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Ok I just picked up Mass Effect yesterday and I am really enjoying it. Couple of questions if possible...
1) Why does it look so rubbish? I have the settings as high as they will go and everything looks really grainy (PC version, almost like old film.
2) I have started as an Infiltrator as I liked the idea of a sneaky sniper, but is it possible to play with any sort of steal or sneaking? I have not really seen the chance as yet.
Because you left the film grain effect on, of course - go turn it off in the options
No, there's no stealth or sneaking.
There are a few places where you can use electronics/hacking to your advantage, activating turrets and the like; but yeah, there are really no "stealth" options in Mass Effect. The Infiltrator is more of a de-buffer plus sniper rifle. So a stand-off sort of combat, but still very much a combat character.
This is one lame party. Don't drink and drive, the Mako will 'kill' your love of this game quick.
Don't sip the hatorade! Ignore Jack! Put up with the Mako and enjoy the game!
The film grain effect aside, do keep in mind the system it was originally developed for.
lolz, there is more to hate than the Mako, but that is for the OP to find.
1) Why does it look so rubbish? I have the settings as high as they will go and everything looks really grainy (PC version, almost like old film.
- Film grain is a visual effect that some like and some don't. You can turn it off.
2) I have started as an Infiltrator as I liked the idea of a sneaky sniper, but is it possible to play with any sort of steal or sneaking? I have not really seen the chance as yet.
- No sneaking and no stealing. Though sneaking wouldn't be a bad thing, stealing would be pretty contrary to the role of your character in the game. This is true regardless whether you follow a Paragon or a Renegade path.
Go curl up in the corner with molo
I'm only up to Feros but no hate for the Mako from me. Zoom plus hiding behind cover = cheesetastic sniping kills!
I played part of the first planet as Infiltrator then restarted as a soldier for better close and medium range combat.
Just be sure to have a tech character in your party with high Electronics and Decryption skills or you'll miss out on a bunch of loot.
Keep re-loading to practice the unlocking minigame, you'll eventually get much better at it with practice (I now usually crack easy & average on the first try). Save your omni-gel for Mako repairs.
Just remember that you get less experience for killing things from the Mako than on foot. It will make a difference over the course of the game if you're trying to get to a high level. I didn't reach level 50 on my first play-thru, for example.
Whut? I stole everything I could get my hands on. I cleaned out the offices in NOveria where I was fetching that turian's files; and I emptied out the Director's safe. He didn't need those modules, anyway!
The game doesn't let you walk up to people and rifle through their pockets; but that's rather petty for someone who already has their own spaceship, don't you think? And besides, all the currency is electronic...
I actually liked the fact that Mass Effect gave you plenty of options to be "bad" (even "evil"), without resorting to the sort of stupid, petty puppy-kicking that most such games feature.
More hints: any level 1 or 2 loot you get, you should really just convert to omni-gel en masse. You don't get enough money to make it worth selling--even to buy low-level stuff--and the omni-gel is far more useful for repairs and cracking safes. After the first hour or so, I've never been short on omnigel.
While I agree with you, my biggest annoyance with ME is that my character's choice from conversational tree options never seems to fit what the original text said.
Commander Shepard, they have invaded our homeworld in the past, you cannot forgive them! You must now choose whether or not to doom them to extinction!
1. You guys are dead, I will never forgive you for the slaughter you have committed.
2. I can't condemn an entire race based on past mistakes.
3. Screw this.
Choosing option 1 instead gives you some flowery crap that sounded nothing like the badass quote I chose. Choosing option 2 gives some silly speech instead of a simple statement. Option 3 ends up being 3 screens worth of text when the option was only 2 words. It's the most confusing thing I've ever seen.
Besides, it's a lot more fun to kill things on foot. Though... I use the Mako to soften up the thresher maws first.
This is one area I didn't have a problem with the design choice. I rather like the ambiguous sentiment in the choices provided. You know that clockwise, from the top right the choices are "Paragon", "Neutral", and "Renegade" so there really shouldn't be any confusion. I think part of it is that I like that I didn't quite know what he would say, nor how he would say it. Sometimes in games like KoToR I felt like I was repeating myself. In Mass Effect, this give the illusion of a little more personality to the character.
That's a huge pro-tip right there. Quoted for emphasis.
Mako kills yeild 1/3 the experience of on-foot kills. However, softening targets up with the Mako is acceptable.
However, for Bonus ePeen, try taking on a Thresher Maw entirely on foot.
That's easy, jkscorch. You lure them near the edge of their 'range' where there's inevitably a hill for you to stand on. They sit there and spit at you over and over and over because you're not far enough away to trigger the 'burrow underground and pop out again' routine.
It's just time consuming.
I, too, just picked up this game yesterday.
I've made my initial character - an Engineer.
I'm having real problems in killing things. I can't seem to get the targeting reticule onto the enemies in quick enough time. I guess I've gotten too used to auto-targeting in games.
Is there more to this game than all the run-and-kill stuff? I've only made it to the train station scenes where you have to defuse the big bombs.
I'm willing to keep on with this game if there's more to it... but just killing and shooting aren't what I want out of a game.
The train station is near to the end of the first, "intro" mission. So (assuming you're not trying to sprint through the game) you'll have a solid chunk of non-combat RPGing coming up.
