the best of which are then bottled at our Fulton Street brewery. Goose Island beers are now enjoyed in 36 states and Europe.


text:
- Building Cemetery City Clerk City Manager Code Enforcement Economic Development Engineering Evans Fire Protection District Finance Human Resources
- Maps Municipal Court Office of Emergency Management Parks Planning/Zoning Police Public Works Recreation Utility Billing Water
- City Council Boards & Commissions Economic Development Advisory Council Planning Commission Senior Advisory Board Water and Sewer Board Zoning Board of Appeals
- Community
- For Visitors
Doing Business
- Job Opportunities Events and Meetings Agendas and Minutes Calendar Services Directory In the News City News
- Contact the City Submit a Request or Concern Staff Directory Documents and Forms Documents and Reports Forms and Applications Shop and Dine Directory
- Land Development Permits and Licenses Building Reports Pay Sales & Use Tax Bids and RFPs Municipal Code
How Do I?
- Apply For... An excavation permit A business license A fence permit A basement remodel permit A position on a board or committee Report... A Pothole A Code Violation Rent... A City facility A Park Pavilion
- Pay... A Court Fine My Utility Bill My Sales and Use Tax Register For... Register for a sport Request... Public Records A Building Inspection
Utility & Service Providers
Water service is provided by the City of Evans. For more information about the system, click here or call (970) 475-1170.
Wastewater service is provided by the City of Evans. For more information about the system, click here or call (970) 475-1170.
Refuse Collection & Recycling
The City of Evans contracts with Waste Management for refuse and recycling collection services. Waste Management can be reached by calling 1-866-482-6319 or click here to visit their website.
Electricity service is provided by Xcel Energy. Call 1-800-895-4999 or click here to visit their website.
Poudre Valley REA provides service to the Grapevine Hollow Subdivision. Call 1-800-432-1012 or click here to visit their website.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is provided by Atmos Energy. Call 1-888-286-6700 or click here to visit their website.
Telephone, Internet and Cable Providers
There are many providers from which to choose when considering telephone, internet and cable service. The City of Evans does not recommend any particular provider but encourages residents to be informed consumers. Do your research to identify the plan that works best for you and your needs.


text:
Since 2003, the City of Phoenix Human Services Department has implemented an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Campaign. Throughout the course of the campaign, more than 53,000 low- and moderate- income families have received more than $74 million in federal funds at free tax preparation sites across Phoenix. Nationally, EITC lifted an estimated 6.5 million people out of poverty, including 3.3 million children.
Every year millions of dollars in tax refunds go unclaimed because people are unaware of the various credits available to them such as the EITC, a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. Find out if you qualify for EITC!
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Campaign, in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, is an entirely volunteer-driven project. The VITA program offers free tax preparation and e-filing to households with an annual income of $54,000 or less, providing the maximum credits available to the taxpayer saving them hundreds of dollars in paid preparer fees. VITA volunteers do meaningful work in the fight against poverty.
VITA Sites in the Phoenix area are open from January to April. Sites are most commonly set up in churches, community centers, colleges, and other easily accessible locations. Check out the current list of VITA locations now!
For information on VITA locations outside the city of Phoenix:
Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-906-9887 or visit them at www.IRS.gov.
Learn more about the AARP VITA program.
Visit Mesa United Way to learn more about the Mesa VITA program and locations. Mesa VITA Flyer (English / Spanish).
Visit City of Chandler to learn more about the city of Chandler VITA program and locations. Chandler VITA Flyer (English / Spanish).
Visit City of Tempe: Tempe Community Council to learn more about the Tempe Community Council VITA program and locations. Tempe Community Council VITA Flyer (English only).
For more information about the west valley VITA program, visit West Valley Coalition. You can also view the West Valley VITA Coalition flyer for current VITA sites (English only).
Do your State and Federal taxes yourself FREE online at myfreetaxes.com, for individuals or families with a combined household income of $60,000 or less in 2014.
Learn more now about myfreetaxes.
There are many volunteer opportunities within the VITA program, including Screeners and Instructors--training is available.
Online applications are available for the upcoming tax season through the city's volunteer opportunities page. On this page please select an orientation to attend.
Tax preparation Volunteer training begins in November and runs through January. VITA orientation attendance is required prior to signing up for training.
Following completion of training a tax certificate will be issued.


text:
Empire reveals official 'Dark Knight Rises' covers for Batman and Bane
I'm working reeeeeeeeeeeeal hard to pace myself.
If you're a "Dark Knight" addict, you've probably been mainlining paparazzi photos for months, to the point where you feel somewhat bloated and over it at this point. I've been so careful not to do that to myself. I am not the most ardent fan in the world of "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight," but I do like them both quite a bit, and I'm absolutely ready to see how Nolan wraps up his time as the architect of Batman's fate.
As a comic fan, I am aware of the various battle lines that exist in fandom, and one of them is how you felt about Bane when he appeared in Batman comics. If you don't know his storyline, I won't lay it out here, but I'll say that it was a fairly iconic move by DC, one that had some long-range impact on the entire DC world. Like Venom is for Spider-Man, Bane represents a challenge that genuinely tested the hero in question, one that became a major player in the rogue's gallery rotation. Bane appeared in Joel Schumacher's detestable "Batman In Rubber," and he was portrayed as a large grunting latex suit in a Mexican wrestler's mask who stood around in the background of scenes where Uma Thurman and Arnold Schwarzenegger overacted.
I doubt I would have picked Bane off a list of likely villains for a Nolan film, but if he's going to use him and Nolan's been vocal about this being the last film in his continuity, then why not give Batman a villain to face that could very well do him lasting harm? I hope all bets are off in this film. I hope there is the very real possibility of death for Batman and those close to him. I hope Nolan's not afraid to push as far as possible in order to play out a particular theme, whatever that is.
