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|Mouse use
- Windows default installation paths common in Trainz include either \Auran\ (old style) or \N3V\ so please adjust the meaning and your understanding accordingly.
This page aims to explain certain optimization changes which can be applied for an optimal video display using the Trainz initialization file, Trainzoptions.txt' or in the Trainz Classics releases Trainzclassicoptions.txt which will be found in the simulators local root directory under ...\Auran such as for example ...\Auran\TRS2006. One nice and important thing which is consistent across all Trainz versions, all of which have separate configuration files for all assets, is the standard of using a .txt file as a configuration default type, allowing easy user adjustments.
- Trainz — TRS2006
This note in general is applicable to TRS2004 / TRS2006 / TC / TC2 / TC3 / TRS2007 / TRS2008 and TRS2009. (TRS2007 and TRS2008 were releases specific solely in Continental Europe). The main aim of this page is to set up the video to take advantage of the highest resolution video mode that is native to your monitor.
These settings override the conservative 'one-size-fits-all' initializations the installer will generate when it runs the hardware tests at the end of the installation initialization. This test does not have a means of telling the what modes the monitor is able to support, hence start up figures error on the side of figures which should work on all systems.
Tip: NOTE: The following method has been found not always to work.
- Post-TS2009 releases
Newer Trainz releases are able to access a database, detect the type and capabilities of your monitor through Microsoft Windows, and automatically optimize the configuration files for normal maximums for your system. These values are no longer solely controlled in settings of the TrainzOptions text files, but now through Launcher > Options > Display.
Native or True ModeEdit
- about Native mode of the monitor
|This Trainz/Using wide screen monitors section is a stub or incomplete. You can help the Wikibooks Trainz project by expanding it.
Work needed: this needs be rewritten to be clearer and with howto suggestions
Two common native video ratio system defaults have emerged as standards in recent years, 16w:10h (ratio: 4 H : 2.5 H) and 16w:9h (ratio: 4 W : 3 H) such as for example: 1440x900 heights ratios to widths (e.g. a common 16:10 native mode is 1440x900, so 1440/900 = 1.6 = 16/10).
- Wider and narrower aspect ratio monitor initializations are supported, especially for the width for example—provided you have the video card setup to handle it— can be extended to window across 2–3 multiple monitors, in which case the figures below would retain their height, but sum to the total width in pixel count of the 2-3 monitors put together.
- This would give a gamer style wrap around 'cockpit' effect (left+center+right), but if and only if, running Trainz non-windowed. Since consulting CM and other software is desirable even when route building, this mode is likely used only when putting finishing touches on a route in Surveyor or when settling in for some serious Driving in Driver.
Tip: Newer Trainz post TC3 have video settings inside the Launcher Options menu.
Content here is likely to be changed significantly in a short amount of time.
- The key is to search on line for announcements of the release or technical specs for your monitor model, and thereby learn what it's maximum native mode resolution (also called True Resolution) is claimed to be.
- Newer monitor technology in the 16:10 class might support dynamically adjusting for a wider higher resolution screen above the native mode at the expense of performance of the overall video system.
- The more pixels the Graphics card and microprocessor have to calculate will slow actual graphics whole screen performance.
- OTOH, a 1680 pixel width monitor stepped down to 1440x900 height to 'height-match' settings for a second wider screen monitor has caused some Windows apps to incorrectly mis-figure where the base usable area of the windows 'expand to full page' mode should place the bottom; these apps coverup the taskbar in when windowed to full screen in both XP and Windows 7!
Adjustment descriptionEdit
Placing the two following lines into the configuration file will configure for a widescreen 16:10 ratio monitor 1440x900.
Example: How to use resolutionsEdit
- Make this 'Entry' in the Trainzoptions.txt file
- Native monitor mode should be entered in a dash prefixed width and height tag line with the appropriate equality as shown below:
-width=1440 -height=900
Field of View adjustmentsEdit
Adjusting the trainzoptions file to reflect the resolution of a wide-screen monitor is only half of the job! To show the view correctly you need to modify the field-of-view (FOV) to accommodate the increased horizontal size. This will enhance playability as well. The values you need to use are:
-cabinfov=74.7975 -driverfov=63.9863
These values are good for any 16:10 aspect wide-screen monitor. Monitors which are 16:9 aspect will need the following different values:
-cabinfov=80.6960 -driverfov=69.5316
Adding these lines to your trainzoptions file will display everything correctly apart from the main menu screens which will appear to be stretched horizontally. You will be able to tell the setup is correct easily in Surveyor as follows:
- Enter surveyor and load a small route.
- Open the Mini-Map using the keystroke sequence [CTRL][M]
- Use the cursor pads left and right arrows to rotate your viewpoint and observe the circular centering ring of the minimap. It should remain and appear as a near perfect circle, in the map center, not elliptical or squat looking like a tangerine.
- The above test does not validate the FOV figures.
The Process, step by stepEdit
First, open the Trainz directory. The next thing to do is to make a backup. You can do this first by Left Click on file (select it LMB), CTRLC (copy); next, Left Click on the folder background to deselect the file, then CTRLV (paste) back into the same folder which will create new file named 'Copy of filename.txt' or 'filename.txt (Copy)', depending on which version of Windows you are running.
Edit the original text file using Windows Notepad or another text-only editor such as Notepad++ by double left clicking to open it. If your system has not defined notepad as the default text editor it will offer a list of optional programs including Notepad.
- You might want to Check off the click box to Always Use this program to open files of this type and open the file.
Tip: If you use Trainz 2004 then you can simply use the editor in TrainzObjects to add the necessary info. In whatever editor, cursor or mouse click to the below the bottom line and add or fix up the lines as need. Save and Close the editor. Launch Trainz. You should be good to go.

subset: commoncrawl


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Published on December 17th, 2012 | by Jim Lobe10
Kristol Launches the Neo-Con Campaign to Stop Hagel
While Marsha Cohen and Ali Gharib have reviewed some of the reaction to Chuck Hagel's possible nomination as Secretary of Defense, Bill Kristol, co-founder/director of such august organizations as the Emergency Committee for Israel (ECI), the Project for the New American Century, and the Foreign Policy Initiative, appears to have officially launched what could be called the neo-conservative stop it. Writing on the Weekly Standard website (of course, he's the publication's editor in chief), Kristol quotes at length from "a fact sheet circulating widely on Capitol Hill" (whose provenance he fails to disclose) entitled "Introduction to the Reading of Hagel", an oh-so-clever reference to the German idealist philosopher of the early 19th century.