That said, however, there are a minimum of 5 more combat-heavy "missions" ahead of you, similar to that opening one.
As an engineer, get used to pausing the game and ordering your squadmates out in front of you, and using your own abilities to debuff/damage the enemy before mopping them up with weapons. You want to avoid getting encircled as much as possible. The pause/command function is also useful for taking a breath, looking around you, and trying to figure out where the enemies are.
I'm having serious trouble motivating myself to play the game.
It's been on my hard drive for over a month and a half now.
I got to the part when you rescue that alien woman's daughter...and haven't fired it up since.
Sounds like I might better be served by running as a standard Warrior first, and then getting into the other classes. Thank you for your advice!
Soldier with assault rifle + shotgun seems a lot easier for the first play through. After 20-30 hours of that you'll be comfortable enough with gameplay to try the harder classes.
Just remember to have someone with high tech (electronics & decryption especially) in your squad or you can't open locked containers or hack into terminals for extra sidequests.
You absolutely are. The Engineer is the least-fun class in the game. I played through the entire game as one and it was simply tedious. Try something else, ANYTHING else, and you'll be much happier. Soldier is the easiest to jump into since you can start blowing things away right off the bat.
Yeah, I went Warrior for my first playthrough, and my only "problem" was finding an excuse to have Ashley in my party (as opposed to the more effective PC Warrior + Garrus + Wrex combo).
That's definitely true.
Then again, if you take advantage of exploits (there are certainly more than enough of em) the same can be said of everything in Mass Effect.
Depends on how you want to play the game. There's room in this game for multiple replays.
Even if you don't, really. I most certainly abuse the armor glitch though. Having my level 1 Vanguard rolling around in heavy armor is pretty sweet.
You are SO right. The first segment took a lot less time as a soldier, and I wasn't dying every two damn minutes. I'm wandering around the Council Tower area now, enjoying the RPG elements.
Thank you all for your advice.
Me too. It's just not as intriguing as KOTOR was. I've gotten to the first vehicle section, on some winter planet, and I haven't loaded it since.
Maybe I needed to create a character that uses the 'magic' (whatever the game calls its magic system)?
It's just kind of boring.
Maybe it's just a case of different strokes, but it seems superior to KotOR in almost every way to me. (Lack of lightsabers not withstanding)
You might as well try playing a biotic character (adept or vanguard) if you're not liking your soldier.
That fight was a serious pain in the ass. And the Mako controls were so annoying I almost think that fight would have been easier on foot.
Granted, I'm not too good at the whole FPS thing, but that fight had me ready to set the game down for quite a while.
If that's what I can expect every time I land on a planet, I'm not sure I'll be sticking with the game.
Aside from that, however, I'm having quite a bit of fun with the game.
Am I the only person on Earth who appreciated the film grain effect?
I like the film grain. Turned it off once for about 10 seconds.
I personally found it to be one of the most enjoyable games I ever played. I am not one to make it through a full game anymore, much less be the type to play a game 6 hours straight, but thats exactly what I did with ME.
For me, the fun and enjoyment took me back to the Sierra days.
There are no thresher maws on any of the "main plot" planets so you can easily finish the game without fighting any of them if they bother you that much.
Also I think there's only one assignment (optional quest) where you actually have to kill a thresher maw. The others you could just drive out of range of if you wanted to, rather than fighting them.
The difference between ME and KOTOR which makes KOTOR is simple... it's the side quests. In ME, save for 5-6 primary planets, everything else is cookie cutter. Barren land with the same few basic quest types taking place in the same few identical buildings.
In KOTOR, that never happened. Every location you traveled through was different, and every side quest had diologue and unique content. Party interactions were meaningful and had an impact on the game. And that's not to mention KOTOR having multiple endings, where being a bad guy was actually worth something.
ME looks a hell of a lot better, and IMO ME's custom locations are more vibrant than KOTOR's, but generally speaking, in terms of which was a better game, I don't think they even remotely compete at the same level.
Some of the planets have the flat areas where thresher maws can be found, but except for that mission and a marker on another planet, you won't have to deal with them if you don't want. I would suggest taking them down. Threshers maws are pretty easy to take down. Softening them up with the Mako is actually very easy. Keep yourself moving until the thresher maw shows itself. Use your guns and your rockets to damage it. Move to avoid its fire and continue your own barrage. When it goes underground, start moving. Most of the time it won't hit you, but on occasion I've been hit when a thresher maw surfaces. That's usually instant death. But outside of that, if you get hit by their fire, just drive off the thresher maw's plateau and repair. They are big and do a lot of damage if they hit, but they are constrained and really one of the easiest enemies to face.
If you don't want to deal with them you don't have to. But given how easy they tend to be, I would seek out their flat areas on the maps and lure them out. I soften them up with the Mako and then kill them on foot.
No, I rather like it.
While that's certainly a valid complaint, it didn't detract from my game play at all. It's a necessary trade off when you have a universe that is so much larger than kotor's.
This just isn't true. Not any more than ME anyways. One of the classic complaints about kotor has always been how one dimensional the your party members are. At least in ME there are two party members you can influence to change their orientation. (Garrus can be changed from renegade to paragon, kaidan can be changed from paragon to renegade)
Both games have you playing the exact same levels, fighting the exact same enemies all the way up to the final boss, regardless of your good/evil status. In both games your good/evil choices are mostly cosmetic, other than a choice near the end which determines what end cut scene you will view.