Empire has a big "Dark Knight Rises" set visit piece coming soon, and as a result, they've also got a pair of covers for the issue, one showing Batman and one showing Bane.
These are pretty much exactly what I'd expect, although I will say I'm not sure what that device is that Batman's holding, and it's a really weird choice, since now that's the thing I'm left thinking about instead of Batman or Christian Bale. The device and Tom Hardy's freaky steroid-looking body acne, which is really disturbingly prominent in his cover.
I don't know how Nolan's planning to tie Bane and Catwoman, played by Anne Hathaway, together, but that's what makes his choices interesting to me. They're not the choices I'd make as a Batman fan, but then again, none of his choices are really what I would have done. Batman, like the best of the superhero archetypes, is extremely flexible, and how his stories are told says a lot about the person telling them. Those who are upset by Frank Miller's recent anti-"Occupy Wall Street" comments must not have read work like "The Dark Knight Returns" again recently, because I think he's always been fairly naked with his pathology. He's a great writer because of his blunt force storytelling, his big broad strokes and his heightened choices, and that's what his "Batman" stories are. Alan Moore's "Killing Joke" is full of strong character work, storytelling-as-commentary, and perverse and permanent consequences, which pretty much sums up Alan Moore. With Nolan, his Batman movies are these puzzle boxes, like all of his films, and the way things fit together is a big part of the pleasure.
Our first best look at what he's got up his sleeve will be the six-minute prologue sequence in IMAX that is playing exclusively in front of the 70MM IMAX engagements of "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol." The people who I've talked to who have seen the six-minute segment just smile at the mention of it, and I've been told to expect something on a much larger scale than the opening bank robbery from "The Dark Knight" which played in front of the IMAX prints of "I Am Legend." That's going to be the moment where we really get a sense of what tone to expect from this one, and I'm willing to bet it's going to be very different than either of the first two films. For now, this is a fun nudge, a hint of what's coming soon, and I like how Empire handled the reveals over the weekend.
"The Dark Knight Rises" opens July 20, 2012.


text:
Get More: Music Videos, Free Music Videos
Dr. Who star Matt Smith took home the award for Best Science Fiction Actor at the Scream Awards, and I was enough lucky to chat with him twice through out the night, on the red carpet and backstage after his win. How do I say this without sounding like a creepy, fangirl weirdo: HE IS THE NICEST MAN ALIVE. Seriously, he was goofy and sweet and genui…
© 2016
Powered by
Badges |
Report an Issue |
Terms of Service
Site Created & Designed By:
Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.


text:
4 posts tagged with linkstothedamnpaper and Virology.
Displaying 1 through 4 of 4. Subscribe:
HPV: Sex, cancer and a virus
"On a sunny day in 1998, Maura Gillison was walking across the campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, thinking about a virus. The young oncologist bumped into the director of the university's cancer centre, who asked politely about her work. Gillison described her discovery of early evidence that human papillomavirus (HPV) — a ubiquitous pathogen that infects nearly every human at some point in their lives — could be causing tens of thousands of cases of throat cancer each year in the United States. The senior doctor stared down at Gillison, not saying a word. "That was the first clue that what I was doing was interesting to others and had potential significance," recalls Gillison."
Human papillomavirus is causing a new form of head and neck cancer— leaving researchers scrambling to understand risk factors, tests and treatments.[more inside]
Virulence-transmission trade-offs and population divergence in virulence
"Why do parasites harm their hosts? Conventional wisdom holds that because parasites depend on their hosts for survival and transmission, they should evolve to become benign, yet many parasites cause harm. Theory predicts that parasites could evolve virulence (i.e., parasite-induced reductions in host fitness) by balancing the transmission benefits of parasite replication with the costs of host death. This idea has led researchers to predict how human interventions—such as vaccines—may alter virulence evolution, yet empirical support is critically lacking." Two papers demonstrate empirical evidence for related models predicting the origin of virulence: [more inside]
Pertussis Epidemic — Washington, 2012
Since mid-2011, a substantial rise in pertussis [Whooping Cough] cases has been reported in the state of Washington. In response to this increase, the Washington State Secretary of Health declared a pertussis epidemic on April 3, 2012. By June 16, the reported number of cases in Washington in 2012 had reached 2,520 (37.5 cases per 100,000 residents), a 1,300% increase compared with the same period in 2011 and the highest number of cases reported in any year since 1942 [Make sure you don't miss Figure 1]. Commentators are already drawing corellations with the fact that Washington State leads the nation in vaccine non-compliance, Washington State's recent cutbacks in public health funding, and increases in the number of uninsured (PDF). [more inside]
The last two stores of smallpox under review
Health ministers from the World Health Organization's (WHO's) 193 member states will meet this week to debate when to destroy the two last known remaining stocks of the virus that causes smallpox. [more inside]
Page: 1


text:
Submit a Character »
2. Jaqlyn Mabree - PLAYED BY TAKEITBACK
3. Jaylene Griffith - PLAYED BY RIOTTERRITORY
2. Cody Ghost - PLAYED BY BRIBRIBEARX
3. Gale Orion Flint - PLAYED BY AVIA
Age: (17 or 18)
Sexual Orientation:
Appearence: (Try to include a picture, no anime, please! Add anything else that the picture doesn't reveal, like tattoos or whatever, if they have any.)
Personality: (I don't need a full book here, but at least a paragraph.)
Quirks: (biting your lip when nervous, playing with your hair, things like that)
Skills: (GUYS, remember, this is Alaska. Snowboarding, ice skating, anything involving snow would be great.)