What is interesting, if not altogether surprising, is the degree to which the "Reading" quoted by Kristol is centered on the U.S. relationship with Israel — more evidence that Israel and its security and welfare stand at the very center of the neo-conservative worldview, a point that is studiously avoided by most of the Washington foreign-policy establishment, at least when its members are speaking or writing publicly. It doesn't matter what Hagel thinks about China, for example, or about the "pivot" to Asia, or about treatment of wounded vets, or missile defense, or about the appropriate size of the Navy or Marine Corps; it's all about Israel and the purported threats it faces.
Particularly remarkable is the Hagel quote featured in point number 9 in the section titled "Israel and the 'Jewish Lobby.'" (You can actually hear the quote if you go to the Politico article entitled "Chuck Hagel's Record on Israel Draws Scrutiny" about the incipient controversy; it's from an interview presumably conducted by Aaron David Miller for his book.) This is the relevant passage as it appears in the "Reading:"
9. When questioned about his pro-Israel record during a meeting in New York with supporters of Israel, Hagel is reported to have said, "Let me clear something up here if there's any doubt in your mind. I'm a United States Senator. I'm not an Israeli senator. I'm a United States Senator. I support Israel. But my first interest is, I take an oath of office to the constitution of the United States. Not to a president, not to a party, not to Israel."
Now, I would think that the vast majority of Americans — even including those who support Israel — would consider this a very good statement of how a U.S. senator or any U.S. official should conceive his or her role and purpose. But it seems that Kristol and the anonymous author(s) of the "Reading" believe this position is somehow reprehensible. If true, a more damning indictment of the author(s)' and Kristol's view — at least, from those who believe that the first obligation of a U.S. lawmaker is to protect the Constitution and the country — would be very difficult to find.
Indeed, I would hope that this line of attack against Hagel would push Obama into both going ahead with the nomination and aggressively defending it on precisely the basis that all U.S. officials must have as their primary allegiance the defense of the Constitution and of the United States, and not of a foreign country, however friendly it might be.
The Politico article usefully cites the precedent of Amb. Chas Freeman's appointment and subsequent withdrawal as chairman of the National Intelligence Council under pressure from the both neo-conservatives and the more conventional Israel lobby — while the two definitely overlap and often work together, there are important differences between them — in the early days of the Obama administration. (As readers of this blog know, I am a big Freeman fan who greatly admires both his encyclopedic knowledge and his strategic vision.) In that case, of course, the campaign against Freeman focused even more on his allegedly close ties to the Chinese leadership than on his presumed hostility to Israel and its policies. It was a very clever tactic designed, of course, to divert attention to the fact that the campaign was orchestrated by key figures in the Israel lobby, notably Steve Rosen, a former top AIPAC official. Whether the neo-cons and/or AIPAC or its past associates can find a similar non-Israel-related stick with which to beat Hagel remains to be seen.
But it appears already that Kristol and the unknown author(s) of the "Reading" intend to act as the vanguard of a larger campaign that will probably — if very discreetly — include AIPAC, which has so far maintained a public silence about the speculation surrounding Hagel's nomination. (Could it be that the "Reading" was based on AIPAC's files?) One notes, of course, that Josh Block, identified in the Politico article as "a former AIPAC spokesman", has already weighed in against the nomination, suggesting that the former senator is an Iran/Hezbollah-lover. Block has more recently taken over the leadership of The Israel Project (TIP) and has moved it quickly into taking a harder line in support of Israel's Likud leadership than under TIP's previous director/founder, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi. (The change is indicated, among other things, by the recent defection of TIP's former head of communications, Allan Elsner (previously a very professional diplomatic correspondent for Reuters), to J Street, which, incidentally, praised Hagel in the Politico article.
My assumption at this point is that the lobby, quietly led by AIPAC — but with neo-cons like Kristol (and the more-aggressive Israel lobbyists like Block and Rosen) acting as the point of the spear — will indeed mount a major campaign against Hagel's nomination, UNLESS Obama himself makes it very clear that he's willing to go to the mat on this, meaning that he's prepared to make exactly the point made by Hagel in point number 9 on "Israel and the 'Jewish Lobby'." (Interestingly, the organized US Jewish community as a whole is far from united in opposing Hagel.) Of course, the president must first get up the nerve to actually nominate him. This will be an important test of his second-term intentions vis-a-vis Israel and everything that concerns it.
NOTE: In a previous version of this post, I wrote that I didn't see the phrase "Jewish Lobby" quoted by Kristol in the excerpts of the "Reading." That was my mistake. He clearly did use that phrase, and, in my opinion, that is regrettable since, as many others have pointed out, the Israel lobby consists of many Christian Zionists and most Jews are more critical of Israel and its policies than is the lobby. At the same time, the fact that his opponents, who have become increasingly shrill in the last 48 hours, have not provided a single shred of additional evidence of anti-Semitism or another instance in which Hagel used the same phrase suggests that the many individuals who are now coming out in support of his nomination and specifically to reject the anti-Semitism charge, strongly suggests that the issue is a red herring and that what is really motivating the opposition is fear that Hagel, if nominated, will indeed be confirmed and will not be shy about voicing his criticism of Israeli policies when he thinks it appropriate.
10 Responses to Kristol Launches the Neo-Con Campaign to Stop Hagel
RE: "Kristol Launches the Neo-Con Campaign to Stop Hagel"
MY COMMENT: It's time for Obama to show us who's the boss, him or William "Bill" Kristol (f/k/a "Dan Quayle's brain")!
If Obama folds (caves in) on Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense, he will pretty much spend the next four years as a lame-duck president (U.S. President in name only).
● WHITE HOUSE PETITION: Urging the Obama administration to nominate Hagel and fight for his confirmation.
TO SIGN – https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/nominate-chuck-hagel-secretary-defense-and-fight-his-nomination/P0ZtympX
● ROBERT NAIMAN'S PETITION: President Obama, we have your back. We support your choice of Chuck Hagel to serve as the next Secretary of Defense.
