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As some of you might unfortunately know, I suffer from a great deal of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. It's getting so bad that I wound up spending nearly all of Jan 2 in my bed, asleep. My mind raced with thoughts of things that have nearly no chance of ever happening. Yet my stomach turned and knotted constantly and I couldn't stand it. Most days I'm all around miserable.
I've been depressed going on eight year now and moderately lonely for about that time as well. But the anxiety and extremes of the other two only kicked in around August. It's possible it started a few months earlier, as for the first two months of summer I didn't leave my house. Either way, it's been awhile.
It's why I play games and watch TV as much as possible. Escapism and focusing my mind (or allowing it to do nothing) work wonders for me. But of course life gets in the way. I have to work, go to school, have a social life, and get by on a day-to-day basis. As much as I wish I could make my living by playing video games and uploading videos on YouTube, my life at the moment makes that impossible. So other measures must be taken.
To try and combat this, I started going to see a therapist. That's been going somewhat well, but the symptoms persist and she recommended I see a doctor. By now most of you probably know where this going. He gave me a prescription for antidepressants. They're low level stuff (Lexipro) at the smallest dosage possible, but I've always been leery of meds. I haven't taken them yet.
The laundry list of possible symptoms is somewhat frightening and to be honest, the idea of "not being myself" isn't too appealing. Granted, my concept of self-image doesn't exist, so maybe it's more fear of the unknown. That aside though, I'm somewhat uneasy about how these pills may affect me. It's very possible they do nothing but help me and everything is great. Luck has never favored me that much before, so I'm expecting at least a few bumps in the road. I just hope they're nothing major.
But yeah. That's me. Hoping these work and don't inhibit me too much. I love to write and be creative, though I generally lack the motivation to do anything other than jot down ideas. Best case scenario is that I suddenly feel a little bit more like getting things done. Worst case it turns me upside down and we try something else. It's nuts. And I'm rambling. Time to stop.
Thanks for listening though.


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Maya to UDK - Animation Pipeline - Part 1
In this first part of this three part demonstration, Matthew Tardiff goes over the Maya to UDK pipeline. He shows the techniques needed to efficiently export a fully rigged and animated character from Maya to UDK via the FBX format.
Rapid Rig Advanced by Dustin Nelson.
There is a free "Lite" version that will give you the chance to use the bare bones set up to get a feel for the rig.
Great tutorials thanks! I've been teaching custom character imports since UT2004, & I find the custom .uc & .ini file creation is usually the part that messes people up. Is there any guides or resources as to how your Pawn, PlayerController, etc were created? The complexity is cool, but almost unsable for non scripters/programmers to get their own custom rigs & animations in.
Again, many thanks,
How do you create a single hierarchy rig from the auto-rigged rig. I'd like to see how you create the export ready rig from the beginning. You've already prepared that for the video. I need to know how i can get that clean rig from a auto-rig which has way too many joints and groups and constraints and other stuff that sabotages everything during export.
Hey Anonymous. Sorry for the late reply. I don't receive notification when someone posts here.
I use the autorig to just set up the Control Rig. I draw a single hierarchy joint chain over the joints I'm given. For example, I'll select the joint tool and hold down V then drag to the root joint, then continue holding V and Draw up the chain. You'll then Constrain this single hierarchy to the Control Skeleton and bind the single hierarchy to the mesh.
Hey DireDM
I had to search hi and low through the UDK forums just to get a basic understanding of Pawn creation process. I'm not a programmer so it was a little difficult. A programmer friend created the scripts for this tutorial. But Eat 3d has a few great videos on UDK Scripting that helped me out a lot. Sorry I can't be more help.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pinboard came on the scene at a close-enough time to Pinterest to be, I think, unfortunately named. You hear "pin it" and think Pinterest, right? I love Pinterest as much as anyone else, but Pinboard definitely deserves some attention from people who go through a lot of information and need a quick way to store, organize, and easily access it.
Pinboard is, in my mind, a nonannoying Delicious (no, I didn't look up where to put those frakking dots). It costs money, and I bashfully admit that this is why I didn't try it when it first emerged. In fact, the sooner you get an account, the cheaper it is! I've never heard of this business model before, but it's still not expensive (particularly now that Pocket busted out their super pricey pro plan...just an editorial comment).
Stay with me here because this sounds odd at first: it is a FEATURE, not a problem, that it costs money. Free things tend to go away more easily!
The Pinboard features that converted me are as follows.
It is slick and fast. It isn't pretty with graphics and pretty prettiness, so that leaves room for text and tags.
It doubles as a "read it later" service. This is vital. I've been through championing Instapaper, Read It Later, and Pocket, and they all are excellent services with good reasons to have loyal followings, but Pinboard works best for me. It smoothly integrates this use into plain old bookmarking: check a box to read later, click a link to mark as read. My Twitter client of choice, Tweetbot, integrates directly with it, and browser extensions for the desktop allow me to use a keystroke to send a site to Pinboard marked for later reading.
Sync/import from other services: if you already use Pocket, Delicious, Twitter, Readability, and/or Instapaper, Pinboard can slurp in all that data. BONUS: you can make it auto-archive your tweets for a couple accounts. Because the site is so smooth, slick, and fast, this becomes a really handy way to quickly search all your tweets.
Browser tools: extensions for desktop browsers make Pinboard even handier. I use one for Safari that has its own menubar complete with a search window and visible keyboard shortcuts. I can rock and roll, slice and dice, and get on with my day QUICKLY and know that those links will be there for me when I get time. I can simply send a site winging away for later attention or go the whole route: write a note about it, add tags, make it public or private, etc.
For a mere $25 per year, you can get everything archived. Pinboard crawls the sites you've bookmarked and offers you a cached copy, so even if the site is down or gone, your info is still there. If you, like me, do a lot of research, this is ah-maze-ing.
There is more. Check out https://pinboard.in/resources/ to see the available mobile apps, widgets, and so on.


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Mixtape #02: Summer 2015 - Indiespot DJs
- by Indiespot DJs
- 1,269
- 44m
- 1 year ago
Major Lazer (feat. MØ & DJ Snake), George Fitzgerald, Chvrches, Ratatat, Years & Years and more.
This upload was 3rd in the Indie Dance chart and 8th in the Indie chart .
Summer 2015 mixtape!
Press play to try again.
Please update your browser or install another such as Google Chrome.
Mixcloud requires HTML5 audio with MP3 and MP4 support.


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How to choose the best floor sanding company in London?
14th October 2015 Leave a comment
Nowadays proper floor maintenance and deep restoration can't be done without the proper floor sanding services. In London, like in most of the big cities, there are plenty of floor sanding companies covering South, East, West and Central city areas. Read more