You've also overlooked the most crucial element here: combat in ME is actually fun. In kotor you queue up attacks and eat a sandwich while you watch your character slaughter everything. Even on the hardest difficulty kotor was pathetically easy, and combat was always little more than something that killed time between quest completions. (spam force lightning, next group, spam force lightning, next group...)
In ME abilities aren't spammable, resulting in some variety and tactical choices of when and how abilities are used. Combat requires a modicum of actual skill, and as a result is much more interesting than kotor combat.
That's true, but since that's the case, perhaps they shouldn't have made the universe so big in the first place. I know I speak for a large portion of the community when I say that quality definitely makes for much more satisfying gameplay than quantity.
I can't agree with any of that. The party interactions in ME were awful compared to KOTOR's. In ME, the most you can get out of a given character is a personal sidequest, and only from a few characters. These sidequests are just as bland and cookie-cutter as any other in the game (Wrex's Family Armor, for example), and upon completion, nothing with those characters change. The least they could have done was let him wear the armor, but nope, it just magically disappears.
In comparison, the NPC sidequests in KOTOR were complex, fleshed-out, and had associated item rewards. Recall Jolee's murder trial or Canderous's duel. For a particularly noteworthy example of party interaction, consider the darkside late-game choices you can make regarding Mission/Zalbaar and Jolee/Juhani. ME doesn't even come close to topping that.
Regardless, while I acknowledge your point about the potential to change character alignment in ME, since it in no way changes how those characters function, I found it to be meaningless.
I'll agree with that. However, simply offering that second cutscene makes a huge difference in my book. The alternate KOTOR ending is radically different (not to mention radically awesome), and is clear incentive to replay the game. In ME, I know to expect the exact same outcome, regardless of what choices I make. ME tried to fake it with the option to tell the fleet where to go, but that doesn't really impact the game either.
That's a matter of personal opinion. I prefer the combat in KOTOR precisely because I could hypothetically eat a sandwich. I was able to tell my characters what to do, and more importantly, I could command them on an individual-by-individual basis with the knowledge that they would do exactly what I told them to. In comparison, I found the ME combat to be tedious and highly imprecise. I found my NPCs to be fairly worthless, while those in KOTOR were quite valuable. However, if I could take direct control of party members in ME, my opinion on the matter would change.
Your description of KOTOR's mechanics are true, but you are wrong about ME, which was every bit as spammable and just as easy. (spam lift, blast with shotgun, next group, spam lift, blast with shotgun, next group...)
Force Lightning was the 'win button' in late-game KOTOR, but so was Immunity in ME.
Edited for truth, justice, and the American grammarz.
Just my luck then, as my very first time on planet and driving the Mako was apparently that mission (distress beacon).
Good to know the worst of that is over, and from here on they'll be optional.
Rockets? All I had was the turret gun and some much smaller, almost no damage machine guns.
That's basically what I did. The moving part was what was such a pain in the ass, as the way the controls are rigged in that respect are kind of stupid, IMO.
Driving directional inputs are apparently relative to your view, so any attempts to turn your turret to look or fire off-axis soon results in driving right toward your target anyway, and god forbid you hit a rock or something with the turret slewed to the side. You'll never sort that out in time.
If the control at least kept forward and back as absolutes, I think most of my frustration with it would go away, but having "forward" rotate along with your view/turret really screws things up. If the turret is centered front, forward is "up" on the stick. If I rotate the turret 90 degrees, forward is now "left" on the stick. That's just confusing. As it stands, the turret loses most of it's effectiveness simply due to the control scheme. It almost might as well be a fixed forward firing gun.
What really put me off on the experience was that I was having far more trouble fighting the controls than I was the Thresher. The difficulty of the fight was orders of magnitude more difficult than it should have been simply due to a poor control interface. Then throw in a couple of random "surface beneath you for an instant kill" deaths and I was really close to the "screw this, I quit" point.
Aside from that though, I love the game, and it's why I pushed my way through that mission and keep playing.
I think ME got a ton of things right. But unfortunately, vehicle combat controls aren't one of them.
As for film grain - I tried it for a bit and then turned it off.
There was something about taking an HD game, playing it on an HD console and outputting it to an HDTV only to slap a filter on it to make it look like an SD image that seemed rather silly to me.
Yeah, I'm not sure what he means by rockets. I assume he's talking about the mortar / big gun (right click) on the mako.
don't use the zoom when you're fighting a thresher maw. If you stay zoomed out it's relatively easy to keep your orientation in mind as you move and fire.
The mako is absolutely the weakest part of the game.
Really, it's a minor point in the grand scheme of the game, I think, but it's made all the more frustrating due to the quality of everything else.
In an average game you kind of expect to run into annoyances like that once in a while, but when an otherwise really well done game like ME hits you with it, it's very much a "WTF?" moment, because it's such a jarring exception to the quality of design that is apparent everywhere else.
In short, the rest of the game is so well done that this weak spot seems even worse than it would be in a "lesser" game, if that makes any sense.