TO SIGN – http://signon.org/sign/back-obama-in-tapping-1?source=c.url&r_by=1135580
● FACEBOOK PAGE: Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense
TO "LIKE" – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chuck-Hagel-for-Secretary-of-Defense/485366244839574
White House petition:
Nominate Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense — and fight for his nomination
When will the American man in the street wake up to something the World at large has known forages, And that is the once proud and fiercely independent country known as the U.S.A has sold its soul, its integrity and its dignity to the pro Israeli pressure groups, who are not only sucking the dollars out of America but also the respect it once held throughout the World. Yes America is still holding centre stage but it is Israel pulling the puppet strings
RE: "Writing on the Weekly Standard website . . . Kristol quotes at length from 'a fact sheet circulating widely on Capitol Hill' (whose provenance he fails to disclose)" ~ Jim Lobe
CONCERNING THE LIKELY PROVENANCE OF THE "FACT SHEET" ON HAGEL, SEE: "Why the U.S. Media Barely Covered Brutal Right-Wing Race Riots in Tel Aviv", By Joshua Holland, AlterNet, 6/17/12
[EXCERPTS] . . . Recently, Middle East analyst MJ Rosenberg appeared on the AlterNet Radio Hour to discuss the Tel Aviv riots, the stand-off over Iran's nuclear program and how the Israel lobby helps narrow the discourse around Israel in the United States. Below is a lightly edited transcript of the discussion(you can listen to the whole interview here.)
• JOSHUA HOLLAND: From your inside perspective on that organization [AIPAC], what did you see as far as their tendency to call out criticism that they think is illegitimate or beyond the pale?
• MJ ROSENBERG: They [AIPAC] consider all criticism of Israel illegitimate. It's all beyond the pale. I suppose their definition would be if by some miracle someone like Joseph Lieberman made a statement critical of Israel it would be legitimate. When I worked there in the '80s, back before everyone had computers, they had a big war room where all they did was assemble every bit of data on members of Congress, on candidates, but also on writers, celebrities – anyone in the public eye.
In those days they would just put them in these folders. They always had at hand all this negative information — what they considered negative information — to tar people as being anti-Israel or even anti-Semitic. That stuff would be given to reporters if something came up. They were either initiated on their own to give to reporters or some reporter called them because they had a treasure trove of information.
They still operate that way. In those days they did it directly; now they have former staffers and people who are close to the organization in the blogging world and political world who do it for them. They do it so much. When you read that someone is anti-Israel they're the ones putting it out there. They've got the data. . .
ENTIRE (LIGHTLY EDITED) TRANSCRIPT -http://www.alternet.org/story/155866/why_the_u.s._media_barely_covered_brutal_right-wing_race_riots_in_tel_aviv?paging=off
Tucker. You knowledge of US history, and your ideological, gun-nut rant bear no relationship to fact anymore than the screwball screed that Obama is a Muslim/socialist Manchurian Candidate born in Indonesia or Africa or wherever. Your reference to Pabelmont being a moron is simple psychological projection on your part, nothing more. While I believe in universal suffrage and the right to keep and bear arms, it nevertheless disturbs me that people with your intellectual and emotional development are allowed to vote or to posses firearms.


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(note: this is a response of sorts to Ethical Free-to-Play Game Design (And Why it Matters) by Greg Costikyan and to some of the comments posted below that article. I would have commented on the article itself, but I need illustrations and links to make my point).
Costikyan's recent op-ed and the comment storm that followed it created way too many points of debate for a 1:1 response, so I'd like to focus on just a few points brought up by the myriad of excellent thoughts and comment responses. And I would like to use car analogies, because I deeply love cars, and never overlook an excuse to talk about them.
This is a Reliant Robin.
As a car, it is a miserable failure. As an object of aesthetics, it is beyond any redeeming characteristics. As an object of pop culture, it is inevitably mocked and derided. This fiberglass 3-wheeled aberration features a 784-cc engine (4-cylinder, each cylinder the size of a pill bottle), a roofline about even with the door handles on most cars and the handling, despite its tiny size, of a carnival float.
Produced from 1973 to 1981 in Tamworth, England, this ridiculous pseudo-car was a niche product for a very peculiar niche indeed - people who needed a car, but were too cheap to pay the road tax for having one (which would be 1/50th or less of the value of a normal 4-wheel car). The lack of a 4th wheel and engine displacement below 1000cc put this in the motorcycle category, thus saving you a few "quid" - truly, the automotive equivalent of cutting off your nose to spite your face. Who could be so incredibly cheap that they would force themselves into this hideous plastic menace just to dodge road tax, and yet wouldn't get a much cheaper motorcycle with a sidecar?
That would be this car's many, many fans and dedicated, proud drivers.
How is this possible, you say - it looks like a fiberglass bathtub had sex with a tricycle! Jeremy Clarkson crashed one on his very first left turn! How was this miserable, niche-targeted idiocy not just forgotten and buried? Well, go ask the numerous and active fan clubs, not just in the UK but indeed worldwide.
Which brings me to some of the many excellent points that Greg Costikyan brought up in his editorial. He cited a few games as examples of games with very long lifespans and dedicated fan bases, including Ultima Online and Meridian 59. I agree with his examples, but I think he missed an important point. True, these games were well-designed to "foster user retention," but in the examples he cited, the creative torch of the game has long since passed from the designers to the players of the game themselves.
These game succeed and persist not because they were ethically designed - heck, Meridian 59 could cost you over $100 a month to play, as it was pay-per-minute! - but because they developed a self-sustaining community that in turn defined its own rules and behaviors they felt were correct.
If you ask a Reliant Robin driver why they drive an ugly, underpowered bathtub pretending it could share the road with Jaguars and Aston Martins, you would receive a punch in the eye. After you recovered, you would then hear a long list of reasons which, remarkably, would take each deficiency that seems obvious in this car and invert it to become a feature or benefit. Spend some time in Reliant Robin forums, and you'll see: the low roofline "allows me to see round the corner before I get there." The incredibly slow acceleration "keeps mum out of trouble." The rattling, hollow fiberglass body "is easy to patch, just takes a bit of cloth and resin - do THAT with your aluminium Porsche!"
This isn't mere rationalization - it is a mindset, one that is based on the viewpoint that what most think is "bad," they will choose to see as good. Robin fans aren't irrational; you won't find a Reliant Robin fan arguing that he can beat a Ferrari ("also made of fiberglass, well some of them!") or that black is white or up is down. They have simply chosen their niche, and walled it up to make that niche a fortress. They are creating their own reasons to love and cherish the car, and forging new territory as they attempt to spread the influence of the car and evangelize it.
Similarly, these self-perpetuating game communities have achieved a level of transparency and shared understanding that allows them to feel a degree of control, of authorship. They trust in the systems of the game world (and resist change to them fiercely!) and feel confident welcoming new players to the fold. It is this trust and transparency that makes the game last.
I always told my students that designers create the game, but players make the game. Corny, yes, but true in the long term: The Sims series, Second Life, and yes even FarmVille have passed the point of developer content and moved to a self-perpetuating community of users that are effectively (and in many cases, literally) making their own world either out of social context and storytelling or actual game systems and content.