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I had been with my partner at the time for about 6 years and as happens, we started to have an open relationship. It was a don't ask, don't tell sort of thing.
A bit about me, 35 at the time, 5'9" 160, lean muscle build, big thick thighs from biking and a butt that black guys loved. Curse or a blessing to have a bubbly butt, I never seemed to have trouble getting a nice fuck when I was horny even though I have a nice 8" cut dick too. The guy I'll tell you about below would on occasion say to me as he fucked my brains out, "Dam you got a nice dick for a white boy," but I knew my place.
Anyway, one week in February, I was getting ready for a trip to the Middle East and had the day to myself in the house packing and getting ready for the 14 hour flight to Doha. Around noon I was all set and logged onto manhunt. After hitting my saved search of "black hung tops," it didn't take very long before a guy my age started to chat me up and said he'd come over.
He turned me on from the moment he started to talk. It was a combination of sweet and nasty. Telling me he was gonna split my ass open while kissing me and when I told him I had bright green eyes, he was even nastier telling me that he was going to breed my ass full of cum for my flight. Apparently, blond hair and green eyes combined with a nice round ass were his thing.
I got showered, put on a jock strap, grabbed my poppers and did my usual watching from the upstairs window for my "trick" to arrive. I saw him walking along the street wearing a ball cap as I requested and I couldn't help but smile. He looked gorgeous and judging from his build, he truly was 5'10' and 190lbs of solid black muscle.
He rang the bell and I let him to a bit shit-eating grin which was the beginning of nearly three years of on and off with this guy, even to the point where I left my partner for him a couple of years later.
I don't remember every detail of that first day but I do remember the connection we had. His 8.5" cut cock which he forced down my throat until I gagged. Him fucking me raw and then making me clean off his dick. Very intense sex.
He got me doing things right from the beginning that I'd never done before. He'd fuck me from behind slap my ass, grab me by the throat, pull me up, kiss me and say things like, "You're my boy now." And this was all the first time we ever met and fucked.
It was a good three hours of him dumping loads in my guts and I promised not to clean my ass for my flight. I obliged my new daddy and found myself waking up somewhere during the flight that evening with his babies oozing from my well-fucked hole. I got up and went to the bar on board for a little cocktail and flirted with the cute flight attendant making drinks. Something about knowing that I had just worn this stud out made me feel very sexy and attractive.
As I mentioned, fast-forward 18 months which was the next time I would see this guy. My partner and I were even more distant by this time and after I saw this daddy on manhunt again, within hours, we had picked up where we left off. This time though, there was even more of a connection between us and he made it very clear that after breeding me for several hours I was his and his alone.
This turned me on so much and honestly made me do stupid things. For instance, because I was with someone still (technically), he said that his boy couldn't be fucked by anyone else. I did it. I loved it for some reason even though I knew he was fucking anything that moved.
It didn't matter that much I guess because when we were together we had an amazing connection. On about the third time around, in the intensity of him fucking me hard with my feet on his shoulders (his favorite position) he muttered, "why don't we both say what we at the same time."
I must have been totally stoned on poppers because I looked really confused but he said "I love you." In response this, we kissed and I grabbed his ass and pulled him all the way in popping the top of my ass with his big curved cock as I begged for his babies in my guts. Sometimes we'd smoke weed and we would fuck so hard that the bed would slide across the room. Once while bent over the couch, he cracked one of my ribs and one night (and not to be totally gross), he fucked me so hard and long that he tore me a bit. When he finally pulled his softening dick out of my hole, the cummy ass juice was red with blood and after apologizing we giggled when he said "I've always wanted to fuck someone's brains out until they bleed." I'm pretty sure that after we stopped laughing he fucked me again. One night we counted and he came 6 times in my ass and once in my mouth. The last time he blew in me he whispered "dam! you wear daddy out," and he collapsed on top of me. All I could do was lay there smiling knowing that I had done good and wore him out taking dick all night long.
This connection continued on and off for the next year or more. At times, we had "claws" for each other. We'd shout at each other in anger for whatever reason, ignore each other and try and move on. I was probably more pissed off because I didn't get what I want and I was growing weary of being his part-time boy. Then after a period of cooling-off, we'd reconnect and I'd be in a jock strap on all fours begging for daddy's big dick and his cum. Seriously, if I had been in possession of a womb, I would have had quintuplets by this sexy man. Sometimes we would work out together and he'd get rock hard holding onto my arms as I did chest press and I'd giggle when he would say things like "your green eyes make my dick hard." I'd look down and see the outline of his almost 9" cut cock in his shorts.
When I was in the city, I wore a suit and tie to work and he wore hospital scrubs mainly. One of my favorite things to do with him was meet at a relatively formal hotel lobby bar and flirt endlessly over a cocktail until he'd take me to the bathroom stall and force fuck a load of his nutt down my throat. I loved sucking his cock in bathroom stalls. We had a couple of places like this, one right around from my office which at times saw people pounding on the upstairs bathroom door if we went so far as him fucking me with my suit around my ankles. What can I say, I cannot keep quiet when being bred.
I loved seeing him in his scrubs after a day the hospital. His cock was always musty and I worshipped his dick anyway he told me to, on my knees, being a complete pig.
This continued on, sometimes I would excuse myself to get groceries and then text my partner that there was a traffic crash and I'd be late just so I could stop by his house and he'd fuck a load into me. Back and forth like this, amazing sex but equally as amazing, we had maybe 2 dates in all this time. I rarely saw him on weekends knowing full well he was with other guys, but he continually told me I wasn't to fuck anyone else. I was his boy.
As cliché as it is, all it took for me was to be bent over and have him whisper in my ear "who's boy are you?" and then I'd be content until the next time I was sitting on his dick.
In between New Years and Christmas one year he surprised me by saying he was stopping by. He teased me endlessly about that night because while my partner was in the basement, I took daddy upstairs to show him some painting I had done and while sucking his dick he said again "I love you, leave him for me." I never stopped smiling which he thought was the cutest and eventually I did leave my partner ostensibly for him.
Things didn't work out quite the way I planned from that moment on. Maybe once I stopped being the married man the thrill of the hunt wasn't there, but he and I never ended up being Daddy/boy full time.
I moved away first to NYC and the across to Europe and so have only seen him on one occasion which was a nice reminder of how sexy he is. We never fucked again but occasionally we will have emails or texts back forth talking about hot nights we spent together.


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I have been missing in action since the first week in January when it comes to writing and blogging for several reasons. Not all reasons for not writing are excusable for sure, procrastination is not a good reason. But broken ribs, a leg injury, along with pain and swelling kept me slightly immobile.
I know what you're thinking,,, if I was sitting with my leg up why wasn't I writing. If the leg were the only thing wrong I would totally agree but those broken ribs were much more than I bargained for. I couldn't even change my own clothes for the first few days.
However, my imagination and note taking continued. And reading time was good. I have tried to keep up with my emails, social media, and working on some samples for my quilt shop. All in all, I'm ready to get some book reviews posted this month and get busy joining 12 X 12. I am taking an art class for inspiration with my fabric design and pattern designs. And the ribs are on the mend, recheck is tomorrow.
So stay tuned. More is yet to come in this writing life.


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I was making a batch of this fondant last night and ran out of sugar (due to making several bad batches of mmf). Do you think i will be able to add in the rest of the sugar today. it should only be another 2 - 2-1/2 cups i have to add in
did you figure this one out? Did it work?
I've had trouble getting homemade fondant the correct consistancy. I'm now loyal to Satin Ice...
If the fondant is still very soft then you will be able to add more powdered sugar to it. It will take some effort, so be prepared for a good workout. It will probably be easier to work in small batches and then knead all of them together to get it to the right consistency.
I hope this reply isn't too late.
Thanks for the replies (i didnt get any notices)
Actually i just put it in a greased bowl and covered it overnight.
The next day it was still sticky and i was able to add about another 3-4 cups to it.
It was still a little soft, i didnt want to overdo it, but i think it will be ok.
Will let you know how it turns out when I go to put in on the cake this week.
hi - just wanted to update that the fondant worked out fine!
thanks for your help.
That happen to me too, and I add more sugar next day let it rest for couple hours and works really good.
I just made a batch of Michelle's fondant this afternoon for the first time. It was pretty simple to make. It still seemed a little soft, but I didn't want to go too far the other way and have it get hard. I will check it tomorrow after it has rested. I tasted it and liked it alot. I didn't seem as chewy as Satin Ice.
If you see it soft for you can always add a little more sugar and that's it, that fondant it is amazing.


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Richard Bagg is the main antagonist in the 2002 film National Lampoon's Van Wilder. He is played by Daniel Cosgrove
Richard is Gwen's snobby, anal-rententive fraternity president boyfriend who aspires to get into medical school and wants to get Van expelled, viewing him as romantic competition. After he cheats on Gwen and frames Van, she spikes his protein shake with laxative, causing him to rush through his MCAT and violently defecate in a trash can in front of his oral exam committee, ruining his med school dreams.


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Ive thought a lot about this relationship and pretty much realize its over for sure, for me atleast. She broke it off via text, not wanting to face me, maybe to spare me "emotional turmoil", or to not official end things? Idk, anyway its been a solid week, she has my set of hunger games books that I lent her. Whilst we were in our final text convo, I reminded her about them and she said that she'd drop them in my mailbox this week. She hasn't returned them yet. Now if I had broken it off with her and had her stuff, id try to get it back to her asap and cut all ties. So I'm kinda confused by this, she seemed really eager in texts to sort of suspend or terminate our conversations, but yet she keeps my possessions. Should I give her another week, or could she be using the books as some sort of way for us to re-initiate contact?She definitely is not the type of girl to steal,etc. I just want my freakin books back if she wants things over. I would love to know what others think. Sure id love if she still wasn't fersure about the breakup, but I either want her to return my sh*t and be done with me, or to let me know otherwise.
Our break up ended on good terms, well as good as a text message could be, id just like to hear peoples final opinions. I really don't want to initiate contact about the books, because I'm trying out NC.
Most Helpful Girl
Get them back as soon as possible. I always end up with a book loaned out to someone at the time we break off our relationship or friendship. I've ended up with books thrashed in various ways (from "my little sister colored on the most important pages" to "oops I accidentally lit it on fire"), "lost," a hard copy "magically" turned into a paperback, and a few people even denied that I ever loaned them the books in the first place. Ironically one of the only people who gave back a book just the way they got it was my ex who treated me like sh*t.
Anyway, I've learned to never ever ever loan books out to people unless you know for sure that you will always be on friendly terms with. Get yours back as soon as possible and don't make my mistakes more than once.00|00|0