BRIEF History: (Were they born in Alaska? What do their parents do? Do they have siblings?)
- You can be intimate, but nothing too crazy! Take it to the PM for that!
- This is a semi-lit RP. PLEASE try to be literate! I understand typos, but use a dictionary if you really can't spell great! I want at least two paragraphs per post!
- If you do not like gay, bi, or lesbian people, please do not join this RP!
- HAVE FUN! (: Message me if you have any questions!
View All »Available Characters
These characters are currently marked as available. Why don't you consider viewing their profiles and making a decision on whether or not you can roleplay them accurately?
There haven't been any official reviews of this roleplay yet!
Add New »Show All »Characters
View All »Available Characters
These poor, unfortunate souls were once a part of this great world, but have been abandoned. Why don't you consider viewing their profiles and making a decision on whether or not you can roleplay them accurately?
View All »Places in In this Final Frontier
There are no places in this roleplay!
Create New »View All »Groups
There are no groups in this roleplay!
View All »Arcs
There are no arcs in this roleplay.
View All »Quests
There are no quests in this roleplay.
Reply to this roleplay »Activity
"Don't need to be sorry," he said quietly, and playfully poked Gale's cheek, which was warm. He slightly shifted, so that Gale's arm was resting on his leg, and smirked down at his roommate, who seemed totally embarassed. The room was even more dim now, if that was even possible. Sonny looked at the digital clock on his nightstand, which flashed the numbers 1:12 P.M in bright blue. Already?
Time flies when you're flirting with your roommate.
He let out a huff of breath as a few experimental tugs revealed that he had somehow gotten himself even more wrapped up in the blankets during his tumble, which was just his luck. Now that he was in the position though, he didn't really feel like moving. Now if only he had fallen into a comfortable position; as he was, his back was twisted slightly more than he liked. Maneuvering carefully to avoid an even more awkward position, he levered himself up and over to drop at Sonny's side. Their sides were still pressed together- if questioned he could always blame his pinned legs, even if that wasn't quite true- but his spine felt much better.
But it was the way he never said much; the way he just analyzed his surroundings, that made Sonny really like him. Gale was one of the few people he felt completely comfortable around, despite just recently meeting him. It was easy to carry a conversation with him, to tell him about things. He glanced down at Gale wrapped up in his blankets for a few seconds, then rested his head against the wall, looking up at the ceiling.
"Hey, Gale. Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?"
After all, what were the chances that they both would get picked to come here, and that Gale would walk to this room first? Slim, now that he was considering it. Working up the nerve, he leaned very slightly against Sonny's side, prepared to pull back if he gave any sign of discomfort.
"I believe it, too. Like for example, there's a reason why Emily left me in the dust after more than half a year," he said, then pulled out his phone, sorting through dozens of pictures until he settled on one of him and Emily in the park. Her hair flowed around her shoulders in waves, it was rare that it wasn't pulled up, and her face was close to Sonny's, smiling away as if a paparazzi took the picture.
But now that Sonny thought about it, he realized that her smile wasn't a smile of happiness in any photos that they took. It was, as he thought about it before, bored. So why did he care? He cared because she wasted his time. In those 7 months, he could have done....what?
Sighing, he looked away from his screen, knowing that he should have deleted the photo by now. But for some reason, he wanted to keep it as proof that at some point, he did date someone, even if it wasn't even real to her.
"Whatever, thats over with. And besides, other more positive things happen for a reason," he commented quietly, putting his phone back on the bed. He then looked down at Gales hand and brushed against it, gently gripping his pinky with his own.
Emily was already starting to fade away in the back of his mind again, and he hoped that she wouldn't come out to reek her ugly head again. The whole point of this get-away was to meet new people and have fun. Yet all Sonny wanted to do was sit here and talk to Gale. Hopefully his other roommates wouldn't mind his lack of keeping them company. Once again stopping his inner babbling, Sonny decided to step up his game and slowly rest his head on Gale's shoulder, just hoping that he wouldn't move away. The sky seemed to get lighter, making the room a little less somber, but considering it was now 4:23 P.M according to the clock, it didn't make much difference.
When a weight settled on the shoulder, he did the first thing that came to mind without really thinking, shrugging his shoulder slightly as he glanced back over. Crap; his mind made a few connections, and he floundered for a moment. He hoped that Sonny wouldn't take the shrug- stupid reflex that it was- as something it wasn't, and he wasn't entirely sure what to do to prevent him from moving away if he had misinterpreted. On impulse, he rested his head on Sonny's hoping that it would keep him from pulling away.
He then shifted his right leg so it was resting on Gale's legs, or more like the wad of blankets that were covering him. He made himself comfortable, hoping that Gale wouldn't shift or move away.
"You bored of me yet?" he questioned softly.
"No," he replied simply, bumping his head gently against Sonny's.
He never would have thought that he would be so comfortable around someone he just met, never in a million years. But he desperately wanted let Gale know that he could trust Sonny, that he would always be here for him, beyond the Senior get-away.
The room was now almost completely dark, the sun finally setting behind the gray, now black clouds. Snow wasn't falling anymore, which was good, but he knew that there would be a fresh layer tomorrow. Sonny wondered how he could sit for hours on end like this, since he sometimes had ADHD tendencies and always had to be moving around, jumping from activity to activity.
He gently lifted his head off of Gale's shoulder and looked up at him, holding his gaze with his gray eyes. Bringing in his lips inches from his rommate's, he whispered, "I really like you."
Blinking as Sonny's face was suddenly close to his own, he made no move to shift backward, forcing his gaze to hold Sonny's. Letting out a soft huff of breath, he nodded in response, making a quiet sound of agreement.