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More Evidence of Israeli Plans for September Violence Emerge
More evidence has emerged this week that Israel and its settlers are preparing to use extreme violence in response to peaceful Palestinian protests this Septemeber.
The International Middle East Media Center reports that extreme right-wing settler groups have prepared plans to attack peaceful Palestinian protests following the UN vote on statehood in Septemeber (original article here). In a chilling echo of the Israeli rhetoric used before the Cast Lead attacks on Gaza in 2008, an eight-page document urges settlers to "transform September from a threat to a historic opportunity to change the rules of the game".
In this document, the settlers themselves acknowledge that the demonstrations are likely to be unarmed and peaceful, but still advocate meeting them with extreme violence, using settler women to attack Palestinian women, settler children to attack Palestinian children, and heavily armed male settlers to "deal with the Palestinian male population of protestors".
This news follows a report last week by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which exposed the Israeli military's policy of further arming and training settlers to attack Palestinian protesters (link here). The report also revealed Israeli plans to draw an imaginary 'red line' around the Palestinian land surrounding each settlement, beyond which point soldiers would be authorised to fire live ammunition at peaceful protesters. The location of these 'red lines' will not be made available to the Palestinians.


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Monday - Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 6pm | Sunday 9am - 6pm
All calls charged at local rate.
From our base in the elegant resort of Harrogate we discover the very best that Yorkshire has to offer with visits to medieval York, quaint Knaresborough and the magnificent Yorkshire Dales sampling some delightful treats along the way!
Holiday not on sale
Yorkshire Dales National Park
River Nidd at Knaresborough
Wensleydale Creamery
Black Sheep Brewery
St George Hotel
Trip to Knaresborough, a delightful picturesque market town, perched high above the River Nidd and filled with olde worlde charm.
One of the most famous hotels in Harrogate, the St George is a magnificent Edwardian property situated in the heart of this historic spa town. Its location, adjacent to the Harrogate International Centre's Exhibition Halls and the Royal Hall, makes it ideal for both leisure and business travellers.


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Stuff We Like, Love, Covet, or Admire…
Frank Peluso and his late father, Franklin, produced their famous "Teleme" cheese in Los Banos for years. They eventually sold that business with the thought of relocating to the east coast, but soon returned. There are now two versions of teleme out there and the one that reaps accolades galore is the one labeled as "Franklin's Teleme". We weren't even aware of this local award winning delicacy until the Pelusos came to the farm one day to inquire about purchasing our sweet rice flour (previously they had been procuring it from a distributor but upon realizing we were practically neighbors, marched on over). What does rice flour have to do with this fabulous cheese? It turns out our rice flour is perfect for "dusting" the blocks of cheese! On their website they even sometimes refer to their cheese as "rice flour teleme". Look for their traditional teleme and washed rind teleme at fine cheese counters in the bay area!
We are crazy about this stone ground, organic sourdough Danish rye bread hand-made by Anna's Daughters' Rye Bread. Their artisan rye bread is often described by visiting Danes as better than that available in Denmark. Available in the bay area (San Francisco and east bay).
Our landing / home page is graced by the work of Ms. Toni Gauthier. We had the pleasure of making her acquaintance when she was assigned the job of photographing our farm to accompany a piece in Stanford University Alumni Magazine's special food edition of summer 2013. Work of Ms. Gauthier appearing on our website is copyright protected property of Ms. Gauthier. tonibirdphoto.com
The always articulate omnivore and lover of bivalves, Jacqueline Church
Intrepid traveler and photographer Tom Miyagawa Coulton visited in 2009 while "WOOF"ing (working on organic farms) and simultaneously shooting for his imprint "Organic Americans".
While the pancake flat terrain of our locality is wonderful for growing rice, it really doesn't warrant the incredible and fun convenience of an electric bicycle. If you're looking for one, check with these extremely knowledgeable folks in San Francisco – they offer the best selection and service in the US. This is not an exaggeration. The New Wheel in Bernal Heights is where you wanna go.
Fact: Donna Sky of Love & Hummus makes wonderful hummus – traditional and fresh takes on new flavors. Disclosure: She uses our certified organic garbanzo beans. Conclusion: Decide for yourself!
Another Fact & Disclosure morsel. Established in 1910 in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, Mikawaya has been crafting delectable and traditional Japanese confections. One of their most famous products is "Mochi Ice Cream" whose recipe the Hashimoto family perfected and introduced to America. These irresistible creations feature a meltingly tender, mochi skin (composed of our Blue Star Mochiko sweet rice flour) which enfolds a perfect portion of ice cream.
Okay, more F&D links. We are pleased to be affiliated with these individuals whose discerning palates steer them our way. While many will say that they're all about quality, in reality, only a minority actually stand behind their words.
The primary carbohydrate of a Macrobiotic based diet is Japanese style genmai or brown rice. We are proud to have been M Cafe de Chaya's "house brown" since their initial launch years ago. A burger with a brown rice based patty? You bet your buttons! "The Big Macro – house-made whole grain brown rice & vegetable patty, special sauce, lettuce, soy mozzarella, tomato, pickles, onion, and alfalfa sprouts on a toasted whole wheat bun" is not your mother's veggie garden burger… 3 locations in the Los Angeles area.