So, what the heck does this have to with "ethical" design for Free-to-Play games? Rather than defend a blanket position ("F2P is inherently unethical/F2P is the only way to do games now") the existence of these "Reliant Robin" games seems to indicate that defining ethics and the greater good, in games as in life, is entirely dependent on the audience.
A well-designed game that properly educates the game audience can use micropay content and even pay-to-win strategies and not leave users feeling hurt, abused or left out. Educate the players and teach them how to play within your rule set to their advantage, and you are ethically in the clear; try to deceive them with 5+ currencies (disguising which is "hard" and "soft"), shifting prices, mismatched battles against paying users and brutal difficulty spikes, and you have strayed into "unethical" territory.
The existence of the Reliant Robin fanbase indicates two things: First, loyal fans, once they exist, will swallow most negative aspects and rebuff most criticism with amazing resiliency. They will be a small group, but proud and vocal. Second, once the goal of educating the players in the economic and social rules of the game has been accomplished, those who buy into that system become evangelizers and educators of these systems for others.
The Reliant Robin fanbase exists because of the total transparency of the subject - you can see these fiberglass boats-on-a-trike for what they are, flaws and all; no one is going around claiming 8-second ¼ miles and 300,000-kilometer lifespans, and everyone who has one literally stops people on the street to show it off and brag about it.
The same is true of the "Reliant Robin" games. Trust me, I have been dragged into Meridian 59 conversations before - you would think the fans of the game actually developed it themselves, and were hosting it on their own Wildcat BBS in their parent's basement.
Free-to-Play, even if it is play-to-win, becomes 'ethical' if all the users/players involved are completely clear on the details and how they function. if I lose a fight and I can see clearly that the player I am fighting against used two paid boosts to beat me, I may dislike the outcome but I certainly can't accuse him or her of "cheating." I have a choice - pay up and level the playfield, or drop out, or fight others that aren't using the boosts. Good design makes all these choices valid, clear and accessible. Games stand a chance of becoming a Reliant Robin when all the rules and systems are spelled out and easy to see, clear to players both new and old.
Making the game more difficult over time so that playing without paying becomes a brutal, thankless experience is ethical as long as the player can clearly see that this will become the case. It is the deception involved in leading a player down a path and THEN dropping the hammer on them that causes the complaints of "unethical" design.
Similarly, constantly re-tuning and messing with the rules and internal structure of the game alienates users over time. F2P games tend to be launched and THEN designed, due to the breakneck pace of the market, but this severely harms the goal of having transparent rules and educated players - it is no mystery why some of the most dominant F2P games out there are also some of the oldest! They long ago stopped tweaking their rules and systems based on server analytics and instead settled in to a loyal user base. The games that chase ARPDAU with constant, invisible messing about behind the scenes are exactly the ones that really, really piss veteran users off.
Some final thoughts: Can you deliberately design a Reliant Robin game? I'm honestly not sure. There is an organic process taking place; some games (and some cars) find an audience, and some do not. I think the game design lesson of the Robin is pretty simple: stand out, be quirky and unique, turn faults into assets if you can, and target a specific audience. Providing users with tools that allow them to create their own limited content is an absolute win and a superb investment of development time, but it is rarely ever carried out; such elements may flip a game from being an also-ran to becoming a Robin.
And I like that the Robin has a fan base, even though I would never buy one (or even use one as a boat anchor or chicken coop). It says to me that even ugly, lumpy games with obsolete mechanics might find an audience and a community with a little luck.
|Brian 'Psychochild' Green
You have one bit of incorrect information: while Meridian 59 was originally designed to be a per-minute charge, it was changed to a flat monthly subscription when AOL made the change in the late 90s. At launch, the game was a flat monthly subscription rate. This set the precedent for a flat monthly rate for other MMOs. Before that, games usually change per minute (or per hour) for access, usually on proprietary networks that also charged per minute or per hour.
3DO did later change the charges to a much more confusing system of daily charges with caps where players could have paid up to a maximum of about $30 per month. Not exactly robbery, even if it was less forthright than a clear charge-per-month.
I don't think that the amount charged is an indication of ethics, unless you think that WoW was unethical for charging more than the standard when it was launched. The ethics comes about how transparent the charges are in the game. I think the problem with many "free to play" games is that they focus a lot on the free aspect, but then hide the true nature of how much you are expected to pay to advance in the game. Free-to-play games are mostly built on the assumption that there will be a few people willing to pay a LOT more than average.
Within this context, the later "up to $30/month" business model for Meridian 59 could be seen as unethical given that stories are that it was intended to be confusing, but one could say that is mitigated somewhat because the model did have strict limits on how the maximum charged per month. In most free-to-play games, the amount you could spend to play most efficiently is not quite so clearly capped, by design.
|[User Banned]
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|Nathan Mates
Or, you could just call it Stockholm Syndrome - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome
|Erskine Blue
You quite right in your take on how social groups tend to be self-selecting, self-serving, and less than tolerant of criticism from the outside.
I agree with your proposition that such bilk to play games are legitimate but go wrong if they are dishonest in how they present the games economics.
The fact that these kinds of games flourish, is a reflection of the concentration of wealth into fewer and fewer hands. Those with more money than they know what to do with, love these games. It allows them to enjoy status and superiority over others with fewer resources who face the choice of competing against very stacked odds with skill only, financial ruin, or leaving the game.
These types of games would have never done well during times like the 50s in the US, when the standard of living of the largest number of people was improving. It is only when there is great income disparity, that this kind of pay for status can do well, as there has to be a well to do whales willing and able to drop thousands of dollars on trivial 'games.'
|Michael Eilers
I love "bilk to play", that is hilarious! Yes, the dependency of the genre or style of design on whales is another topic entirely, and one that I have yet to see a really solid, thorough analysis on. Hey, it works for the casino industry, why not for us? Which of course brings up the ugly ethical issues, once again!


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i have been the type of girl who cares…. bout her family,friends,haters……. but ritee now im not the type of girl who cares anymore cuz i know who is allll ways BY MII SIDE his name is GOD…..
ohh wow i had a pic of my other friends and my other friend got mad a unfriended me for no reason just because i didnt add her in a pic she was a friend from 3rd grade like omg what u want from me
i dont wanna see somene but we friends but i dont wanna see that person she always mean and she always gets mad easy over dumb picks
dont run away my favorite song
this is dont run away from let it shine
u a lie, u be trippin,u wish u was pimpin,no swag say dope no hands but words to say… lie u think u badd u aint
#real talk


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what bothers me is that, our broadband companies are lagging they are charging way to much for a service that is not doing that well. e.g Comcast i'm paying around $42 dollars every month for 3.0mbps, with all the respect to all of you but wtf is that? i mean even have my own modem and they still doing that. others countries are charging around $10 for 1mbps. But oh well lobbying would be my next job :p
3. Pay off a 3rd party research firm to scare the government into giving them tax breaks.
i used to get 3/1mb up/down in my old small town of less than 2000, and honestly it went faster and smoother than comcasts advertised 8mb with "powerboost" ever has, no traffic shaping, limit of 20gb a month which was easy to follow, and never had any downtime or speed fluxuations more than 100kbps, they need to upgrade their stuff, simple as that.