He then backed away slightly, just enough so that Gale could move away if he wanted to. In reality, he really hoped that Gale would do just the opposite and kiss him back. He would revel in that thought for quite a long time.
Hand curling a bit more securely about Sonny's, he took a breath before leaning forward again. All too aware of his inexperience, he gently pressed his lips back against Sonny's, feeling clumsy, but too happy at the idea that his roommate liked him back to take too much stock in it.
"This means but one thing, Gale."
Head tilting to the side, he gave Sonny a playfully curious look. "Oh?" he replied. Sure he had a feeling he knew what it was, but he wanted Sonny to say it.
Maybe that was one of the reasons why Emily left him. It's not like he took it to the extreme found it necessary to always ask where she was, or go through her text messages, but he didn't appreciate her going out all the time, pretending as if she was single and had not a clue who he was. His jealousy had been a major cause of the arguments they had, but what exactly was he supposed to do when she was handing out her number to random guys? Just sit there and take it? Maybe he was too brash; too outspoken for her. He just hoped that Gale wouldn't mind his jealous ways. He would find a way to tone it down. Under any circumstances, he was not going to mess this up.
In this Final Frontier: Out Of Character (OOC)
- Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
In this Final Frontier
by ZoeyAutopsyx on Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:30 pm
- 3 Replies
- 543 Views
- Last post by BriBriBearx
on Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:58 pm
- In this Final Frontier
Most recent OOC posts in In this Final Frontier
Re: [OOC] In this Final Frontier
Re: [OOC] In this Final Frontier
Re: [OOC] In this Final Frontier
[OOC] In this Final Frontier
You may edit this first post as you see fit.


text: No recent wiki edits to this page. "The Saga of Bullseye Jonesy": Yee-ha! It's time to saddle up your horse and mosey into the old west for some rip-roaring fun! Lasso up some laughs with "Jonesy" and Chuck as the ride in to Peaceful Valley and try out to be Mayor Andrews' new deputies!"Treehouse Trouble": Jughead and Archie are up a tree – literally, when they volunteer to build a treehouse for the Riverdale Boys and Girls Club!"Food Mood": An army travels on its stomach… and so does Jughead when he goes hiking… but is the backpack strong enough to hold all the sandwiches he had Betty make for his trip?


text:
Travis Clark is a comedian who lives in Los Angeles with at least 1 dog and 1 wife that he is willing to admit to. He is also a writer, actor and occasionally a musician. As a writer Travis has written for Universal Cartoon Studios, Disney, TBS, and VH-1. As an actor he's an Ovation Award winning member of the critically acclaimed Troubadour Theater Company. He's appeared on episodes of CSI and Cold Case. He was somehow lucky enough to land the role of 'Travis' in Henry Phillip's film Punching The Clown. His voice has been featured in cartoons and even in some live puppet shows. As a musician Travis has been kicked out of every band he's ever been in… including the ones he started.
Travis also co-hosts and produces a weekly comedy podcast with his wife Brandi. It's called Tiny Odd Conversations and it's like eavesdropping on your crazy neighbors without having to get dangerously close to them. It's available on iTunes and at tocpod.com


text:
realmagick.com The shrine of knowledge.
Sikorsky Piasecki X 49
- Remembering Roxborough Man, First American To Fly A Helicopter
- While Sikorsky was the first American to develop a practical helicopter, his early designs had only one engine beneath a single rotor in front; any additional load to the rear could throw it off balance. Mr.
- Helicopters Keep Piasecki Name Flying Through Time
- By the mid-1950s, longtime competitor Igor Sikorsky—the first to successfully fly a helicopter—was slipping, due to his stubborn refusal to move away from single-rotor designs and tail rudders. Meanwhile, Piasecki continued ....
- Piasecki X-49A Speeedhawk Compound Helicopter: 250-mph Black Hawk?
- Piasecki Aircraft Corp. (PAC) has designed and developed a compound helicopter called the X-49A Speedhawk, which utilizes a Sikorsky YSH-60F Seahawk helicopter as the base airframe. The Seahawk is a marine version of the UH-60 Black Hawk ...
- Eurocopter X3 hybrid helicopter new speed record at 263 knots 487 kmhr French
- The Eurocopter X3 hybrid helicopter has opened the frontiers of aviation (Read more at http://www.airrecognition.com/index.
- The Quest for the 300-mph Helicopter
- The Piasecki X-49 "Speedhawk" — an experimental helicopter based on a Sikorsky YSH-60F Seahawk — first flew in 2007. The "ring tail" helicopter incorporated Piasecki's vectored-thrust ducted propeller and other modificiations. The Speedhawk was ...
Sikorsky Piasecki X 49 is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Sikorsky Piasecki X 49 books and related discussion.
Suggested News Resources
Great care has been taken to prepare the information on this page. Elements of the content come from factual and lexical knowledge databases, realmagick.com library and third-party sources. We appreciate your suggestions and comments on further improvements of the site.
Sikorsky Piasecki X 49 Topics
Related searchespushtu language grammar
regional parties
personality and individuality
predictions 2012
leatherback sea turtle breeding
dreams meaning of dream about dance
confucius politics
About - Contact - Advertising
© 2000 - 2016 Realmagick.com, All Rights Reserved.
© 2000 - 2016 Realmagick.com, All Rights Reserved.


text:
Online Only! Free $10 E-gift Card with $50 Regular Priced Apparel or Footwear Purchase. Free $20 E-gift Card with $100 Regular Priced Apparel or Footwear Purchase. Excludes all Sale & Clearance priced items ending in .96, .94, .92. Offer Valid 10/23/16-10/29/16.
Prices, promotions, styles and availability may vary by store and online.