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|By Gingalover
|More from Gingalover
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|Ep.7: Wanderers
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Among the skies above, and flying along their usual paths, the Sky Bison traveled over the land, flying through the air as if it was made of water. A large group, about fifteen strong, flew along by like any other day, going past an area known as the Eastern Air Temple. In the cooling air around the temple, smaller fliers, ring-tailed bat lemurs, also hovered and flew around, though stuck close to the temple rather than out in the open like the bison did. One of these lemurs flew through one of the windows, as the sun was beginning to settle down on the horizon. Landing inside, his owner, a little airbender with an eager attitude, soon saw the little lemur pal.
"Hi, Poki," he said, the lemur hopping up onto Meelo's shoulder. He gave a few chuckles as Poki licked his owner's face. After a little bit, Meelo set Poki down on the bed next to him. Meelo and his family, much like many other former residents of Republic City, had to find a new home they could live in. Upon Tenzin's choice mainly, the family had moved to one of the Air Temples. The closest one, the Northern Air Temple, wasn't an option since it was destroyed years prior, so after some debate, they decided on the Eastern Air Temple. Although the other options were considered, the eastern was their best place for a new home to live in. Meelo adapted quickly to their new home, over their old home on Air Temple Island, better than the rest of his family over the situation. The only bummer was that Korra was further away than what they were used to. Ever since first moving into the Eastern Air Temple, Meelo had been doing fairly well, and enjoyed the new home really despite Korra not being nearby.
"No, Poki, time for bed," Meelo said. It was late in the day, and the cheeky kid was getting a bit beat. Poki, part bat and all, was still a bit active at that point, hoping for some more playtime with his friend.
"Poki, I'll play tomorrow," Meelo insisted, trying to get Poki quiet so he can go to bed. After a little bit, Poki got the hint, and finally chilled out, sleeping by Meelo's side. Grateful that he was finally quiet, Meelo gave a tired yawn, settled down, and got to sleep.
Zaofu for the next few days had been a bit, in basic sense, relaxing yet a little bit awkward. Kuvira, eventually, did begin to join the others but still felt that she shouldn't be there after what she did. That, and still being around Baatar Jr. after what he said to her, just added to the fact. As for everyone else, they seemed to had an easier time of it. Then again, they didn't threaten Zaofu in anyway, really. Still, the fact they were there in the first place because they were kicked out of Zenshu did give some discomfort for those that knew why they were there at all.
As one night began to drew onward, with the metal seals beginning to be set up for the night, concealing the city around them, Korra began to get ready to go to bed. She had her own room, as before, with Naga by her side already asleep. She didn't know what to do with Vintana just yet, not meeting the girl face-to-face just yet, or what to do about Amon's return, or her doubleganger for that matter. Still, for the time being, all she could do was calm down, and get some rest. In her sleepwear, the tired Avatar got into bed, Naga settling down by the bed as Korra began to settle down, and drift off to sleep.
At first, everything seemed calm, collective, and nothing really was going on out of the ordinary. Same thing went for inside Korra's head ... Well, at first.
Korra found herself, for the beginning, with her close friends Asami, Bolin, and Mako, basically having a good time together back in Republic City, while it was still standing anyway. At first, it went on rather normally, the group going for a calm drive through a seemingly empty street (no traffic to back up the time). Korra was in front, passenger seat, with the brothers in the back, and Asami driving. It was a good time at first, but, soon Korra began looking on ahead. Up in the sky, which was crystal clear, and blue, she noticed a strange looking cloud hovering overhead. The look made Korra a little confused, and a lot more worried, as that cloud began to cover the sky, her friends oblivious to the danger. That one cloud soon covered the whole sky, blocking out the sun, making it impossible to see where they were going. Korra tried to get Asami's attention, but, turned out she was suddenly alone in the car, as the car stopped moving itself. Korra looked around in the darkened area, not entirely sure where she was or where she ended up on her lone ride. Only thing she could do was step out of the car, her back turned for that split second to make that gone too! On the bright side, she wasn't in mid-air, as she felt the ground at her feet.
This was when the dream began to take a rough turn.
As Korra kept trying to look around, she did eventually started to see some form of light. It looked like a large movie screen, a large square paper attached to a string. Something began to appear on it, yet the image was deeply blurred so the exact figure couldn't be seen. Then she began to hear something ...
Those were her last words ...
That voice came out of nowhere, and didn't sound like anyone she really knew from any point in her life, as sounds of sobbing could be heard. Korra didn't knew who her was, but she must've sounded important to whoever was talking.
Now, some of you had been saying a rumor that her death was deliberately done upon her. Surely, there's a misunderstanding. you see, the poor young girl was indeed found by the medical staff, yet, sadly she couldn't make it in time ... Such sorrow, indeed ...
Suddenly, the video began to mess up, and turn off as the large sheet flew off at her. Korra didn't had much time to react herself, as she thought she'd been covered in it. Instead, she found herself, as suddenly as the cloud appeared, in a crowd of people. At first, she didn't recognize any of them, and she had on some random commoner disguise, similar to what she used to spy in on Amon's meeting a long time ago. She was in a bit of a slump: stuck in a large crowd. The crowd in question was focused on the front, in one direction. Korra followed their eyes to see the Water Tribe palace, much the same as she last saw it. However, standing in front of her, in an opening as a sort of entertainment, she saw Asami standing there. What was she doing?
~Pray to her, the god among our wisdom~
~Long to live, the ruler of us all~
Why was she singing? The song was accompanied some sort of orchestra that Korra couldn't see, but, heard clear as day. Asami could be clearly heard too. When it came to the song though, Korra was all ears, in spite of the situation. Asami seemed happy with her performance, putting her best forward. But then ...
~Queen Vintana, mighty leader~
~Mighty leader, watching over us~
~Queen Vintana, mighty leader~
~Mighty leader, watching over us~
Wait, Queen Vintana? She was the one that was causing her trouble, why would she be her mighty leader? Korra began to feel worried until, suddenly everyone in the crowd shouted:
Korra was caught completely off guard by the sudden crowd chant, all in unison and out of joy. Korra couldn't make any connection with what was happening, growing more and more worried over the situation. Children, adults, and elders alike said that chant, making Korra the only one who didn't.
~And from high, your kindness with a smile~
~Teach us all, to be as kind as you~
~Queen Vintana, mighty leader~
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the Zaofu dance taupe came out, with ribbons flailing as they danced, one of them being Kuvira! They too added to Asami's song.
~Queen Vintana, mighty leader watching over us~
~Queen Vintana, mighty leader~
~Mighty leader, watching over us~
Korra felt more and more scared, as she tried to get herself out of the crowd. However, the poor girl couldn't move an inch from her spot for some reason, forcing her to bare the full brunt of the event.
The crowd startled her again.
~All that live, the best is with majesty~
~Our ruler, how we all have waited long~
~Queen Vintana, mighty leader~
~Mighty leader, watching over us~
~Queen Vintana, mighty leader~
~Mighty leader, watching over us~
As that went, she saw the queen step into light, presumably Queen Vintana, with a group of her past foes behind her, just to add to the worry and confusion. Upon Vintana raising her arms, everyone around Korra cheered on seeing her appearance. Despite the loud cheering, she could still hear "SHOUT, SHOUT, SHOUT OUT LOUD, CHEER, CHEER, MAKE HER PROUD!" over and over again. Korra didn't know what to think: the appearance of her enemy turned to everyone's savior, Asami's perfect singing to make the song impossible to ignore, everyone around her not even bothering with her. After looking around the crowd, she noticed something peculiar ...
She knew these people.
Tenzin's whole family, the Beifongs, her own family, all chanting the same stuff. She also saw Mako, Bolin, Kai, and other friends of hers doing the same thing. What was the scary part was what she saw above everyone ... String ... attached to everyone around her. Each string controlled the movement made by everyone else. Korra felt terrified, and she felt even more terrified when she found strings on her! Korra couldn't see where the strings were coming from, but, the fact someone was controlling her was terrifying itself. Everyone else with the strings made that even more so, as she saw everyone, even Asami herself controlled by these strings like some string puppet. Vintana didn't had these strings on her body, and looked to Korra with a sinister grin. All of her friends under her control, and Korra couldn't do anything.
Even worse, Korra looked to the happy Asami, looking proud at first ...
... Then the tears ...
Korra got up in a jolt, stuck in a cold sweat. Everything looked normal back in her room. Naga didn't wake up from Korra's startle, still fast asleep. Korra quickly checked her hands, to make sure no strings were attached to her body. Nothing. Korra breathed a sigh of relief that none of it was real, the emotional jabbing not withstanding. Without waking her pet, Korra got up and then began to go out of her room.
After some walking (getting in her casual clothes, of course), she went on outside of the building to clear her head. When she did though, it appeared she wasn't the only one going around. Outside, she saw Kuvira standing there, leaning on a fence not too far away. It didn't take very much for Kuvira to notice Korra come over.
"Hey, Korra. Woke up too?" Kuvira asked, as Korra walked over.
"Yeah. Thought I'd come out and clear my head," replied Korra.
"Well, I'm not gonna stop you," Kuvira stated, letting her stand next to her by the fence. At first, not much conversation was really said to each other, but eventually Korra started one up.
"So, why are you out here?"
"Couldn't sleep. Been having some trouble since coming back. Though, I don't need to remind you that ..."
"I see."
"Not only that ... well ..." Kuvira had some trouble getting the rest out, but, Korra was all ears. So, with a sigh, Kuvira said it.
"Baatar broke up with me." Kuvira revealed. Korra, although showing surprise, didn't find it that shocking. Anyone who's willing to kill their lover to get their own goals complete would end up ruining a relationship pretty good. Still, Korra showed her sympathy to Kuvira.
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be. It was bound to happen anyway," Kuvira admitted. Even if she knew it would happen, it'd still hurt her that it actually did happen. After that reveal, Kuvira turned to Korra.
"What about you?"
"Oh ... well, a nightmare got to me. It was uh ... Different."
"Different how?"
"Well ... I was with my friends ... Then this stormcloud came then, I ended up by a Water Tribe palace. Everyone was there, Mako, Bolin, Asami. And you ... I couldn't help any of you ..."
"Oh ... I see ... Be glad it was just a dream then," Kuvira said. All Korra did was nod. Not too long after that, the two realized when they actually woke up. While they both thought it was late at night, the domes opened up to show it was actually the morning, the sun peaking through the dome openings as it slowly opened up to show the light of the sun. Guess they were up at the right time after all.
Back at the Air Temple, the residents there were already up and about the place. With the winged lemurs and Sky Bison going on about for the day, the main airbending family (Tenzin and his family really) were up and about. For little Meelo, his day was fully planned out from the start. With Poki on his shoulder, Meelo happily went right on outside to join the other airbenders. In fact, Meelo had given himself a list of things to do (none of them really involving anything work-wise, but, still a list). Meelo and Poki looked it over.
"Let's see. play hide-n-seek with lemurs, prank sisters, hang out with uncle Bumi, paint. Yep, there's a lot for us today, Poki. Ready to go?" Meelo asked. Poki happily fluttered in agreement, ready to go. But, just before they could go anywhere ...
The sound of Tenzin showing up got in their way, as Meelo turned around.
"Oh, morning dad."
"Morning. Meelo, it's the kids turn to take care of the Sky bison today."
"I thought that was next week, I got everything planned today!" Meelo groaned.
"You've gotten out of your turn three times now. Ikki and Jinora are waiting," Tenzin advised, pointing to where the Sky bison were at, before going off to handle his own work for the day. Meelo groaned, though he knew he had to do it now. As Tenzin said, he'd been out of it three times in a row, and he wasn't going to go for four.
So much for his own list ...
Few minutes later, Meelo was right out to the Sky bison daycare, getting the Sky bison out for their daily flight. Although all Air Temples had their Sky Bison pens - the eastern being no exception - there's still the matter of giving their Sky Bison room to roam around. And the only way to do that without having them fly away, is to watch over them, and direct them back to the Air Temple once they were satisfied. However, this kind of option was easier said than done, as not all tamed Sky Bison were as loyal to their owners. To Meelo, this will be challenging. Sure, he'd done this before a few times, but, not enough to get the hang of it. The one who done it the most was Ikki, fond of the large animals herself. With Poki by them, Meelo, Jinora, and Ikki, began to work out the herd of tamed Sky Bison into the open mountain range, flying alongside them so they wouldn't wander off from the other members of the herd.
"Come on, this way, this way," Ikki called, getting the herd to the right spot. When it came to grazing, the Air Nomads knew of a particular area where the Sky Bison go to in order for them to graze, and basically roam around the area. This area was further away from the Air Temple, but, not too far away so it was out of sight. The area was a clearing in the mountain forest, a cool river going through the area. It was spacious, secluded from any poachers, and with the Air Nomad's help, a good area to relax.
After some coaxing, the Sky Bison herd landed down in the field, whilst some flew around the area for a little bit. While the domestic herd, and the wild herds remain apart to avoid any confusion, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo knew that wilder Sky Bison were around, and needed to be wary of that.
"Man, this is so boring," Meelo complained.
"Meelo, complain all you want, you're not getting out of it," Jinora said.
"Why can't the adults do this?"
"Because some people have many more things to do besides counting the number of stripes on a Bat Lemur's tail."
"Hey, It's different with each lemur!"
While Jinora and Meelo bickered, Ikki was doing her best with making sure none of the baby Sky Bison wander astray. The parents do a good enough job, but, just to be sure if one of them decided to wander away. Amongst that amount of wandering Bison, one of them was a main bother most of the time. One of the Sky Bison was a young, adventurous bull. What separated him from the others was a peculiar second ring around his tail, giving him a two-ringed tail instead of just one like other Sky Bison. The Bison wasn't too young, about a good two tons worth of Sky Bison, but the adventurous young male was still young, and still exploring. Ikki caught him along the edge of the clearing, near the forest.
"Not again, come back here Ringo," Ikki called. Ringo, so-named for the rings on his tail, was more interested in what was in the forest rather than rejoin the herd. Ikki quickly went over to him, and tried to corral him back to the others, with difficulty. Ringo was a bit annoyed, and tried to get her to go away, with little success. Soon, Ikki waved to her brother and sister.
"Help me out here!" Ikki called. Jinora and Meelo stopped their griping, and flew over to try to get Ringo back into the herd. However, as he'd done a number of times, Ringo took off into the forest, trying to explore without being captured.
"Darn it, not again."
"Yeah, we know. Come on, let's get him," Jinora said. However, before any of them could go, they suddenly began to hear something nearby into the forest, like a loud groan of a large animal. It didn't sound like a predator, or another Sky Bison though. In fact, just moments later, Ringo backed out of the forest, and went back to the rest of the herd without their help. When it came to Ringo, that was a very first. Ringo wasn't afraid of much anything around the place. As they watched him go back, the other Bison turned back to where Ringo came from, and the nomads were suddenly casted by a large shadow. Upon turning around, the nomads immediately moved back to the herd as something huge began to exit the forest.
It was indeed a large animal, taller than a the Sky Bison by over twenty feet, weighing twice as much as a full grown adult (which were ten tons easily). marching out of the thicket of the forest, moving away branches with its body. The giant was hairless, with hard grey skin, a long thick neck and had the appearance of a giraffe, mixed with a rhino. The huge beast was accompanied by three others, one of them a calf moving next to the leading female. The Sky Bison moved aside, Ringo being pushed away by the towering animals, as they marched to the river for a morning drink. Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo all never seen these creatures before, their huge shadows blocking out the sun from their view. One of them snorted at them, but didn't harm any creatures as they moved through the herd. The calf alone was close to the size of the Sky Bison at height, the adults of the other species dwarfing the flying animals.
"What are those things?" Ikki wondered, as Poki peeked from behind Meelo to get a better view.
"Beats the heck out of me," Meelo said, moving to get a better view. The calf saw him, backing away as the apparent mother towered over him. The animal ducked her head, stamped the ground, and grunted loudly at Meelo - clear animal aggression. Meelo got the hint and backed away, as the animals drank from the river. The Sky Bison were a bit perplexed by the newcomers as well, yet one of them threatened to charge at them due to her calf being threatened. One of the giants turned to the Sky Bison, and charged at the creature, whacking her with its head. It was enough to get the mother flying away far enough to keep her distance. When the giants were done drinking, they began to move off again, following the river away from the Sky bison herd. After they finished up the herding, the air children quickly got back and told the other Air Nomads what they'd seen. The nomads were joined by the acolytes, along with their parents and youngest brother.
"They were HUGE! Looked like hairless fat giraffes with no horns," Ikki described. However, her description wasn't very much a good one.
"Well, something like that. Anyone know what we're talking about?" Jinora asked. It took a little bit, but, Bumi eventually spoke up.
"I've heard of those things. Some sort of Giraffasaur or something, roam far and wide in herds like you said. Dunno why they're doing here though," Bumi explained.
"You saw Giraffasaurs, Uncle Bumi?" Rohan asked, sitting in his lap.
"Big as life they were, towering over me and my squadron while going through Si Wong desert. Never seen anything like it: these giant grey creatures marching through the desert dunes like living tanks of meat and bone."
"But what're they doing here if you found them there?"
"Beats me. Funny thing too: They just disappear after a while. Tracked them for days, and they simply vanish, tracks stopping immediately for some odd reason."
A rather interesting fact for the day, they must say. Enough to peak their own curiosity over these giant creatures.
"You sure they'd gone this way?"
"I think so."
Not too long after they were told, Ikki, Meelo, and Poki decided to investigate the Giraffasaur group. Since they were so big, it was easy to follow their footprints, which went along the river as they thought they would from last time they saw them. The footprints leading by shown flat, three-toed feet like a rhino. Despite their efforts to follow the tracks, the herd itself couldn't be seen.
"How can we miss those giants?" Meelo wondered, looking around.
"I don't know, maybe they - wait, look!" Ikki pointed ahead of them, the two starting to see the large shadows casted from before. They began to move away, as Ikki and Meelo rushed to catch up to them. However, once they did manage to get around the bend in the river ...
They were gone.
All of them, just gone. Their footprints seemed to cut off down the ways, as Ikki and Meelo got to the end of them. no signs of any struggle, or anything like that, they just stopped at one spot and that was it.
"Where'd they go?"
Back in Zaofu, the time that day seem to slow down. There wasn't too much going on for the moment, so, they basically were doing their own thing. For Kuvira, she took the moment to look over something else: Huan's sculptures. She hadn't seen his work for quite sometime, and figured now would be a good time to check it out. As expected, Huan was already working on his other metalbending work-of-art. Kuvira didn't bother him at first, looking over what else he made, including the artwork of the exploding giant mecha suit - one Kuvira remembered far too well. Other than that, it seemed pretty decent works of art, far as she's concern. Then again, her critique on art wasn't too great. After a little bit, Huan noticed her, stopping his work for a brief moment.