Jessica Koslow is a jam/preserve artisan of acclaim. She also happens to be an amazing cook and a frequent darling of food critics. Her venue is SQIRL in Silverlake/Los Angeles, and her presentations incorporating our organic heirloom, whole grain brown Kokuho Rose are enviable and innovative. And she also serves a damn good breakfast!
Everyone loves Japanese style rice balls! Convenient and handy, this food form could be thought of as the original "fast food". Onigilly of San Francisco mixes it up using our organic heirloom, brown Kokuho Rose and then offering customers an array of options for fillings, toppings, etc. For their use, we provide a milled to order version of our rice that partially removes the bran. Special balls, special rice! 2 locations in San Francisco.
End of F&D, on to more fun fodder
Animated Knots, why knot. See practical and archaic knots being fashioned before your eyes. A lost art in today's lazy world of bungee cords, zip ties, velcro, et. al….


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Fall is finally upon us and while we might not enjoy any beach weather for another eight or 10 months, there's no reason to fret. In fact, the onset of crisp autumn days means a whole new set of outdoor opportunities is in the offing.
Maine's first six-day moose season begins on Monday. Upland bird hunting will start on Oct. 1, and several sessions of wild turkey hunting will be staged from late September through October, depending on the zone and method of hunting. Fall fishing can be spectacular. And firearms season on deer looms on the horizon. Add in a nice fall foliage hike, the options truly abound.
But you already knew all that. Here are a few things you may not have known. Consider these FYI items a friendly addendum to your already packed fall (and winter, in one case) schedule.
Author, author
Earlier this year Paul Doiron, the editor in chief of Down East magazine, released his first novel, "The Poacher's Son." I loved the book and told readers about it in an earlier column.
If you're among those who enjoyed the book, or if you just want to learn more about the talented author, you'll get your chance on Saturday when Doiron will talk about the book during an event at the Bangor Public Library.
Doiron's appearance begins at 2 p.m., and his presentation is free and open to the public. And as you might expect, the book will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
Gather up the kids
The Pleasant River Fish and Game Conservation Association has a long history of providing outdoor opportunities for local youth, and on Saturday the club will continue that tradition with an event the whole family will enjoy.
Club members will hold their annual National Hunting and Fishing Youth Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday with a wide variety of activities on tap. The group's stated goal is to introduce kids to the various outdoor pursuits that Maine has to offer.
Among the activities planned for Saturday: canoeing, sporting clay shooting, .22 rifle shooting, fly tying and casting, a search and rescue dog demonstration, and an antique firearms display.
Lunch is free to those ages 16 and younger.
The PRFGCA's clubhouse is located on Tibbetts Town Road in Columbia. For more information, visit the club's website at www.prfgca.com.
Expanded fishing options
Back in June, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife's Advisory Council passed a rule that allows for an extended fishing season on certain international waters in the St. John River watershed.
Now, it's time to take advantage of those fishing opportunities.
The listed waters will be open from Oct. 1 until Nov. 30 to the taking of muskellunge and bass. Artificial lures must be used, but there is no daily bag limit or minimum length on muskies or bass. All other fish must be released at once.
The newly opened waters: Glazier Lake in T18 R10 WELS; the St. Francis River in T19 R11 and T18 R10 WELS; and the St. John River from the confluence of the St. Francis River downstream to the easternmost border of the town of Hamlin.
The DIF&W advises that although New Brunswick has not yet approved an extended season, anglers may access Glazier Lake from the Canadian side of the border. It is, however, still illegal for anglers who accessed Glazier Lake from the Canadian side to land on the Maine shore.
Smart kids ski for less
If your little skier does well in school, Saddleback Maine in Rangeley has unveiled a program that will reward them — and you.
One thing is certain: You'll have a few more bucks in your wallet if you choose to take advantage of the resort's PEAK Pass, which also rewards members of the military and college students.
According to a Saddleback press release, the Promoting Education and Activity for Kids program is designed to encourage students to do well in school, curb childhood obesity and encourage childhood activity.
Any Maine student (through grade 12) who makes the honor role during the first marking period can purchase a season pass to Saddleback for just $59. In addition, college students can purchase season passes for $149.
Military members can buy season passes for $149 while combat veterans who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan will pay just $25 for a season pass.
Looking for breakfast
With Maine's firearms season on deer barely a month away, it's time to start thinking about the important stuff … like breakfast.
Hunters breakfasts are a popular — some would say essential — part of the hunting experience, and here at the BDN we strive to let you know about as many breakfast options as we can each year.
That's where you come in.
If your organization is putting on a hunters breakfast, we can help you fill the seats. And the service is free. Just drop us a line with all the details — place, date, time, cost and what's on the menu — and we'll let hungry hunters know where they can go to fuel up.


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The 'scheduling problem' that led Nathan Deal's aides to contact ethics chief
The now-famous memo penned by former ethics head Holly LaBerge's offers an idea of what Gov. Nathan Deal's aides said to her ahead of a major hearing. But a lingering question is why Chris Riley, the governor's chief of staff, and Ryan Teague, his executive counsel, reached out instead of a campaign attorney.
Deal told us in an interview that his staff needed to get details of an upcoming ethics hearing "so they could plan our schedule." It was logistical, he said, and non-threatening. His office sought to reinforce that message with a more detailed timeline of what led to the contact.