No-melt, no-drip cotton/nylon ripstop fabric
Tourniquets built into upper arms
Integrated elbow pad pockets
Modern fit with tuxedo cut
Based on their High Performance Fighting Uniform's success and the evolving needs of customers, Blackhawk! modified the original design to create the new HPFU V.2 with I.T.S. (Integrated Tourniquet System). Each garment is constructed of no-melt, no-drip cotton/nylon ripstop fabric for ultimate resilience.
• Solids colors & Desert Digital: 70% cotton / 30% nylon ripstop
• Multi Cam pattern: 50% nylon / 50% cotton ripstop
• Modern fit
• Two tourniquets built into upper arms (one per sleeve)
• Can be worn instead of HPFU V.2 Shirt/Vest combination or as a final layer jacket
• Tuxedo-cut is shorter in front to allow easy access to beltmounted items
• Hook & loop mounting points for ID patches, etc.
• Integrated elbow pad pockets (pads sold separately)
• Horizontal VELCRO loop on flap of upper sleeve pockets


text:
All prices are in USD
Top Rated National® Online Drugstore
All orders over $49 Ship Free*
Gelusil Antacid and Anti-Gas Tablets provide additional relief from all of the nasty upset stomach symptoms you may experience when a prescription medication isn't enough. In other words, if you take Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec OTC or the like, but still experience heartburn, indigestion, bloating and gas in between doses, you're not alone and Gelusil can help. In fact, nearly half of all people who take a PPI acid reducer need an additional rescue heartburn treatment like Gelusil. The Gelusil brand has been a trusted name for more than 70 years. It uses aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide to provide relief along with simethicone. Gelusil even helps relieve nighttime heartburn. It is completely safe to use with prescription heartburn medications, but please consult your doctor if you have any questions.


text:
My inclination is to simplify. And with this, one of the oldest and sturdiest of cocktails, the old fashioned, should be just that, as Brad Parsons notes in his excellent book Bitters, and in my original post on it. Sugar muddled with bitters, ice, American whiskey, and a twist. Brad laments that it's too often gussied up and over-muddled with orange and overly adorned. Brad also notes a nostalgia for the gritty undissolved sugar, but nevertheless recommends simple syrup in his. I am like-minded on all counts. Except. I splurged on these awesome cherries, "original" maraschinos. Also I really wanted to feature rye whiskey, here Bulleit rye, a whiskey on the upswing in America. And this great, great cocktail, the old fashioned, is perfectly suited to it. I'm doing what Brad suggests, only I'm adding a twist Read On »
Posts Tagged: cocktail
This Friday cocktail recipe is posted with heavy shame. I'm sorry, but it's the way it sometimes goes with blog posts. I'll always be honest with you. Regrettably, there are multiple levels of shame here. Ignorance, laziness, bad planning, haste, forced collusion. It all started when Jeff Houck, the Tampa journalist (the sounds so much more formidable than a, doesn't it? and since I like the guy's work, he's definitely a the), wrote an article about digital food books, which noted this excellent iBook called 25 Classic Cocktails. I asked the guys who made it to do a guest post and offer some cocktails. They chose a Pink Lady and also gave the recipe for a variant, the Clover Club, which is a Pink Lady without the applejack. While on a trip to LA, I Read On »
I've been traveling and hobnobbing with entertainment industry folks this week, so work and body clock are all off. Now I'm back in the deep Cleveland gray and longing for the fine days of cooking in Key West, so I'm reposting this most excellent cocktail that started off all those long lovely boozy nights in the southernmost with my sailing family, the Dark & Stormy: Gosling's rum, ginger beer, and lime. I like equal parts rum and ginger beer, because that's me; the traditional ratio is 2:1 beer to rum. This time I'd like to stress the use of lime. There should be plenty in the perfect Dark & Stormy or the drink is cloying after the first sip or two. Don't give a desultory squeeze but rather an aggressive one, as much as half Read On »
This blast of arctic air and wind and snow and gray has me longing for the lovely afternoons and evenings of the Key West I left a week ago. Nine full days there, writing, cooking, carousing with the sailing droogs. Sigh. So, to cheer myself, I made some Key Lime Daiquiris—proper daiquiris, with nothing but rum, citrus, and simple syrup. The frozen daiquiri and the frozen margarita are yet more travesties America has made of previously fine libations. I think I was in my thirties when I learned that a daiquiri wasn't a slushie with alcohol. So I fight off these, the worst weeks of the year, with memories of Key West, rum, and Key limes (and thanks to you, Rob and Ab!). Yes, that's blue Ohio winter in the background of Donna's shot, but Read On »
I'm so pleased with results of the cooked eggnog I wrote about long ago, I wanted to repost an official tested recipe. I'm a fan of raw-egg eggnog, as well as aged-for-two-years raw eggnog. I don't believe anyone should be afraid of eating raw eggs (especially if you buy organic or well-raised eggs). Raw yolk on raw ground beef is a delight, a kind of ready-made sauce. I love a homemade mayo, a runny poached egg. Indeed, raw or warm egg is one of the great pleasures of cooking and eating. But there are those who may be concerned or have reason not to take any chances. There are also those who may simply love the richness of the cooked egg and the clean flavor the vanilla bean gives it (I also love the creaminess of Read On »


text:
After WoW: Blizzard's Next MMO
A look at what we know and some thoughts on what could allow it to co-exist with WoW.
World of Warcraft is stronger than ever before despite it being more than six years old. Somehow, we've known that Blizzard has a new MMO in the works for nearly half that span -- job listings for a "next-gen MMO" that was labeled "top secret" popped up as far back as 2007. Since then, we've learned almost nothing about the game; one of the most significant developments has been an admission that "Titan" is, as suspected, the new MMO's codename. However, that doesn't mean we're unable to contemplate what Blizzard's next massively multiplayer project has in store for gamers.
Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime was among the members of a panel discussion at the DICE conference yesterday when he was asked about Titan. As is the company's way, he was coy about providing any specific details about its future games, but he did offer up a general overview of how it's being approached. "To break the mold, sometimes you have to start over," he said, Ars Technica reports. He pointed out that "some of our most experienced MMO developers" are at work on the new game, including those "who spent years working on the World of Warcraft team."
Blizzard is hoping that years of MMO development experience will allow it to resolve certain issues in Titan, including some WoW has that "maybe because of the design decisions we've made, you just can't address." He went on to claim Blizzard is hoping to make a "completely new and fresh" game. "We're not trying to make a WoW sequel," he said.
That Titan will be new and different is one of the few things that Blizzard has been willing to say about it over the past several years. Back in 2008, Blizzard COO Paul Sams said it was aiming to create "something that's cool, and new, and different, and kind of next generation in terms of look and feel and gameplay."
It will certainly be new in that it won't be a Warcraft, StarCraft, or Diablo MMO. A Blizzard community manager confirmed in 2009 that Titan would be a "brand new franchise" with "lore, art, and gameplay" that were being designed "from scratch." But is a different universe enough to differentiate it from WoW? What else could Blizzard change?
Morhaime claimed that both WoW and Titan, upon its release, will be able to co-exist. It could be wishful thinking or a naive sentiment on the part of Blizzard. Or it could just be that Blizzard is smart enough to follow its own advice to other MMO developers: Don't copy WoW.
"I know that World of Warcraft is very successful, and so people think if they were to make another game just like it they could somehow capture that audience," said producer Shane Dabiri in 2009. "However, I don't think that's what players are looking for."
See Also
Today in Gaming - 2/10/11: No More Guitar Hero DLC, PixelJunk Shooter 2 Dated
Comments (30)
Maybe it's a Console Marvel MMOPosted: Mar 08, 2011 12:00AM PST by SPARTAN0040
they could just be trying to throw people off by saying its a new universe instead of saying it is the Marvel Universe.
man ifPosted: Feb 14, 2011 12:00AM PST by smile_kill
i played thru dragon age n tried WoW i think i would be stuck to my seat n not move...achievement would unlock Left da house
not a copy?Posted: Feb 14, 2011 12:00AM PST by Battlecrafts
After reading some information concerning the new MMO of Blizzard...I can say that having a new gameplay doesn't mean a new game!The story of TITAN looks like WOW!
Different is good!Posted: Feb 11, 2011 12:00AM PST by Hardcore75
Thank goodness it's something entirely different from WoW. Since it's success the MMO scene became so stagnant with it's influence maybe our only hope comes from Blizzard themselves breaking the mold.
Hmm by what the CEO said about one server maybe it's a sandbox mmorpg? Maybe it will also be FFA full loot permadeath (yeah I wish... lol).
what i want from thisPosted: Feb 11, 2011 12:00AM PST by vish_1305
If their is a new MMO, i would like it to not require a powerful computer just like WOW as my netbook can play WOW great. Also any player of WOW should be able to play this new one for free for a certain amount of time, as they have paid LOADS on WOW.
Some things I'd like to see.Posted: Feb 11, 2011 12:00AM PST by Bast
Just like we've seen with random dungeons .. why not random quests? Keep story line quests static, but the rest could be random.
Better crafting. Make crafting just as enjoyable as the real game.
Destructable environments. If an enemy raid comes through town, let's see the town go up in flames.
I'm sure Blizzard's next MMO will blow everyone away. Let's hope for some major innovation though.
SpeculationPosted: Feb 11, 2011 12:00AM PST by Fyrebrand
It may be too early to even make an educated guess at what this "Project Titan" is going to be like, though it's fair to say that it will build upon everything Blizzard has learned about making MMOs during World of Warcraft's run. Just consider the changes made to WoW from Vanilla to Cataclysm.
Quests have gone from being mainly monotonous fetch missions, item-collecting grind-fests, and cryptic "Where am I supposed to go" frustrations to streamlined, map-supported, and downright entertaining minigames in their own right. We've seen that Blizzard has had experience with taking their game engine and deriving new kinds of gameplay within it (see the "Plants VS Zombies" quest, vehicles that change your standard interface, RTS-style battles, and a send-up of the arcade classic "Joust").
Phasing technology has allowed players to participate in world-changing adventures that really make one feel like what their character is doing is having an impact on the world.
Character classes, spells, talents, and other abilities have been constantly reworked, re-evaluated, tweeked, added and eliminated over WoW's lifespan. Blizzard knows what works and what doesn't, what is too tedious, what is fun, and what is well-balanced. They also listen to their fanbase alot and change the game according to player experiences.
I guess my point is: it will be very interesting to see a new MMO by a company that has had all this experience in improving its product from day one, and to see a game that will be aware of all these aforementioned features from the beginning.
It will become a Starcraft MMO! Just you wait and see!Posted: Feb 11, 2011 12:00AM PST by VDKT
I dunno about the whole "New IP" thing. I'm sure that a new IP with the Blizzard logo will sell no matter what. But when you think about it, what else could Blizzard do?
They already own 2 of the best selling fantasy game franchises in the world, and 1 of the best selling sci-fi franchise in the world!
Diablo and Warcraft for Fantasy and Starcraft for Scifi!
So if their next MMO is gonna be a new IP, there's no way that it can be a fantasy MMO! It has to be a Scifi MMO!!! But here's the thing... if it's gonna be a Scifi MMO, why not just use the Starcraft franchise? It doesn't take more than half a brain to realize that turning Starcraft into a first person shooter MMO would make Blizzard richer than they already are!!!