"I'm sorry, am I bothering you?" Kuvira asked.
"No, you're fine," Huan replied. While personally he'd rather work without anyone watching him, he knew Kuvira was going through enough trouble with his family already so, he didn't bother to shun her as well.
"I suppose that one was from my defeat?" Kuvira asked at one point, pointing to the mecha suit explosion.
"A more obvious one, but yes. Difficult at first, yet, inspiration can be fickle when it wants to be," Huan explained, working out the sharper points in his latest creation. From what Kuvira could see, it looked like some sort of kanji symbol, though it was hard to make out exactly on what it entirely was.
"... And what about the one you're working on?"
"It's but a mere child of art - it's meaning will be recognized in due time."
"Oh ... Huan? Can I ask you something?"
"It's about Baatar, isn't it?" Huan said while working.
"Lucky guess," Kuvira sighed.
"Well, I'd figured it'll come up. So, what about it?"
Kuvira only sighed before answering.
"Well ... I don't know what to do, Baatar broke up with me yesterday and I don't know if I should try again or not."
Huan stopped for a moment to think over what Kuvira said. He already dealt with Baatar's side of this coin, and now it's Kuvira's turn. Giving it some thought, Huan turned to face his former enemy.
"Well, did Baatar tell you why he broke up with you?"
"He said it was for what I did back in Republic City. I know it's my own fault, but ... but ..."
"Kuvira. You can do either one of three things: you can try to patch it up with Baatar again, go out and try to find someone else, or you can just wait for someone else to come to you in love."
"But what if I don't want to find someone else?" Kuvira blurted out. Huan needed a minute: that wouldn't be an issue if it wasn't for that one word: want. If it was "can't find anyone else, then, that'll be a simpler issue, yet, Kuvira didn't want to find anyone else.
"If that's how you feel, then, it's going to be hard on you is it? Baatar had accepted that he wasn't going to be with you long before you came back, and moved on from there, and I know you can do the same. I'm not saying you should try, but, the chances of you two getting back together now aren't very good. I apologize, but, that's just how it is," Huan explained, turning away and working on his sculpture once again. Kuvira felt a bit unsure if Huan's advice was helpful or not. Basically, Huan told her that it wouldn't work out, and to find someone else in the end. Yet, if that's what'll have to be, then so be it. That didn't mean she couldn't try to regain Baatar's heart, though, although she did accept that fact he broke up with her yesterday.
Plus, trying right away wouldn't be a good idea either. If she did that, it'll come across as clingy, and that's the last thing she wanted to show herself as.
"Well, thank you, Huan," Kuvira said eventually, walking away. As for Huan himself, he knew that, at one time, Baatar still was worried over Kuvira while she was being locked up. And if love is as blind as they say ...
Well, who knows?
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Hey MyIGNers! As the Summer progresses, this will be the start of a new blog series... if I continue it in the future. It will simply involve some facts and it will merge partly with the what if blog series with what might have happened as a result if these changes occurred. A spiritual successor if you will. Although there could be a mixture of facts that you might already know about so in that case, it might be facts you already know about.. and why on Earth are you reading this blog. So without further ado, here's the blog at hand. Enjoy!
Video gaming has always changed and like many things in life, there are many things that not many people don't really have a great knowledge about. At least not without scratching their heads for a while or using a time machine. Some of these facts may have been choices which might have lead towards different paths and thus different alternate realities of video gaming. Nonetheless from the numerous possibilities of video gaming, we ended up where we are today. So we start off with...
Lara Croft was almost a male?
The development of the Tomb Raider franchise originally began with the concept of a male character with all new whip. Similar to Indian Jones but the fact that the character would have maintained similarities between the 2 characters and possibly may have sparked some controversy, the character was changed towards a female lead instead. Okay, so he may not have been called Lara Croft but I think the changes they went through, especially by bringing a female character in to the spotlight was something new yet it would limit the number of people trying to consider Lara as a rip-off of the character of Indiana Jones.
As well as the fact that there were still few British characters around with most of the characters being from America or Japan because of the origins of the video game consoles and also the members of Core mentioned that the gender change with the character was mostly surrounding the basis that when it came to puzzles, it would be best suited for a female character. I'm not quite sure if that's meant to imply sexism or that Indiana Jones was dumb (didn't really watch many of the movies so perhaps I'm missing something) but in addition, the character was also designed to be an ex-military type of character so I think that either way, we would have had some guns. Yep! Either way, there's muscle. Instead, they opted for a more feminine type of character but still maintaining a strong image just like many movies and TV shows before her. ... Maybe all this speak is too much for many of you readers right now... but I haven't even started on the what if possibilities yet!
So if Lara became a male, what would have happened? I'm actually not quite sure that it would have done as well since the reason why the first Tomb Raider was so popular was because it introduced one of the first British female characters within gaming but I'm not quite sure whether a male would have been criticised for having too many similarities with Indie. There are already comparisons with characters such as Nathan Drake but what would have made this different was that without this new character, I'm not quite sure if we would have even seen an Uncharted like game since that introduced some lovable characters yet the original Tomb Raider was more standalone. Maybe it would have become popular due to being depicted as an Indian Jones video game but I think the views would have been more critical because it was around the time of Indiana Jones. Then again, there wasn't a whole bunch of games based on uncovering treasure from ancient Pharaohs.
However, what could this have meant for future female characters? Lara Croft became one of the representations of females and she still is but would it have stopped female characters within future video games. It would be very unlikely because females already make up almost half of the world's population and it's not like minority groups within Scandinavia and Central Asia where some ethnicities may not be utilised for gaming very much because females are well known throughout... well every society. Most societies anyway so it's possible we may have seen many female characters on the way, maybe even just after the release of this male Tomb Raider? Perhaps some series may have been inspired by Tomb Raider but I think that it was inevitable that we would have a female protagonist since there's a whole range of characters around to show that. Of course, if they were inspired, the characters or even the series might be different but no doubt we would have seen strong female characters one day. They were within books, movies and TV series so why not video games?
I don't think I would have liked to see this path take it's turn with a male protagonist. Unless the character was developed more and much more unique to represent himself aside from Indian Jones at the time but even though there would have been different games released, it's not a question of whether they would have been good or bad. It depends on what they would have been because every path will feature both things you may enjoy or have a full fledged hatred for. Who knows? Maybe Tomb Raider's recognition obscured the sales of other female characters at the time... if there were female characters within gaming at the time. I enjoy the Tomb Raider series... from the demo I played on PS1 but even without Lara Croft, there would eventually have been another female character who would be widely known to inspire other franchises.
Either way, we would have got some kind of franchise which is often compared with Indiana Jones and Uncharted regardless and no doubt future treasure hunting franchises to come! Plus maybe even if the first Tomb Raider game featured a male character (or would it be Tom Raider?), it doesn't mean that would be the same for the sequel.
Ratchet and Clank's 4th game would go dark
Ratchet: Deadlocked and to what me and fellow British players remember it the title as being Ratchet: Gladiator, was based on the tournaments we found throughout our intergalactic journeys through the franchise. However, this was a different concept from what was originally planned as a fourth game and could explain the year drought without a Ratchet and Clank game. In fact, it was to take the turn of a darker storyline based on a single planet during a war between 2 races. This would have been a very different turn from the massive universe we came to know and love as well as there only being 2 alien species... within a universe where superweapons capable of destroying entire planets existed. What would this have been called? Well it would be something different. Nothing too complicated to say and many of you might find it familiar. It would have been called Ratchet and Clank: Nexus.
Within this game, Ratchet and Clank would have had different ideas about the conflict and it's possible that this game would have become more mature. Just like how some franchises have gradually become darker overtime which supports the audience of the original growing with the very first games... but I'm sure we would still love some more cartoon style games! Anyways, I believe it's possible this might have become more of a role playing game or even open world. I mean, we could already upgrade our weapons to powerful levels of destruction and add whatever blizzard mods we wanted.
However it makes me wonder whether this game was in potential development because of the way Jak and Daxter went. After the original game, Jak 2 went towards a more mature world yet still maintaining much of it's mythology. Heck! It was still more varied than many shooters today. Which brings me to the possibility that this new Nexus game could have evolved in to a brand new series to focus on alternative aspects. Bearing in mind that the audience that Ratchet and Clank was targeting were mostly children and teenagers which would have supported the progression of this new game. Especially since by the look of all the wallpapers, it was slowly becoming more shadowy and Ratchet's grin was quickly becoming more... menacing.
I'm not quite sure whether I would have enjoyed this path though because the reason why I enjoy Ratchet and Clank so much and how I was intrigued with the franchise in the first place was because of the fact that you could step in to your spaceship and fly to whatever planet you wanted and the perspective of a singular planet would really have impacted that. Many people didn't even enjoy Ratchet: Deadlocked just for the change of exploration so I think that this might have confused some of the fans. Whilst, it might have been a great game and at the time, I would have enjoyed a much darker side towards the Ratchet and Clank franchise, I think this might have gone a little too far from what the franchise and now that I think about it, that would be similar towards considering an Assassin's Creed game without the historical setting.
Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One showed us that a single setting would probably be problematic but then again, that's hard to tell because much of the gameplay was focused on coop and it diverted further away from interesting villains and storylines and more in favour of a lighter toned game. The opposite of what Ratchet and Clank: Nexus might have been.
What's probably more important though is the impact of the Jak and Daxter franchise. It's possible that the Jak X which derived from all the racing tournaments within the first 3 games, was meant to be in play because of Crash Bandicoot's, Crash Team Racing. However, Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier was something rumoured around that time and I think that if Ratchet and Clank went down a different path, Naughty Dog's original creators may have opted to head towards another Jak and Daxter adventure. If not replacing Jak X, then a fifth game after it. Perhaps for the next gen since there was always a rivalry between the Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank franchises... even though they don't like to admit it and I think everyone who's played a J&D game, has clicked a few buttons on Insomniac Games counterpart.
I believe this path of a next J&D game would have been likely because once Uncharted was in development, many Jak and Daxter creators and artists left so I think that The Lost Frontier or Ottsel on Wheels or whatever it might have been called, could have been a final J&D game since there were many storylines left roaming around. Even for the slightest thing, fans wanted to see a continuation and return of characters like Gol and Maia and the truth about Mar and Jak's connection to Haven City... and perhaps Daxter's connection to something else. Preferably finding something new to eat. This isn't considering The Lost Frontier game by High Impact Games of course.
So maybe this new Ratchet and Clank game could have become something special and likely Jak and Daxter would follow if it was quick about the release and before they headed towards the development of Uncharted. Plus, there probably wouldn't be a movie in the works and even if there was, it probably would be more focused towards a more mature audience or for young adults. Maybe the original developers of Naughty Dog would have stayed if they were still in competition with Ratchet and Clank or even were developing a crossover like Crash and Spyro had. This would be a tough choice but I think I would have preferred the way the series is now. Whilst the series is now aimed at younger audiences and now has shiny graphics that seem to blind me, it still maintains the structure of visiting other worlds. A fifth Ratchet and Clank game could have gone in this direction even within a new Nexus series but the worlds likely would have been darker and Ratchet and Clank always showed a mixture of humourous, weird yet varied planets.Then again, we always have the original games to enjoy as well as those from High Impact Games... if they would still make traditional style Ratchet and Clank games.
Assassin's Creed 2 was almost set during the Maya
Just like the many other franchises I've mentioned, there are many paths in terms of development in which they could have headed. From which games would succeed it to what kind of T-Shirt they would wear. However this one in particular is intriguing because it represents part of the 2012 storyline with the end of the world and all but also a game which could have shaped it's sequels in a different way.
One of the members of Ubisoft even stated that Italian Renaissance wasn't the first in development and instead mentioned something about the Aztecs... Okay, maybe there's a bit of confusion about whether it would have taken place during the Maya or Aztec eras but either way, there would have been something involving the South American civilizations. Maybe an Aztec character finding out about the Maya era. Perhaps via seeing through devices similar to the Masyaf Keys in Assassin's Creed: Revelations or even the Piece of Eden. Maybe it could involved the Spanish Inquisition as well? Either way, the storyline of Altair's Codex would be different because the Maya existed before his time and even though the Aztecs were alive and kicking after the Third Crusades, it would have to involve a character that visits the continent to display the message... unless the Piece of Eden has the ability to act like a quick and easy, far distant travel communication device. The again, this is mostly my speculation.
This is also significant at the fact that the sequel to the original Assassin's Creed needed some new innovation and I'm not sure whether the Maya setting would have been able to do that. At least not with the mechanics introduced within the Assassin's Creed 2 in our reality. In particular, the economic system would have to consist of selling goods and trading but there would be no wealth to increase towards. Not really many fancy mansions. Plus, what AC2 needed was recognition for history because many of the characters in AC1 were mostly lesser known and whilst that's not a problem, they needed someone of interest that people would love to see if they ever had a time machine and that someone came to be Leonardo da Vinci. As well as some diversity in architecture.
So it's possible if it did go down the Mayan setting or just another South American civilization, it could have introduced some new mechanics such as the hunting we saw or far away missions to uncover ancient artifacts. I think hat this setting could have worked well and I really wished this was the setting for Assassin's Creed 3 because it would have seemed more appropriate for the time being. However I think it's unlikely we would have seen a game continuing the personal perspective like Brotherhood and Revelations and maybe as a result, the numbered titles wouldn't really exist in terms of introducing new characters and settings... for now. It's clear though that Ubisoft did make the most of this and this is shown by the AC3 DLC and the numerous Mayana temples littered everywhere in AC4.
I'm not completely sure which I would have preferred. I mean like I said. It might not be better or worse. Just interesting in different ways and I think it would have given more time for Assassin's Creed 3 as well as Altair and a new Mayan character to become the main characters and as well as many plot twists. Just 3 games won't be too confusing to wrap up Desmond's storyline. Therefore, maybe AC3 could have been bigger but overall, AC2 is what I believe the franchise needed. I can see how fans of only the first game might not have enjoyed the later games but the Italian Renaissance added more of a spark to the series with many characters and lots of diversity. Although I guess with the Mayan setting, at least many of us wouldn't be complaining about the Assassin's Creed series being annualised huh?
The first video game and console
Aside from all the events of Sony developing the Playstation as revenge for Nintendo choosing Philips to help manufacture their next console or the crash of 1983 due to Atari games selling too many repetitive games and through time, the video game developer/publisher has been reduced to developing mobile and social networking games. However what seems to top all this was the very beginnings of this entertainment medium. Just like films and television, it is occasionally debated whether who developed the first form of these devices or methods of entertainment but William Higinbotham could be argued for developing the first video game in 1958 which was Tennis for Two.
Yep! That's the very first console (arguably of course) and I think this was the basis of video gaming and even many games have based much of their gameplay from this game. However developments were always ongoing and eventually Ralph Bauer who developed the very first video game console available known as Magnovox Odyssey for the whole family to enjoy... if you could afford it of course although whether you knew it was more significant because in it's earliest years, it probably wasn't even called a video game console... or even a video game. Although I think the story goes that he wasn't sure who would be interested in the games provided so the first people to test it out were military personnel that he happened to stumble upon and they enjoyed it! The first video gamers became reality.
So from 1972 onwards, this gradually became more accessible to the public with more interest, more companies jumping on the bandwagon of this potential market with Nintendo developing it's own consoles and Capcom creating the arcade series and eventually, we arrive towards the modern day where we have fanbases from all these franchises that these video game developers have created and it's still ongoing from this one point in time. Of course along the way, there's been some potential slumps which could have cost the video game industry dearly and many have helped it out along the way such as Nintendo and there infinite ways in which video gaming and how franchises could have been different. From the storylines to the very structure of video gaming. Just like any entertainment medium or anything in life, things will progress and there are many paths and we could very well see new devices and forms of entertainment in the future become a reality. One day... Hoverboard racing anyone?
So there you have it! Originally, I was going to focus on multiple aspects not just gaming including historical facts that aren't very well known... and how they've impacted us today but I thought I would leave that for another blog. Although I'm starting to think maybe I should have rethought my approach because this is more like a what if blog but I guess there are some facts that you might not have known... I say might! If you have a fact within video gaming and you think people will be surprised to hear it, don't hesitate to write in the comments below and if you're from the future, would you mind telling us if mainstream games continue to take over the world within the next 30 years?
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed.