3. Actually use the obscene profits of bending American customers over and sodomizing them to reinvest into the network rather than leaving it the way it has been for the past 7 years. Seriously, it is just retarded. People in Sweden pay the equiv of $10 for a pipe that puts our best to shame.
Kinda weird to see this hit so close to my comment the other week.
Hi All,
Here in NY on Long Island I get 30+ Mbps Downstream & 4.5 Mbps Upstream through Cablevision. In addition, Cablevision is my Phone & Cable TV provider as well. I have to say that I'm pretty satisfied with my service, however that service comes at a pretty steep price. I don't have the top tier Cable TV service, but through their Optimum 3 Play I'm able to get all 3 products for $150.00 per month.My Fiance has been giving me grief about it since She saw the bill.
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Of course, we had to use some sound science to make that happen. We packed each Pc model into an incredibly sturdy, metallized plastic frame that dampens its resonating frequency, avoiding the sort of distortion associated with small speakers that vibrate in the midrange. This also allows a lower crossover frequency, which in turn delivers smoother off-axis dispersion across the board.
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We devised our Pc9 in-ceiling speaker with the discerning listener in mind.
The Pc9 essentially has everything we could put into an in-ceiling speaker without breaking the bank. We're thrilled by the results: this speaker can be driven harder and longer than the competition, while remaining crisp, clean, and transparent.
One reason the Pc9 outpaces all other in-ceiling speakers is that it's equipped with exquisitely fast bypass capacitors to keep the signal in phase through the crossover point. There's no keeping up with its stunning clarity and broad off-axis response.
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Our Pc8 model offers high performance for a more casual listener; you don't need to be an audiophile to know it sounds amazing.
This model's bolstered by a neoprene damping sheet that minimizes external vibrations, with an enhanced crossover network built in to ensure even dispersion.
It's a great option for everyday listening, and suitable for stereo and rear channel placement in small home theater installations.
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Pc5: The base model in the series, the Pc5 outperforms other in-ceilings at its price point and – like all Bay Audio speakers – it features higher grade materials and internal components than its competition.
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New Balance, is dedicated to helping athletes achieve their goals. It's been their mission for more than a century. It's why they don't spend money on celebrity endorsements. They spend it on research and development. It's why they don't design products to fit an image. They design them to fit. New Balance is driven to make the finest shoes for the same reason athletes lace them up: to achieve the very best.
The New Balance 573 trail running sneakers will keep you motivated, no matter the terrain.
A little short and a little wide. I should have returned them, but thought I could deal with them. I had problems with then from the start. Read morePublished 2 months ago by oldlady
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These are not great for jogging or running. At least they weren't for me. They feel heavy while I'm running. I would much rather have something lighter weight. Read morePublished 9 months ago by Whit
I have wide feet and I can always count on new balance for a small wide shoe. These have last me almost two years.Published 9 months ago by Lisa Calderon
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Anawangin Cove hides the beauty of a virgin Island . Ive been there and i have loved the view especially when were hiking .. The place has no electricity you are to bring with you your tene or sleeping bag and you can also bring sulu (a kawayan with a tin can to put gas with a piece of cloth to serves as your light(you can buy sulu at ace hardware) and you should also bring with you your utensils and cooking materials), The place is so beautiful I assure you. -someone lol
Posted on Tuesday, 17 July 2012


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Q&A with Alan Roth, MS, MBA, RRT-NPS, FAARC, CPFT, RPFT, Director of Respiratory Care
Alan Roth is a registered respiratory therapist and director of respiratory care at Memorial Medical Center in Modesto, California. He completed his undergrad at the City University of New York-Hunter College and the respiratory program at Bellevue Hospital-NYU Langone Medical Center. He has an MS and MBA in Healthcare Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford in Connecticut, and is working on completing his doctorate. Alan was last featured in NEWS-Line for Respiratory Care Professionals in October 2007.
Q: What motivated you to become a respiratory therapist?
A: After serving two tours with the Peace Corps (Philippines) in rehabilitation, I answered an ad in The New York Times about this new field and new program. It's now thirty years later, and I've loved it ever since.
Q: Can you tell us about the facility you work for, Memorial Medical Center?
A: It is a community, not-for-profit hospital with 423 beds. Memorial Medical Center is part of Sutter Health System, one of 27 hospitals in Northern California. This is very much a community-spirited and focused organization.
Q: What's it like working at Memorial Medical Center?
A: Great! Just a bunch of therapists who care about their patients and are given the time to do meaningful work.
Q: When did you start at this facility?
A: I moved from Mt. Sinai, New York to Northern California in December 2003, and began working here shortly afterward.
Q: Typically, what are your day-to-day responsibilities at Memorial Medical Center?
A: As director, I oversee all administrative and clinical aspects of the respiratory care department.
Q: What types of patients/diagnoses do you encounter most frequently?
A: We see a full gamut of ages from children to seniors. Frequent diagnoses include asthma and COPD.
Q: Can you share an interesting moment during your respiratory therapy career?
A: Working as a respiratory therapist as part of a Federal DMAT team (CA-6) in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010 was a memorable experience.
Q: Are there other areas of interest for you as a respiratory therapist, either clinically or educationally, that you plan to pursue?
A: Professionally, I'm finishing up work on two writing projects. One is the completion of my doctorate, "Ethical Issues in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies." The second is my book; I recently published another chapter in Picture of Health, "Complex Humanitarian Emergencies"
Q: What are the greatest challenges you face as a respiratory therapist?
1. Aging of the profession (1/3 are over 50);
2. Encroachment of other professions when we cannot deliver care to our patients; and
3. Patients are sicker and returning sicker.
Q: What do you like most about your job? What do you dislike most about your job?
A: What I dislike are people who are not passionate about their work and have not grown professionally since leaving school.
What I like most is making a difference in people's lives.
Q: Are you currently involved with any research projects? Are there any projects that you would like to be involved with?
A: I'm currently involved with disaster management, and I'd like to dedicate more of my time to writing my doctoral dissertation. I am also a legal consultant as a Subject Matter Expert that reviews cases.