LaBerge said in the memo she received the texts on July 17, 2012 – days before the governor was headed to Switzerland for a trade mission. Why would Deal's aides have to plan his schedule if they already knew he was headed overseas?
Deal spokesman Brian Robinson said the texts were sent with that trip in mind. Said Robinson:
"The texts were sent on a Tuesday and the governor was leaving on the Sunday. If we had a settlement, Holly was insisting on a personal check from Gov. Deal that he would have to write. If we were going to do that, and he was overseas, we needed to figure that out. He also would have had to sign the order. That's why we were under a time crunch. That's why we desperately needed the executive director to call our campaign attorneys back and work with them."
As to why Riley, the governor's top aide, sent the text and not a lower-level aide associated with his campaign, Robinson added this:
"This scenario is exactly why there was contact. We had to know what was coming down because we would have had a scheduling problem."
A tipster sent us this screen grab from Dale Russell's interview with LaBerge that indicates that the check the campaign sent to the ethics commission, for the $3,350 in technical violations, didn't need his hand-written signature. (We're not sure who signed the check, and the campaign didn't immediately see, but that signature looks different than his usual John Hancock, which we've included below.)
Update: Deal's flak, Brian Robinson, clarifies that the signature wasn't specifically required for the check, but for a consent agreement on the fees. The check, he said, could come up to 30 days later. The above check, he said, is a cashier's check from Deal's account with his wife Sandra.
Update Two: Now we are being told by Deal's office that the above check was torn up and never cashed.
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Trade mission to Switzerland? Sure.
and we wonder why his polling is so dismal. people don't hate Deal and love Carter, people just want someone to be honest with them as opposed to always making excuses.
Wow! A Swiss "trade mission" seems like a great occasion to visit money parked in secret bank accounts. Would love to know if the governor or his associates while traveling on the taxpayers' dime visited any financial institutions, made any deposits, etc...
Nothing but campaign year hogwash. All smoke, no fire.
REPUBLICANS for Jason Carter in 2014.
What will be the next "clarification?"
If you keep on trying to cover, you find yourself standing NAKED.
Deal's "schedule" doesn't including helping the citizens of GA. I didn't vote for him. Roy Barnes is honest. But Deal won cause a lot of you people voted for him. Because Roy changed the flag from the confederate flag and he wouldn't arrange pensions for the GBI and GSP and teachers so they could retire earlier. He was so honest. I told him not to change the flag in his first term, but he had ethics. I told him to promise the GBI and GSP and teachers anything but he had ethics. So you guys voted f or Deal and you got this whole mess. The economy has righted itself despite Deal. He hasn't brought industry to GA because Atlanta and GA have always done well despite who is in the governor's chair. Dump Deal.
Yikes, caught with their pants down once again. You meant o tell me that if a settlement was reached no one thought the Governor would be good for the money when he returned from his overseas trip? I don't even think that's how things work. You don't necessarily reach a settlement at 2:00 and expect a check handed over at 2:10. And again, we are talking about the Governor.
And Today's Spin Is:
Why is this coming out just now before the election?
Well the answer is obvious, the efforts to keep the truth hidden forever were bound to fail. The coverup has been going on for years with ENORMOUS costs passed on to the taxpayers.
A better question is why not be HONEST in the first place?
The timing of this thing; hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?
Holly LaBerge's attorney is a BIG Jason Carter supporter, who's firm is hosting a fundraiser for Carter; hmmmmmmmmmmmm?
The same ethics panel that is claiming harassment found a violation and levied a fine; case closed; hmmmmmmmmmmmm?
My question is why is this just coming to light and was not mentioned before, during the ethics hoopla several months ago. Politics, just status quo. A political move by the Dems, with timing and I am sure there will be more.
As for Deal himself, I have yet to hear or see proof he did anything wrong, contrary to nam51 and his liberal folks.
As for checks and balances, what did Jimmy Carter give or even do, for the state when he was occupying the office of Governor? Nothing! The absolute worst Governor in modern times and no need to go into his Presidency. Now comes baby faced grandson, with no real record in the state house to brag about.
Deal and republican power brokers run this corrupt state---deal will get off with a slap on the wrist after his handlers cover up everything and threaten a bunch of people === book it!
Balderdash. Deal got away with a $3,000 fine when he should have faced much worse. His office intimidated the ethics folks. This, coupled with his complete failure in the February ice emergency, is why this Republican may well vote for Carter. (Man, writing that leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth; but Deal has not earned a second term.)
Maybe we need a the checks and balances that a Democratic governor would give to the Republican senate and house.
It's not like we're going gangbusters anyway; unemployment just went up to 7.4 percent, we have potholes the size of a small car on our roads, we have an woeful, ineffective Child Protective services division, and no real plans to fix any of it. (Yes, I know Deal just authorized 100 new DFACS positions; but why now and not years ago?)
Repeat: Deal has done nothing to earn a second term. If he's out of line ethically, he needs to go.
AJC staff - bash tha bad guy Deal and just ignore the garbage coming out of the White House like giving illegal aliens free passes. Heck, move some ot them here so they could vote for a democrat loser like Jason Carter and Mary Nunn.