The Starcraft universe needs to become a MMO! It has so much story and lore. People are already familiar with the name Starcraft, with it's characters, it's universe, and being able to play through Starcraft with a brand new game style would be amazing!
I personally don't like RTS games, and if I could play through the Starcraft storyline in a FPS... I'd become a Starcraft fan right away!
Please Blizzard... don't make a new IP!!! Use Starcraft!!!!!!
It won't be Starcraft...Posted: Feb 11, 2011 12:00AM PST by Endgame19
There are a lot of reasons why what you're asking simply wont happen. That being said here are the major ones:
1. Blizzard has already stated it will be a new IP. They tend not to go back on thier word with something this big.
2. Starcraft doesn't lend itself to an MMO the way Warcraft did. There are too few player classes and too many vehicles to effectively balance the game properly as an MMO.
3. Bliz is probably getting pressure from Activision to release a new IP as WoW, Starcraft and Diablo are all fairly long running titles. Both Bliz and Activision know that no IP lasts forever and they need to make sure they have some other projects in the works.
4. The setup of each IP from a physics, lore, etc. standpoint greatly limits what they can do with a game. So, rather than work a game around an IP they are going to generate an IP around the mechanics of a game so that they can do things the way they want from day 1 and not run into the problems faced by WoW.
As far as it being an FPS, I don't think there is any way to know for sure what the dev team plans to do. However, knowing that it is a Sci-fi based IP leads me to believe that it's a distinct possibility. They could also take the Wing Commander route and have a space-based war flight sim mmo, which in my opinion would be rad. I'd love to see that happen and they would likely beat Jump Gate Evolution to the market even with the lead time they have on Bliz
I don't see why there cannot be both...Posted: Feb 11, 2011 12:00AM PST by Hubris1987
I've played WOW off and on since vanilla, and I have never done a single raid outside of PUG Obsidian and The Stone Vault (which I doubt really count).
I remember it being really cool. However, I was never willing to do all the work nessicary for the raiding portion of the game. You spent so much time hitting cap-level, but the only thing waiting there is a longer, more monotonous grind of gear. Even in Wrath, when apparently it was better? I don't know. You have to run tons of Heroics of dungeons you have already ran a ton of times, to get gear for the first raids. All for more gear to prepare for the next expansion of raids, for gear that would become useless the instant the next paid expansion came out.
Talk about pointless.
Frankly, if people have fun with it, its no problem to me.
But I think what WOW needs is something that seperates the hardcore and the casual AT LEVEL CAP.
Anyone who reaches cap after the intial surge instantly become a peon amongst gods. You can't even BG at level cap coming out with leveling greens and blues. You are a gnat. As if getting crushed endlessly by players with huge statistical advantages is a long hazing process for when you can actually fight on an even playing field (but now since only winners get points, the rich get richer, and the poor stay poor.) Despite the irony that the gaming industry is a capitalistic thing, the point of games like WOW is to escape the realities of rich vs. poor for a little while.
But as far as I have read about Cata end-game, its several times worse than WOTLK was, which in itself wasn't all that great to someone who just wants an even PvP experience.
I've never liked WoW's PvPPosted: Feb 11, 2011 12:00AM PST by Jiggles
The concept of a PvP-only stat (resilience) always annoyed me. You could grab the bad crafted gear, but generally you just had to get face punched for a while before you got enough gear to hold your own (depending on class, of course).
Then there are the systemic issues: raiding capital cities never really worked (at least on my server) because such a raid would inevitably crash the server (or lag it into unplayability). Not that it matters today, since everything is instanced now.
I wonder if one of the things that Blizzard is referring to that it "couldn't do" in WoW are epic, persistent PvP raids. I'd enjoy that.
"World of Warcraft is stronger than ever before"Posted: Feb 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by Kajeto87
I disagree.
So many veterens have left WoW in Cata, and more continue to do so each day.
Looks like Titan will be coming along at the right time, as WoW finally runs out of steam
But Cataclysm...Posted: Feb 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by Zomber
...has been accused of being far too 'challenging' for casual players. Too much grinding, too much of a time sink, too hard with all the CC and the gut-punch to healing at low gear levels.
I think this is part of what Morhaime is speaking to when he says,"[resolving issues that] maybe because of the design decisions we've made, you just can't address." There are two stated, definitive ideologies in WoW right now -- the hardcores and the casuals. Everything you do to please one will piss off the other, necessarily.
And as far as the experienced players go...Posted: Feb 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by alexthe
Paragon, the best guild in wow, recently said that the current tier of raiding is the best thing blizzard has ever done in terms of raids, both in actual fight mechanics and difficulty.
As someone who has played, and raided, since vanilla, i can say with 100% assurance that anyone who says wow is too easy now doesn't play the game, or hasn't set foot in one of the new raids.
Because anyone who can say that raids, or even heroics, were harder in wrath or anything in tbc but pre nerf sunwell, either hasn't tried them or is just lying.
And just because blizzard says its a new ip doesn't mean it's true. Worlds of Starcraft would be like printing money.
Interesting...Posted: Feb 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by le_vicomte
WoW didn't keep me invested for very long, but the idea of an MMOFPS is quite appealing. Here's looking forward to seeing what these guys can do when they step a little out of their "comfort zone."
I'm guessingPosted: Feb 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by Nonapod
"maybe because of the design decisions we've made, you just can't address."
I betting 2 player co-op instances. Couldn't do that with WoW due to it being designed around the tank/healer/dps trio. People have been wanting those forever and the most popular arena size bracet has always been 2 player.