Q: Do you feel that the role of respiratory therapists has changed over recent years?
A: Yes, the role of respiratory care has evolved. For instance, employing the use of critical thinking skills that have changed us from a task-oriented field to a problem-solving field. Embracing technology has also impacted the profession.
Q: What do you feel is of the greatest concern to respiratory therapists today?
A: Complacency, lack of professionalism, status quo, and not looking forward. The lack of professional advancement to a bachelor's degree and beyond is another big issue.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A: Getting the job done right and being patient-focused. Also, being recognized by professional organizations for my humanitarian work overseas.
Q: What is the most important thing you've learned over the course of your career?
A: As a therapist, you need to be a lifelong learner.
Q: What advice do you have for others thinking of entering respiratory therapy?
A: Do your best to be the subject matter expert that others can depend and count on in a crisis.
Q: How has working in respiratory allowed you to grow professionally?
A: Working in respiratory has opened me to many professional and personal experiences. Such moments have inspired the publication of my book chapter on complex humanitarian emergencies and the dissertation for my doctorate, which I'm still completing.
Q: If you could sum up your job in one word, what would it be and why?
A: Unlimited—you can go as far as you want if you raise your horizons.
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1. Brother's War The battle begins between Ragnar and King Horik's forces against Jarl Borg. Borg is joined by Rollo, and this Viking clash pits brother against brother. There can only be one victor. Meanwhile, Princess Aslaug makes her way to Kattegat and brings with her a…
2. Invasion Four peaceful years have since passed with Ragnar as Earl. The time has come for an unlikely alliance to band together in pursuit of a common goal - a new raid on England. A storm pushes the Viking fleet to a new destination, and on the beaches of Wessex,…
3. Treachery The Wessex Viking raid is in full swing and King Ecbert finds himself facing an entirely new kind of foe. While Ragnar races to dominate in the West, Jarl Borg has his own plans in store for the future of Kattegat.
4. Eye for an Eye A meeting between two great men may pave the way for future compromise as Ragnar and Ecbert come face to face. Jarl Borg now rules Kattegat and with an iron fist and Rollo must now become the leader his people need in Ragnar's absence.
5. Answers in Blood Lagertha and Ragnar unite once again; Aslaug must face the truth of her prophecies; Athelstan struggles to define his faith; Bjorn must once again make a choice.
6. Unforgiven King Horik returns to Kattegat with a surprising proposition for Ragnar. Lagertha runs into a less than enthusiastic homecoming from her new husband. Athelstan, struggling with his own inner demons, becomes confidant to King Ecbert.
7. Blood Eagle Ragnar and King Horik clash over how to dispense justice to Jarl Borg. In Wessex, King Aelle arrives and Ecbert has an eye on a new alliance.
8. Boneless Princess Aslaug?s latest prophecy comes to fruition as she readies to give birth once more.� Ragnar, Horik and their new ally Lagertha set sail for Wessex - Ragnar and Horik have very different ideas about the true purpose of this trip.
9. The Choice Ragnar?s Viking warriors march on to King Ecbert?s villa and are met with a surprisingly vicious welcome party along the way. After a bloody battle both sides must come to new terms.
10. The Lord's Prayer Ragnar and King Horik return to Kattegat and the final showdown between two Viking leaders is at hand. Ragnar has placed his trust in those who have stood by him and now the time has come for new alliances to be made.
Vikings Season 2 Teaser Trailer Vikings follows the adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok the greatest hero of his age. The series tells the sages of Ragnar's band of Viking brothers and his family, as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes. As well as being a fearless warrior, Ragnar…
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Not quite in line with history, but engaging nonetheless. Love the twists and subterfuge that exists throughout the episodes. Series three I hope?Published 9 days ago by P. Ollier
This is a great series - It's not Historical - but it's very entertaining. Think "Sons of Anarchy" in the 9th centuary...Published 22 days ago by email@example.com
most excellent - if you like a bit of history and some traditional Vikings blood and guts, look no further - if you don't like this kind of thing, then just don't bother - rather... Read morePublished 23 days ago by adski
Was a little skeptical about watching this, wondering how good it was going to be, but I actually love it! Can't wait for the next season. Read morePublished 26 days ago by Ssteph
This show is getting better and better. There are more battles, more scheming, more family dynamics and loyalties tested. Read morePublished 1 month ago by Mich
I enjoyed the first season immensely but I know there were a few critics who felt it lacked action, well series 2 certainly picks up the pace, you can see that it is also becoming... Read morePublished 1 month ago by Naomi_B


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'4 crore people plunge into poverty each year due to expenses on medical treatment'
Concerned over people plunging into poverty every year due to rising out-of-the-pocket medical expenses, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said there is an immediate need to bring in a national quality health care system for the poor and rich alike.
Speaking at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) 40th Annual Convocation here, the President noted: "I am shocked to note that as many as four crore people of our country plunge into poverty each year due to expenses on medical treatment. We have to remember that the health services for the poor cannot be poor health services. We need to craft a high quality national health system that is used by the poor and the rich alike. The public health system must be greatly expanded and strengthened across the nation."
The President also underlined the need for more nurses, doctors, paramedics and health workers and decentralise planning and implementation of healthcare facilities to ensure that health benefits reach one and all in the country.
The Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was present on the occasion, said AIIMS was initially conceived and founded to produce faculty, undertake research and serve as a referral institute. "But over a period of time, it has become overburdened with patient care. For this reason the Ministry has opened six new AIIMS like hospitals to strengthen the health care delivery system in the government sector," he added.
He noted that to overcome the shortage of faculty in medical colleges the ceiling on age limit has been raised from 60 to 70 years.
The Minister added that for encouraging posting of doctors in rural areas the Ministry has brought in a programme to provide additional marks to be awarded in post graduate entrance examination at the rate of 10 per cent for each year of rural service subject to a maximum of 30 per cent. "Also 50 per cent seats in post-graduate diploma courses have been reserved for medical officers in government services who have served for at least three years in remote and difficult areas," said the Minister.
Mr. Azad called upon all those receiving degrees on Tuesday to join the national effort and take the lead in extending the fruits of scientific advancements to the poorest households in the remotest regions of the country.
Giving details of the number of medical professional trained at the Institute, AIIMS director Dr. R. C. Deka said: "Today we have awarded 465 degrees and till date the Institute has produced 5,022 specialists, 1,259 super specialists, 2,596 medical graduates, 2,481 nurses and several paramedical professionals."