@honested They can't really claim this is coming out just in time for the election. The trial was just a couple of months ago. If the Gov. and his minions had kept their mouths closed about what they did or didn't know it may not have come out at all. But he's trying to play the "I'll pay the money but I don't admit any wrong doing game". The problem is, he's not paying with HIS money.
@MissDaisyCook Deal/Nixon and his little henchmen are responsiblye for the timing.
@MissDaisyCook Miss Cook, Randy Evans firm (who represents Nathan Deal) are also big supporters of Jason Carter. Does that mean they Randy is in on the conspiracy?
@MissDaisyCook Yeah, the timing is suspect, but then there's really no good time for a corruption leak, is there? And LeBerge's attorney, and his firm, are also well known employment law "trial: attorneys, a group typically vilified by conservatives (until they need one anyway). So perhaps, it's all much ado about nothing . . . or perhaps it's not.
@shameful The issue's not Democratic or Republican. It's not left or right. It's right or wrong. Legal or Illegal. Deal's a petty crook and not even a very good one.
@shameful So, an old timey crook is okay as long as he's not related to a guy to was governor 40 years ago. Got it.
@JaySly Deal's campaign was found not in compliance of the rules more than three years ago and paid a fine. A fine was all the commission had the power to level so Deal's campaign received the maximum punishment.
Case closed.
Do you have a firm grasp of the difference between Federal and State Government?
MiltonMan, why is it when anyone who speaks against Deal and the Republicans, you people always try to bring the President in on any coversation. I don't think the President has anything to do with Deal and his ethics violation; however, the topic is not about the Whitehouse or illegal immigrants, this article is about Deal period. Stick to the subject matter and stop injecting your ignorance and stupidity.
@MiltonMan yeah, such a free pass . . . a detention hearing!
@Charles50 These new allegations have nothing to do with the civil trail that just ended (and had nothing to do with the governor) but rather an attempt to go back to the original case against the governor in a political attempt to tie the two together and make it seem there was something going on that was not legal.
@consumedconsumer @MissDaisyCook Where is the corruption?
As if!!! Why have three former members of the ethics commission staff prevailed if all this is "merely political."
It's coming to light now because the cases have been tried, the plaintiffs, and you and I as taxpayers are on the hook for more than $3 million for Deal's minions' misdeeds.
So just what were they trying to shut down?
@td1234 @JaySly Deal's campaign engineered the removal of Stacey Kalberman and her investigator to prevent the issuing of subpoenas and the investigation in general. Deal and his staff have interfered throughout the process. Not even you can say with a strait face that this was any kind of real investigation.
@td1234 @Charles50 You must be smoking something if you really believe that.
@HueyMahl Is it or is it not the right of any governor in this state to appoint any and all people to executive positions within the state? Yes, the governor has that right and could have removed her from office at his pleasure.
@Charles50 @td1234 I am not a progressive so I am not smoking anything nor do I want to make it legal for you to blow your brain out one puff at a time.
@td1234 @HueyMahl Based on the original charges, the penalties could have exceeded $75,000. But based on the evidence the investigators thought they would discover, the violations could have been much more severe.
For example, there is one company Deal paid tens of thousands of dollars to. It had no address, performed not activities for the campaign, and was run by Chris Riley's father. No subpoenas were issued to that company to see where the money went.
@td1234 @HueyMahl Actually, no, he can't, which is why the taxpayers are on the hook for the $3 million dollar payout to the whistleblowers he fired.
Funny that Deal only had to pay $3500 for his misdeeds, but taxpayers pay $3 million for his misdeeds. The game is rigged.
It was obvious before we elected him that Deal is about as corrupt as they come. And Georgians will probably re-elect him, since he has an R beside his name, and get to see a sitting governor sent to prison by federal prosecutors.
I am so embarrassed to be from this state.
UMM, no. I know I have called you a troll, but let's get serious for a second. You are putting forward facts that are simply incorrect. That is what a troll does. That is why I called you one.
This latest set of facts illustrate the point. Yes, the Governor has the right to appoint people to executive positions. And often he has the right to remove them at will. But that is completely irrelevant to this situation.
The Ethics commission is intended to be, and is under the law, an independent agency (though it has arguably not been run that way). Deal does not have the power to appoint the director, and he sure as heck does not have the power to remover her. But he can put political pressure on the commission members who do, and he sure as heck can threaten the commission with the removal of rule making authority, like he did.
If he did these things as part of a belief that it was better for Georgia, then that is fine. But if he does these things BECAUSE HE IS TRYING TO INTERFERE WITH AN INVESTIGATION OF HIS ON CAMPAIGN, that is a big, big, problem.
Is that last statement really controversial??
@td1234 @Charles50 re: 'nor do I want to make it legal for you to blow your brain out one puff at a time"
so you're for outlawing cigars and cigarettes?
@td1234 @Charles50 Never tried the stuff and never plan to. And I don't fit into your little labels either.
@HueyMahl @td1234 Technically you are correct that the executive can not be removed by the governor but rather by the commission that the majority is appointed my the governor (one each by the house and senate that are all republicans). The point is still valid. The position works at the will of the governor because the appointees are going to do what the governor wants them to do.