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like really nervous... lol? me its like 4 times a week
Most Helpful Girl
Only when I'm in a period of exams, I'm generally kind of a chill and relaxed person
Marky Mark <3
and yeah, lol exams are gonna kill me! i have my first mid term this monday!
Oh snap :/ Don't worry you're gonna do great ;)
haha i hope so :/
Most Helpful Guy
usually when I have to talk in front of an audience, when I have to fly or before an important test. that's when I'm nervous the most...10|10|0
thanks for MHO


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I purchased a 3D cake pan and the instructions say to use pound cake or 'pudding added' cake mix. I've looked in my wilton books and can't figure it out.
Do I take pudding (out of a box) and mix in into the batter? If so, how much? I'm assuming this is to make the batter firm and dense so the cake will stand up ok...
Also the pan instructions say to use 6 1/2 lbs of batter, so that means 2 boxes of cake mix, right?
Here is the recipe. It in the recipes. You can just type in 3D in the search. There is also one of chocolate. http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1972-1-Durable-Cake-for-3D-and-Wedding-Cakes.html
I prefer Duncan Hines. You will need two mixes. Once makes about 5-5 1/2 cups. I'd just make cupcakes too!
Thanks! That's exactly what I was looking for.
I some searches, but I must not have been searching for the correct word(s).
Yes, definetly leftovers will be cupcakes...yum!
Hi and Welcome to CC, pinkjo.
Decoding CC acronyms:
Betty Crocker & Pillsbury are "pudding added" cake mixes; DH doesn't have pudding in the mix.
mindywith3boys hooked you up with a good recipe (using sour cream).
Here's a variation that uses buttermilk:


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Please confirm that you want to add Game Design for Mobile and Desktop to your Wishlist.
This course will teach you to use the Phaser Framework to program a 2D game that can be played on both mobile and desktop devices. In the end you will have a fully functioning game, that works on all major platforms, as well as direction on where to go from here.
The course will take about 3 hours and will go over the basic concepts such as touch screen input, collision detection with Game Physics, sound, and animation.This course provides videos that will guide you from the beginning to the end on writing the game code. The needed Images, Sprites, Sounds, Music, and Framework Library will also be provided. At the end of the course you will be able to download the entire source code for the game you created, as well as bonus code, images, and sounds that will help guide you in advancing your game with new features.
Here we will be looking over what we will be doing through out this class.
Choosing the right editor
All you need to program a video game is a text editor, but it's important to pick a good one that works for you. In this lecture I'll go over some options, but there are many more out there. I'll be using Cloud 9 - https://c9.io/ in the videos and we'll clone the files needed to get started from Github. If you would prefer to use a different editor you can use the downloadable materials provided in this lecture labeled "Space Attack Core Elements Master". Just download and unzip the file to the folder you want to work from.
Having a web server to host your game is not required, but recommended. Cloud 9 also provides this for free, but any web server will do. We'll talk more about web server options for distrobuting your game later in this series.
I've been teaching software programming for over 6 years. I mainly focus on Free and Open Source tools and code. My lessons range from basic shell scripts to both 2D and 3D Game Design. My lessons are step by step instructions to software creation.I've also done a lot of work with Multimedia software for Video and Music Creation. Working with animations, in both 2D and 3D, I have a strong understanding of design for both video media and software interfaces.


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How do I enter a cake photo into the Valentines Day Cake Contest?
3 replies
I haven't heard anything about vday cake contest! Where did you hear about it?
Right here on CC. Read about it about a week ago...all instructions were recorded etc. But now can't find a word about it.
its possible that since valentines is still a month away that there won't be a link or any info for another couple weeks. i really hope there is a contest! i love valentine's cakes!


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Contact Us 1 year ago
Edison Home Cleaning
Edison Home Cleaning is the best choice for all your cleaning needs in North and Central New Jersey. We pay attention to detail and always give you a very fair price. We can perform a light touch clean all the way to a deep clean. We do from top to bottom of your house and we also clean carpets too. We are well known for organizing closets as well as entire houses when the need arises.Call us for
1 year ago
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Happy Saturday
I only slept in until 7:00 today largely due in part to going to bed a little after 11 last night. I got a good night's sleep and Tim is off today and still sleeping. I woke up and went to the bathroom, I'm going to take a bath then get my shopping list ready so I can get to the store and get our grocery shopping done. It takes me about a half hour to get my list together and usually about an hour or an hour and a half to do all the shopping. The kids are still sleeping and I have some peace and quiet right now which is nice but it won't last long, the kids will make sure of that. Just getting up and ready and thought I'd post, hope you ladies have a great day.
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Thanks Laura, it sure didn't last long. Right after I posted my oldest two daughter's woke up then the rest of the kids started waking up.
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Nope it really doesn't. Not long after they are up on a non-school day they'll start saying mom I need this, mom I need that, mom, mom, mom I swear I want to change my name somedays.
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I got home from grocery shopping and took Sara and Jason with me, they both were good and helped me with getting things off the shelves. I'm having the kids pick up things in the yard so the grass can be cut, they have things all over the yard. I'm trying to decide what to have for supper now, Tim is getting pizza for lunch, that goes over well with the kids.
Sounds like a lovely Saturday you had!
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About Michelle Fritch
Current: Bellevue, Nebraska
Birth: February 16
On Moms.com since: Dec 31, 2013
My name is Michelle Fritch. I have been married to my husband Tim for 16 years and together we have nine children, Tim has four older children from a previous marriage totaling 13 children for him. Tim is a Railroad Engineer and I am a Stay At Home Mom.