Keywords: AIIMS, Pranab Mukherjee, health services


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Velocity: The Seattle Area Cycling Blog
Velocity reports on the Seattle cycling scene including local cycling clubs, teams, events and personalities; and seasonal cross-training alternatives to cycling.
Posts filtered on Category
Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride
Without a doubt, cycling is "therapy" for most of us. We all recognize the health benefits of regular exercise, hanging out with other health-minded people, and the interpersonal benefits of riding with teams and clubs. For others (like Rosalyn Zylkowski) cycling provides psychological benefits that seem to be quite effective for trauma. Wounded Warrior Project's […] [Read More]
Juniors: Passing the Torch-Max O'Neal
This is the second in a four part series about several of Seattle-area's junior riders; first in the series was about Logan Owen. Max O'Neal has been riding for Herriott Sports Performance (HSP) and was selected to compete with the US National Junior Team in Europe this summer. Max just graduated from Ballard High School […] [Read More]
Juniors: Passing the Torch-Logan Owen
It's hard not to be envious of the cycling opportunities open to kids here in the Seattle area. From the Major Taylor Project to Rad Racing, we have some great ways to get kids engaged with cycling. As a former high school teacher and someone who is passionate about education and fitness, a couple things […] [Read More]
Seattle Confidentiel: The Pie Omerta
This is the time of year when Seattle's racing teams add new members and veteran racers transfer from one team to another. Most years the shuffle is not particularly newsworthy, but we are sad to learn that one of this year's transfers has shed light on a pie-eating omerta within Seattle's peloton. Not epo, not […] [Read More]
Seattle's Meet the Teams Season
Seattle's "meet the teams" season is an opportunity for folks new to racing to check out some of Seattle's bicycle teams, and determine which might the best match–both in terms of shared chemistry as well as racing ambitions. The series starts on Saturday September 7 and runs through the end of October. Each weekend one […] [Read More]
Sunday Morning w/ the "RAAMdonneurs"
I enjoyed an exceptional ride this Sunday morning with a bunch that included some of the Seattle area's most avid ultra cycling competitors. The ride was part reunion of Chris Ragsdale's RAAM 2013 crew, part re-introduction to the bike for Mick Walsh who has been laid up and recovering from a hip fracture. This morning […] [Read More]
Marymoor Remembers Jerry Shafer
More than any other athletic pursuit, cycling is inherently social. Whether you ride with a group from one coffee stop to the next, race down country roads or aggressively spin around a velodrome, the social bonds that result from the shared cycling experience are strong and unique. Within each of our cycling tribes there are […] [Read More]
Seward Park Cycling Series June 13, 2013
There were excellent conditions Thursday evening for racing bikes and action photography: Flickr set of the 5:30 event. Flickr set of the 6PM event. Video of the 6PM race: Flickr set of the 7PM event. Video of the 7PM race: Follow @cascadecyclist [Read More]
Little 150 Inaugural Edition
This summer is the inaugural year for several interesting new Seattle-area cycling events. For competitively-oriented riders, check out The Fiat of Kirkland Little 150, which is inspired by the "Little 500"–one of the most historic racing events in the US, and featured in the movie Breaking Away. The Little 500, held at Indiana University (IU) […] [Read More]
Chris Ragsdale: Race Across America 2013
There has been a Facebook meme going around the past few days, "Do Epic S&!T," intended as encouragement for Seattle's Chris Ragsdale and his Race Across America (RAAM) crew. Chris is about to embark on his rookie attempt at Race Across America 2013. Racers start at noon Tuesday June 11, 2013, and the RAAM web […] [Read More]
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text: [ Mastodon Launch New Signature Beer By Mary Ouellette November 17, 2013 | Loudwire Metal and beer go hand in hand so it comes as no surprise that more and more bands are offering up their own brews. Currently gearing up to unleash their Black Tongue beer, the latest band to craft a signature beer is Mastodon. Read More Category: Music News, News, Videos Tags: Mastodon, Music News Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


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Newport Central Catholic golfer Colin DuPont will sign with Marian University on Jan. 28 at 11 a.m. at NewCath. The senior tied for fourth in the Region 8 tournament, was selected as the Kentucky Golf Coaches Association Region 8 player of te year and tied for 42nd in the KHSAA state tournament, according to information […]
Newport Central Catholic golfer Colin DuPont to sign with Marian University Jan. 28
01/16/13 at 9:24am by Mike Dyer | Comments
Early preview of Caldwell County vs. NewCath 2A state final
11/29/12 at 10:38am by Mike Dyer | Comments
By Richard Skinner Enquirer contributor Class 2A State Championship Game Caldwell County (11-3) vs. Newport Central Catholic (10-4) WHEN/WHERE: Noon Saturday in Feix Field/Houchens Stadium at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green. STATE CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Caldwell County (2 titles) – Class 2A state champion (1963, 1998). Newport Central Catholic (4 titles, 6 runner-up finishes) – Class […]
Northern Kentucky's Top 15 boys soccer players to watch this season
08/03/12 at 2:11pm by Mike Dyer | Comments
By Richard Skinner Enquirer contributor TOP 15 PLAYERS TO WATCH Name/School/Class/Noteworthy Wheeler Blersch/Covington Catholic/Senior/Top returning scorer (11 goals, 10 assists) from 17-1-3 team Wesley Collins/Campbell County/Junior/Scored 12 of team's 33 goals in 2011 Jake Fraiture/Conner/Senior/Top defender still scored 5 goals and had 3 assists Jordan Frommeyer/Brossart/Missed most of last season due to a wrist injury […]
Northern Kentucky spring sports athletes of the year
07/02/12 at 9:12am by Mike Dyer | Comments
On Tuesday, The Kentucky Enquirer recognizes several standout student-athletes who have made a significant impact on their teams, schools and communities this past spring season. Here is an online exclusive of the athletes of the year before it prints: The Kentucky Enquirer spring athletes of the year: Baseball: Ben Maile, Covington Catholic Softball: Jenalee Ginn, […]
Newport Central Catholic baseball player Brady Hightchew commits to Shawnee State
04/16/12 at 4:11pm by Mike Dyer | Comments
Newport Central Catholic senior Brady Hightchew has committed to play baseball at Shawnee State, according to NewCath. Hightchew is hitting 3.48 with 12 runs, eight RBI and 10 stolen bases this spring, according to NewCath coach Jeff Schulkens.
NewCath offensive lineman commits to Georgetown College
02/28/12 at 2:59pm by Mike Dyer | Comments
Newport Central Catholic offensive lineman Logan Martin has committed to Georgetown College, according to NewCath. Martin, an Enquirer Northern Kentucky all-area selection, helped NewCath average 38.9 points and 395.8 yards of total offense, according to Richard Skinner.