WoW is in a funny place.Posted: Feb 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by Zomber
Sure, before Cataclysm, they announced record numbers. I really wonder how they are doing now.
I played WoW off and on for around three years. I always visited to forums. Since Cataclysm, the number of people annoucing their WoW retirement, for various reasons, has grown exponetially. I'm talking ten or twelve threads a day versus the one or two a week for three years prior. Blizzard has made some funny statements and funny decisions. A significant number of people seem to be pissed. My entire guild lost interest less than a month into Cataclysm. Our server died, we all stopped playing. There wasn't even a discussion about it. Everyone just got bored and stopped playing.
There has always been bitching and whining but this is something else. People are getting nasty -- to each other, but especially toward the game. Lots of folk are expressing burnout, tired of a grind that hasn't changed in six years.
I genuinely think WoW is in decline -- in numbers if nothing else. It's still a juggernaut, probably will be for some time. But there are cracks there, and they are growing.
Yeah I know what you mean...Posted: Feb 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by EFFUeastzider
My guild of 132 members (with alts) We're all leaving for awhile to play different games, but most of us are going to Rift.
When people say wow is declining because of anecdotal evidence.Posted: Feb 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by alexthe
How does that explain the subscriber numbers going up and Cata being the fastest selling pc game of all time?
If people are getting bored a month after the expansion came out it means they aren't doing endgame, because none of the people who quit killed sinestra or got 2500 in any arena bracket.
And, yes, if you don't like endgame, you will get bored at max level. If you don't like the leveling content, i don't know what you are looking forward too, since Rift's leveling is the same generic slog that has been around for a decade and early reports of TOR seem to show a rat killing grind fest.
@alexthePosted: Feb 11, 2011 12:00AM PST by Zomber
Blizzard announced 12 million subscribers before Cataclysm launched. Have they said anything since?
Last statement about Cataclysm sales had them at 4.7 million. Fast, yes -- but that's only 39% of their total install base.
Sure, my 'evidence' is anecdotal -- but the sample is pretty wide and there is no compelling evidence to the contrary.
We did Magmaw and worked on the Council fight. It was definitely challenging, but more importantly it was boring. End game hasn't changed for six years. It's the same grind through tiers that it's always been. There are people -- clearly you -- who are satisfied with that. I hope your money is enough to sustain the game.
There's nothing wrong with Cataclysm...Posted: Feb 11, 2011 12:00AM PST by Jiggles
except that, for all of its upgrades, Cataclysm is still WoW. Things have been improved, but they're mostly incrimental improvements. The core game hasn't changed.
WoW is 6+ years old. For many people that's 6+ years of grind. WoW has streamlined the MMORPG grind almost as much as it can and still be an MMORPG, but there's still plenty of grind. 6+ years of grind will bother almost anyone, no matter how good the game is. Tens of thousands of boss wipes will wear you down eventually.
TitanPosted: Feb 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by Soroks
I think we are still a few years off from Titan, but it is cool to see that the developers aren't scared to talk about some of its core design mechanics. I like the stress about playing with friends, as that is my current issue with WoW. I don't play with any real life friends and my guild seems distant most times.
MaybePosted: Feb 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by MarioDragon
I will get to play this during my retirement
I likePosted: Feb 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by jakethecowlick
the no repetitive quests idea. Thanks to my cousin, I actually got to play for a few hours. It stopped at only a few hours 'cause of all those freakin' fetch quests.
I am so glad...Posted: Feb 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by Black420Thorn
I never played WoW. Saw my friend play it and I was turned off right away a couple years ago.
Be gladPosted: Feb 15, 2011 12:00AM PST by Vixremento
WoW is a great game...there is no denying that. However after having played it for almost three and a half years I got to the point where I just lost interest (been offline for a little over a month now while not being online much after reaching level 85).
So I've missed out on the end game content (which my friends say is challening and fun - but I know they're just trying to lure me back). I think I've lost interest because I know that all that work, all those hours, weeks, days and months to improve your crafting levels, collecting patterns and recipies and all those wipes in raids will mean nothing again next year when the next WoW expansion is released and the level cap is upped to 90.
With all new gear that nullifies any usefulness of your fresh Cata gear in the then to come end game content I have to ask "what's the point really?". Sure the "journey" to the end is where the fun is meant to be at but how many times (and how much time must you waste) do you need to go through this upgrade process to become the ultimate (or at least 1/10th) killing machine?
However I still have a lot of respect for WoW - my biggest regret looking back is looking at all of the other great games out there that I've missed out on while playing WoW - it's a crime I tell you!


text:
David Springer Awarded NASPAA's "Public Service Matters" Spotlight Honor
David Springer, LBJ School Professor and Director of the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, has received the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) annual "Public Service Matters" Spotlight honor for his contributions toward solving public sector problems. This award comes on the heels of two other awards received by Springer this fall. More . . .
Event Recap: The Herzstein Texas National Security Forum
Leading figures from the executive branch, the intelligence community and academia joined the Herzstein Texas National Security Forum at the University of Texas at Austin to discuss the national security issues facing the next President and the impact of Presidential transitions on the nation's security. More . . .
LBJ School Professor Receives Top Honor for Contributions to Public Policy and Social Science
The Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) announced Wednesday the recipient of the David N. Kershaw Award and Prize, which honors individuals under the age of 40 who have made a distinguished contribution to the field of public policy analysis and management. Varun Rai, an associate professor of public affairs at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, is the recipient of this year's award. More . . .
The Center for the Study of Race and Democracy Hosts Multiple Events Throughout the Fall
The Center for the Study of Race and Democracy (CSRD) at the LBJ School of Public Affairs is hosting multiple events throughout the fall semester to address the intersection of race and democracy in public politics, culture, economics and society. More . . .