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Green Fruit Bowl with Frozen Grapes
Icy grapes, apple, kiwi, and melon make up a fruit-based take on "green" salad. A lemon thyme dressing brings the flavors together.
- Prep:
- Total Time:
- Servings: 8
Photography: Christopher Baker
Source: Martha Stewart Living, August 2011
- 12 ounces green grapes
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup lemon thyme or regular thyme sprigs, coarsely chopped
- 1 green apple
- 3 kiwifruits, peeled and sliced
- 4 to 5 cups honeydew melon balls (from 2 melons)
Freeze grapes on a rimmed baking sheet for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the syrup: Bring water and sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and add lemon thyme. Let stand, covered, until cooled completely. Strain syrup through a fine sieve; discard solids.
Thinly slice apple. Divide apple, kiwifruits, melon, and grapes among 8 bowls. Pour syrup over tops just before serving.
Reviews Add a comment
SKW18 FEB, 2012I made this for our daughter's graduation open house last year and it was so good and so striking with all green fruit. We did not freeze the grapes as it was an open house and it was still wonderful! Had many compliments and have been asked to make it again for an anniversary party for friends.Reply


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How to get rid of my nose bumps, this is the remainder of my past acne from 5 years ago. (photos)
Doctor Answers 4
Papular Acne Scars May Be Flattened By Anti-Inflammatory Injection; Electrosurgically; or Via Scalpel Sculpting
Learn more: http://YoungerLookingWithoutSurgery.com
Improving nasal acne scar
Learn more: https://stevenfweinermd.wordpress.com/2015/05/24/state-of-the-art-in-acne-scar-treatment-2015/
Acne Scarring -- Requires a Combination of Fractional Laser Resurfacing, Fillers Like Bellafill, Subcision and Eclipse Micropen
Learn more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa6C2fuS-AgOnvBjr6_VSQg
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The most important factor is going to be avoiding any additional trauma to this lesion, including not only your hands but also sunlight. To specifically treat that scar you have a couple options, including some lasers and simpler treatment with a device called a hyfrecator, which creates electrical energy and is applied to the skin surface. Finally, scars such as this one can also but cut out, but i feel this would be the last option as it could result in scarring. You definitely want to seek out the help of a local dermatologist, who can help determine which treatment option is best for you.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


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This work can be purchased with Own Art, which allows you to spread the cost of your purchase over 10 months, completely interest free.
We work with contemporary conservation framers Frame London to provide the best framing options for your Limited Edition. Contact us for more information.
Last few remaining.
Pigment print on Hahnemuehle matte paper.25.4 x 30.5 cm [10 x 12 inches].Edition of 40 works, signed and numbered recto.Produced by David Adamson, Washington.
Last few remaining.
Created exclusively for the Whitechapel Gallery Roni Horn, this limited edition is a Whitechapel Gift, an annual commission created by established and highly sought-after contemporary artists. The proceeds from the Whitechapel Gift support the gallery's pioneering education programmes, helping to develop the talents of the next generation of Britain's leading artists.
Born in 1955, USA artist Roni Horn, works in various media including sculpture, text, works on paper and photography. Her subject matter for the last 30 years has often been drawn from her intimate involvement with the climate, culture and geology of Iceland, with more recent work exploring notions of duality and the ways in which our lives reflect or 'mirror' nature.
Horn has exhibited at The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Tate Modern; Documenta, Kassel; Venice Biennale; Hauser & Wirth, Zurich; Gagosian, Los Angeles; MOMA, New York; P.S.1 Contemporary Art Centre, Long Island; Guggenheim, Bilbao and Centre George Pompidou, Paris.
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MICHAEL ISIAH Photographer
PamBrookMakeup Artist Female New York, New York, US
My MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/pambrook
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I am also available for Weddings, Proms and Special Events.
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Posted by Sarah
I filed a chapter 13 with this guy and have seen him twice in 5 years. His paralegal is doing all his work for him and she is incompetent too. I have had and still have major problems with my bk and I have given them months to return my calls. Next step, try to file the paperwork myself to get the problems resolved and then hook up with the AGs office and the Bar Association. If you have a probloem with this lawyer, please report him to at least the bar association. Nothing is going to change if they are not notififed about what is going on.
Posted by anonymous
I would not recommend this attorney. I started my plan in years ago and they failed to file forms which has been a headache for us and are not helpful with anything. I have called and called and can't seem to get anyone to call me back in a timely matter. They are not knowledgeable about the legal rules and will state they need to find out and then won't get back to you. I have hired them to represent me but they aren't doing their job and the paralegal is very rude and doesn't seem to know what she is doing. I will not recommend them to anyone!
Posted by Meghan
I have had used Kevin T. Helenius twice and at both times I was very pleased with the service I received from the whole office. Everyone was friendly and knowledgeable about my case and I felt they were very personable. I would recommend the offices of Kevin T. Helenius to anyone that is seeking a bankruptcy lawyer.
Posted by anonymous
I know attornies are busy but never to busy to meet with a client. I met Mr. Helenius once at my first court appreance and after than anytime i call or would like to schedule an appt i get transferred to his assistant Aimee who always rush you off the phone and insist that what i was calling for could be handled over the phone.


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A birthday was the anniversary of someone's birth. Birthdays were celebrated by many cultures.
Romana was given an air car for her seventieth birthday. (TV: The Pirate Planet)
Ace and the Seventh Doctor went to a birthday of Bonjaxx, where they met a future incarnation of the Doctor. (COMIC: Party Animals)
The video game Happy Deathday's title was a spin on the word "birthday." (COMIC: Happy Deathday)
River Song was taken by the Doctor for her birthday to the last Winter Frost fair on the River Thames in 1814. Stevie Wonder unknowingly performed before being taken back to his original time. (TV: A Good Man Goes to War)
When Sky was rapidly grown, Clyde Langer noted her lack of birthdays, remarking it was "rubbish". (TV: Sky)
The Eighth Doctor tried to take Charley Pollard to a party to celebrate her birthday. (AUDIO: Neverland)
Hex attended a birthday party for himself at a pub, but left early. (AUDIO: The Harvest)
In an alternate timeline, the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe attended Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 100th birthday party in 1856. (AUDIO: My Own Private Wolfgang)
The Doctor had long forgotten his birthday by the time he had reached his twelfth incarnation, but the Master remembered it from their childhood friendship. As Missy, the Master created an army of Cybermen from deceased humans and gave control of the army to the Doctor as a gift with which he could potentially rule the universe. (TV: Death in Heaven)
Princess Clio was poisoned by her Uncle Ferdand on her fifth birthday. After the First Doctor put her into stasis, she was only awoken on subsequent birthdays, each of which was attended by an incarnation of the Doctor. (PROSE: The Glass Princess)
The Tenth Doctor first met Barnaby Edwards at his birthday party at the Shady Grove Rest Home. (COMIC: Old Friend)


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Jackson Racing Supercharger Kit Honda CR-Z 2011+
Product Details
The Jackson Racing CR-Z supercharger system picks up where Honda left off with the CR-Z. The Jackson Racing system delivers an additional 50 horsepower and 45 ft-lbs of torque, an impressive 40% increase horsepower and 38% increase in torque. Nearly 40ft-lbs of torque is gained in the mid range!
The CR-Z supercharger system uses the well-rounded Rotrex C30-74 supercharger unit. The patented traction drive system in the Rotrex supercharger is whisper quiet, and produces no audible hint of the new power under the hood of your Sport Hybrid. All Rotrex superchargers use a self contained oiling system, so no engine oil runs through the supercharger.
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I had a King Suite with an office/sitting area that had a very comfortable sofa and nice big screen TV. The hallway to the bedroom privides a little kitchenette, bathroom entry and a closet. (With a safe). The bedroom had a nice built-in for suitcases and a place to sit and put on shoes, a big TV and clockes that are PDA chargers, too! And, there are black out shades that roll down so no annoying slices of sunlight to wake you up after a late night!
The doors inside are all on sliders to save space and closing the door to the bedroom made any hallway noise from late night party going non-existent. If you were sleeping in the den on the sofa bed, it might get loud.
The staff was very accommodating and helpful and the fact the hotel shares a lobby with the Ritz is great. You can have room service from the Ritz 24/7 and use their spa.
The workout facility is a tad small if you arrive at peek times, but very well appointed.
- Reservation Options:
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Subscribe to GoodReturns
The rupee opened the day marginally higher at 59.27 to the dollar as against its Wednesday's close of 59.33.INR
64.081 United States Dollar
The currency is expected to remain stable on the back of quiet cues expected in the global markets, including the equity markets.
It is largely expected that the currency will trade in a narrow price band in the next few days and would now await the Union Budget for major cues.
The rupee has recovered remarkably in the last few months after hitting a historic low of 68.86 against the dollar in August last year. Check rupee rates here
One can expect the Reserve Bank of India to mop-up dollars in order to prevent sharp gains in the rupee, which could hit exporters.