@consumedconsumer @td1234 @Charles50 Sure wish they would outlaw them in bars. Sure doesnt seem to hurt businesses in every state I've been to that has that law. Go outside if you wanna inhale a bunch of smoke.
@consumedconsumer Those products do not blow your brain out over time. They just give you cancer and cause heart attacks.
@td1234 @consumedconsumer And strokes, which blow your brain up.
@honested You just make up crap as you go along don't you? Where did intimidation come from? Telling a person that if they hurried up a process was in the best interest of their new agency (for which they were appointed by the governor and worked at the will of the same governor) is now intimidation?
Intimidation would be for them to say if you did not see the case our way then you would lose your job.
What happened is this case was nothing more then asking for a favor instead of issuing an order.
@Charles50 There is a difference between truth and political spin in an election year. What I am hearing is political spin and not the whole story.
@td1234 @Charles50 Truth stands on it's own always. You can spin information. And I'm sure that it's just killing you that this truth is coming out now. The fact is, an opponent can spend a lot less time and money on a campaign if they sit back and let life happen. Can't wait for the debates.


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IonoProbe Sunspot Graph Questions
Expand Messages
- Hi Alex and gang,
In the IonoProbe program with the chart number I have notice that the graph
is capable of showing sunspot numbers up to 400. Yet on any historic chart I
have been looking at lately the SS number rarely goes above the number of
200 spots.
Two questions. Am I looking at the wrong charts on the web?
If not. Would it not be a good idea to allow the user an option change the
maximum number on the IonoProbe graph or at least limit it to two hundred
My reasoning is that the numbers would be more prominent on the scale for
day to day use. It should be obvious I am not an expert in this area and am
only looking for feedback from Alex and others.
By the way, it has been quite interesting to watch the numbers and graphs
change on IonoProbe with this past weeks very active solar storm.
Thanks to all,
Eric - VE3GSI
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Identify It > Reptile Section > Adders >
Scientific name: Vipera berus
Size: The male is around 60cm long, and the female is approx 75cm
Distribution: Found throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
Months seen: March to October. During the winter adders hibernate underground. The young are usually born around August.
Habitat: Adders are normally found on heathland or sand dunes. They can often be seen warming up their bodies (basking) in the sunshine.
Food: Mice, voles and lizards.
Special features: Sometimes called the 'viper'. Of the three types of snake found in Britain, the adder is the only one which is venomous.
Adders can be recognised by the dark zig-zag pattern running down the length of their back, and by the dark V-shaped marking on the back of their head. The background colour of the males tends to be more grey in colour while the females are more brown.


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CHICAGO -- Larry Eils, senior director of technical services for the National Automatic Merchandising Association, will retire effective June 1. The industry veteran, who joined NAMA in 1985, will receive special recognition by NAMA chairman Jim Brinton, Evergreen Vending (Seattle), at the Opening Session of the Spring Expo beginning 8:30 AM on Thursday, March 27.
In his more than two decades with NAMA, Eils assisted the vending industry in meeting its health and safety requirements, cooperated with regulatory agencies in developing minimum sanitation regulations and promoted the industry's health, safety and environmental programs to consumers and regulatory agencies. He also helped NAMA's affiliated state councils to meet their educational needs, and consulted with members on a wide variety of issues. In the safety arena, he spearheaded programs informing operators of ways to reduce back injuries, and to emphasize the value of safe driving.
As secretary of NAMA's technical standard subcommittee, Eils played a crucial role in establishing the vending industry data transfer standard (widely called DEX).
"During his tenure with NAMA Larry has been an invaluable employee and major contributor and developer for many NAMA programs including the Vending Machine Evaluation and Mechanics Training Program and Route Driver Certification Program," said NAMA president and chief executive officer Richard M. Geerdes. "Larry's entertaining educational presentations as Dr. Doom will be difficult to replicate and sorely missed by the audiences he played to," he added.
Eils earned a bachelor's degree from Carroll College in Waukesha, WI, and a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Michigan. He is a registered sanitarian with Illinois and with the National Environmental Health Association, as well as a certified structural pest control operator and foodservice manager in sanitation in Illinois.
His professional memberships include the National and Illinois Environmental Health Associations, Association of Food and Drug Officials and the International Association of Food, Milk and Environmental Sanitarians.
Eils received the Food Industry Sanitarian Award in 1991 from the industry affiliate of the National Environmental Health Association; Sanitarian of the Year Award in 1993 from the Illinois Environmental Health Association; Associate Membership Award in 2001 from the Association of Food and Drug Officials; and the Walter S. Mangold Award in 2003 from the National Environmental Health Association.
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Wildomar City Council members postponed Tuesday's special meeting in which they were scheduled to conduct a public hearing on a large-scale residential project.
The council rescheduled the hearing for 6:30 p.m. May 8 in City Hall, 23873 Clinton Keith Road.
City staff members recommended postponing the hearing on the proposed Oak Creek Canyon tract.
The developer, Sunbelt Communities Inc., wants to build 275 one- and two-story homes on 151 acres along Bundy Canyon Road. The property sits between Sunset Avenue to the east ---- the city's border with Menifee ---- and The Farm Road to the west.
Wildomar planning commissioners endorsed the project in early March and recommended approval by the City Council.
The proposal has attracted some objections from the public over environmental issues.