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36 Week Bumpdate!
|Baby's the size of a honeydew! via thebump.com
Week: 36! Only 1 more week until full term. :D
Due date: November 28.
Symptoms: Feeling pretty crampy lately, I think the baby has dropped. And (tmi warning) I think I have been losing my mucus plug.
Feeling: Very excited but also moody and emotional. Very anxious to finish getting ready. With my symptoms lately, I feel like we should install the car seat and pack the labor bag today, just in case. We're going to Delaware this Saturday to get some gifts and hand-me-downs from my awesome in laws (although I may not go because it's a 2 hour drive). Then on Sunday we're going to this great store near us, Soft and Cozy Baby, to do a cloth diaper workshop and a babywearing workshop (both free, yay). I'm planning on buying cloth diapers and a baby sling/wrap/carrier there that day too. So after this weekend we will be all set and ready for baby to come!!
Sleep: I can't get comfortable AT ALL anymore. Restless leg syndrome and carpal tunnel are both driving me crazy at night.
Health: Good, I think. I have a birth center appointment tomorrow so hopefully they say I'm doing fine still. :)
Exercise: Oh heck no, I can barely do a load of laundry!
Stretchmarks: I noticed the other day that I'm starting to get some. :( Darn, I almost got through two pregnancies without them!
Skin: My eczema is doing better. I notice that if I skip a day of using the hydrocortisone cream or wearing my hazelwood and amber necklace, if flares up again. Looks like I found a good mix to keep it under control, but I hope to be able to stop using the cream soon because it's a steroid and I'd rather not use it while pregnant or breastfeeding...
Baby's size: About 6 pounds and 18 1/2 inches!
Movement: LOTS of movement, as usual. I can tell she's head down because she kicks me right in the ribs! So that's good, although sometimes painful!
Gender: GIRL!
Name: Brynna Rose. <3
BabyCenter update: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement. At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.
I forgot to take a belly pic this week. Bad me! Go here for previous belly pics.


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Congratulations! First, you will need to have stopped breast feeding before pursuing BBL surgery. Also you will need to be at a stable weight by your surgery date. You will be under going several changes as your body goes back to its pre-pregnancy state one of which is losing weight which will effect the outcome of your results. You will also need to ensure you have someone to assist you and your baby during your recovery period.
I Have Just Joined. I Want to Get a BBL in March 2014. I Am Due to Give Birth December 2013. Can I Do It?
Doctor Answers 4
I Have Just Joined. I Want to Get a BBL in March 2014. I Am Due to Give Birth December 2013. Can I Do It?
If I am due for delivery in December can I undergo the BBL in March, 2014?
If you are not going to breast feed and you can lose most of the weight within the 3 months between your delivery in December and planned surgical date for the BBL on March 14, 2014, then you may be able to have your surgery on your desired date. Since you are in London I would suggest that about 2 months after delivery you should email photos of your buttocks and possible donor sites including your abdomen, waist snd thighs to get a preliminary idea of your candidacy for the proceduter. You should correspond and consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with extensive experience performing the BBL. Good luck!
Brazilian Butt Lift
Since you are having your baby in December, you need to wait till you are finished breast feeding. Also you need to take in consideration that while healing you are taking care of an infant. You will need a lot of help. Wait 3-6 months after stopping breast feeding
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I Have Just Joined. I Want to Get a BBL in March 2014. I Am Due to Give Birth December 2013. Can I Do It?
If you are able to get to a healthy weight in that 3 month time frame, a Brazilian buttlift can be performed. I perform about 500 Brazilian buttlifts each year, and this procedure is the most surgeon dependent plastic surgery procedure. Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of Brazilian buttlifts each year. Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.
Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA
Learn more: http://www.hughesplasticsurgery.com/brazilian-buttlift-photo-galleries.php
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


text: Editor's Note: Any reference to TheStreet Ratings and its underlying recommendation does not reflect the opinion of TheStreet, Inc. or any of its contributors including Jim Cramer or Stephanie Link. All three major indices are trading up today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI) trading up 37 points (0.2%) at 16,217 as of Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, 11:55 AM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,992 issues advancing vs. 910 declining with 172 unchanged. The Industrial Goods sector currently sits up 1.1% versus the S&P 500, which is up 0.3%. A company within the sector that fell today was Tenaris ( TS), up 0.7%. Top gainers within the sector include Middleby Corporation ( MIDD), up 12.9%, Embraer S.A ( ERJ), up 5.4%, Chicago Bridge & Iron Company ( CBI), up 5.1%, Eagle Materials ( EXP), up 3.9% and PulteGroup ( PHM), up 3.4%. TheStreet would like to highlight 3 stocks pushing the sector lower today: 3. Sturm Ruger & Company ( RGR) is one of the companies pushing the Industrial Goods sector lower today. As of noon trading, Sturm Ruger & Company is down $6.92 (-10.1%) to $61.45 on heavy volume. Thus far, 1.1 million shares of Sturm Ruger & Company exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 397,900 shares. The stock has ranged in price between $60.01-$64.00 after having opened the day at $63.00 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $68.37. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of firearms in the United States. The company offers single-shot, auto loading, bolt-action, and sporting rifles; single-action and double-action revolvers; and rim fire auto loading and center fire auto loading pistols. Sturm Ruger & Company has a market cap of $1.3 billion and is part of the aerospace/defense industry. Shares are down 6.5% year-to-date as of the close of trading on Tuesday. Currently there are no analysts that rate Sturm Ruger & Company a buy, 1 analyst rates it a sell, and 1 rates it a hold. TheStreet Ratings rates Sturm Ruger & Company as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, notable return on equity, solid stock price performance and impressive record of earnings per share growth. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows weak operating cash flow. Get the full Sturm Ruger & Company Ratings Report now. STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more.


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One of the year's most-anticipated fights is coming to Atlantic City.
Negotiations were completed Tuesday for a bout that will feature WBC lightweight champion Antonio DeMarco (28-2-1, 21 KOs) defending his title against former WBO junior-lightweight champ Adrian Broner (24-0, 20 KOs) at Boardwalk Hall on Saturday, Nov. 17.
Heavyweight prospects Seth Mitchell (25-0-1, 19 KOs) and Johnathon Banks (28-1-1, 18 KOs) will open the "HBO Championship Boxing" card.
"Caesars continues its commitment to championship boxing by closing out the year with this sensational doubleheader at Boardwalk Hall," Caesars Entertainment consultant Ken Condon said in a phone interview Tuesday. "Both fights should be very exciting."
Tickets for the card will go on sale next Tuesday. Seats, which will range from $25 to $200 for ringside, will be available at:
The show will be staged in Boardwalk Hall's main arena. Officials are expected to scale it down to accomodate around 6,000 fans but will also leave room to expand if necessary.
DeMarco, a 26-year-old native of Mexico, will be making his third title defense. In his most recent outing, the southpaw needed just 44 seconds to notch a TKO over John Molina Jr. on Sept. 8.
"We have a lot of respect for Broner and his skills," DeMarco's promoter, Gary Shaw, told ESPN.com on Monday. "Broner will have his work cut out for him against DeMarco. He better take Tony seriously and train hard. DeMarco has already been in training for two weeks. He knows it's a difficult fight. But (DeMarco) wanted to fight Broner, so he is excited to get the opportunity."
Broner, a 23-year-old Cincinnati native, is moving up to 135 pounds after losing his 130-pound crown on the scale. He checked in more than three pounds over the junior-lightweight/super-featherweight limit the day before his fifth-round TKO over Vicente Escobedo last July 21.
Broner seldom has been challenged during his career, having posted 14 knockouts or TKOs in his last 15 fights.
"You got a lot of people out there asking, 'Is Adrien Broner really the next big star in boxing?' " Broner told ESPN.com on Monday. "I know I am. I wanted to come straight to 135 pounds and fight the best. DeMarco is the champ and that's who we are fighting."
The fight also features an interesting clash of backgrounds and personalities.
The humble DeMarco spent his teen years living on the streets of Tijuana, Mexico.
"He's come a long way from the streets, eating garbage out of garbage cans, not having a home to sleep in, to winning the world championship," Shaw told Yahoo Sports last month.
Broner is a flamboyant, flashy fighter along the lines of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and retired Prince Naseem Hamed. He is known for following his bouts by asking his father, Thomas, to brush his hair before he does interviews. After beating Escobedo, he summoned his girlfriend, Arie Nicole, into the ring, dropped to a knee in a fake proposal, and asked her to do the honors.
"On Nov. 17, everyone will know why I'm 'The Problem,' " Broner told ESPN.com. "Everybody has their time and it's Adrien 'The Problem' Broner's time."
Mitchell-Banks is a duel between two of top rated U.S. heavyweights.
Mitchell, a 30-year-old from Brandywine, Md., is No. 2 in the WBO ratings and No. 7 in the WBC. A former linebacker at Michigan State, Mitchell scored a third-round TKO over Paulsboro's Chazz Witherspoon last April 28 at Boardwalk Hall.
Banks, a 30-year-old Detroit native, is ranked No. 4 in the WBO and 12th in the IBF. The former cruiserweight is 8-0-1 since moving up to heavyweight three years ago.
Contact David Weinberg:


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What is JotForm?
JotForm is a free online form builder which helps you create online forms without writing a single line of code. No sign-up required.
At JotForm, we want to make sure that you're getting the online form builder help that you need. Our friendly customer support team is available 24/7.
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Hi Peg,
Upon checking your account, I see that the email you used here in the forum is associated with the account username medcitymom, the account type is in Premium Subscription plan now, please see our pricing page for the details of each account type.
I'm guessing that you reached the quota for guest account which is 20 submission/month, because I see that you have just registered an account to us.
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Thank you.


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BBC Sport - Safe standing campaign: Bristol City trial area at Ashton Gate
Bristol City trial safe standing area
- From the section Football
BBC Sport's Dan Roan reports from Bristol City's Ashton Gate where the UK's first block of safe standing rails are introduced.
The area allows for the seats to be locked thus creating a standing area for fans.
However, Football League rules mean they are currently prohibited at football games and will only be used during rugby matches at the venue.