UC coach Butch Jones to speak at That's My Boy Award dinner Feb. 28
02/03/12 at 9:46am by Mike Dyer | Comments
University of Cincinnati football coach Butch Jones is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the 45th National Football Foundation's "That's My Boy" award banquet Feb. 28 at the Westin at 7 p.m. The award is based upon the accumulation of points in football achievements, academic achievement and extracurricular and community activities. The award will […]
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text: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said that brutal killing of its troops by Pakistani soldiers on the disputed border in Kashmir could adversely impact relationship with Islamabad. Singh said the government is constantly reviewing its relationship with Pakistan. He however added that Pakistan would have to do its bit too for friendship. Three Pakistani and two Indian soldiers have been killed this month in the worst outbreak of tit-for-tat violence in Kashmir since India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire along a de facto border there nearly a decade ago.


text:
This past Friday I published this post which featured a photo of a monitor showing Katara and Aang's grown-up children, Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin. Later that night at work I saw Colin's answer to an anonymous "ask" (I can't figure out how to link or reblog it properly in my browser, so the screen shot at the top will have to suffice). It is a shame the anonymous asker drew an incorrect assumption based on one image created in relatively uncontrolled conditions, and I feel that Colin's answer hit the nail on the head.
Normally I would leave it at that. I prefer to stay out of this type of discourse on Tumblr and let the large body of work Mike and I have put out there over the years speak for itself (which obviously DOES NOT include the gross misinterpretations and misrepresentations of our work in this guy's work). There's nothing perfect about me or my work, but I am proud of it and the diverse, inclusive, atypical-for-American-TV world it portrays and the characters that populate it, and what it means to many people all over this globe.
But, like most people, I don't like seeing the spreading of misinformation, nor being falsely accused of something, nor fans of Avatar and Korra believing we have let them down regarding a very sensitive issue when they are mistaken. The claim that "none of Katara and Aang's kids share Katara's complexion" is unequivocally false. Kya's color model shares the exact same skin color as Katara's; Tenzin's skin is a touch darker and less saturated than Aang's; and Bumi's is just about in the middle of his siblings'. I made a color swatch chart above, with all the colors taken directly from the characters' normal color models. I included Korra's and her parents' skin tones on there as well, just for reference. I also compiled screen shots of all the characters with the color picker open, sampling their skin tones. You can see for yourself that Katara and her daughter Kya share the same color code: #bd916f
Depicting diverse characters is an issue that is very important to me. But as an art director, depicting a variety of lighting situations, light temperatures, colored light sources, color atmospheres, contrast levels, dynamic ranges, tinted filters, tones, styles, moods, exposure settings, diffusion levels, etc., is all very important to me too, all in an attempt to make great, inspired, sophisticated, beautiful art that reflects something of the complex world in which we live.
Real flesh and blood skin is shiny in places, matte in others, translucent, reflective, uneven, smooth in places, textured in others. It reacts to light and color in such complex ways that while most people rarely even think about it in our normal day experiences, the properties are so intricate and subtle that mastering its accurate representation eludes students of painting such as myself for years on end. On the other hand, 2D cartoon character skin is a flat field of projected or printed color. It is an abstracted, simplified representation. If one adds lighting to a 2D animated character, that whole color field of skin tone is lightened––uniformly, unless you apply a the few limited techniques at our disposal in TV animation involving gradations. If one adds lighting to real flesh and blood skin, highlights and core shadows are formed, light models surfaces and bounces onto others, colors are reflected from surrounding objects… on and on. 3D animation certainly has many more tools at its disposal to depict skin in a realistic fashion, but even that isn't a cakewalk and many attempts plummet into the uncanny valley.
As Colin made reference to, color theory is an incredibly fascinating, frustrating, and bewildering pursuit. I've been studying and trying to apply it for twenty years, and I'm still in its awe. There are so many factors to consider before trusting your own perception. For example, in the image above with the characters' heads, Kya's skin appears to my eye to be slightly lighter than Katara's, despite the fact that I know they are absolutely the same color. This is most likely due to the effect of simultaneous contrast, also known as contrast effect: in simple terms, colors are pushed lighter, darker, warmer, and cooler based on what other colors are next to them. I've taken a sample of Korra's normal skin tone and applied it to an illustration with a painted background and all of a sudden it looks green. On another background it might appear gray. Or bright orange. The average 2D animated show out there in the world has stock normal color models for its characters that they use for almost every scene (occasionally with a "night" version that is a bit darker and cooler). Typically the character models are presented in a vacuum, with no change in lighting, atmosphere, contrast, etc… no regard for any of the artistic properties mentioned above that I am trying to utilize in my animation art direction.
I'm not going to make that kind of show. Instead, I'm going to add lighting, change contrast levels, mix up the colors of light sources, try to inject some atmosphere into the world we're creating. And as a result, characters' skin tones are going to appear different depending on the context of the scene. The colors on a normal color model sheet are what's called local color in color theory. This is the color of an object in neutral, even light. But it's just a starting point, a flat color field in a vacuum. On Avatar we dialed every single color model from its normal model to match the lighting and color atmosphere of the background painting for each sequence in all sixty-one episodes. On Korra we do that too, and take it many steps further by adding lighting and atmosphere effects in the compositing stage, all in a pursuit of a dramatic, cinematic aesthetic. Sometimes it works out and I'm satisfied with the results. Sometimes the effects are too heavy-handed and even I'm saying, "His/her skin looks too light!" Unfortunately, this is a TV show production where we are frantically making dozens of episodes at once and we don't get to finesse the final composites like they are able to do in feature productions. I fix what I can in retakes and color correction, but there's only so much I can do. But I'd rather have a few fumbles in the pursuit of good art than make a flat show with no lighting or atmosphere.
And I enjoy sharing sneak peeks of the work we're making with you guys, which often means I take a snapshot on my iPhone or DSLR of a screen and post it on Tumblr. Take a look at the last compilation of images above to see how differently colors, particularly skin tones, can vary depending on their sources. This opens up another vastly complex subject of which I am a frustrated student: photography. Take color theory and multiply it by optical engineering and then by computer science and then pull all of your hair out as you try to get your meticulously processed photo to appear the same color and contrast level on a variety of digital devices and non-color-managed web browsers and non-color-calibrated monitors. Or try the simpler task of taking a picture of something on a TV screen and see how different the photo looks than the image you saw. Everything goes out the window. While you're at it, take digital pictures of the same red apple at different times of day, in different rooms, under different lights, outside in different weather. Then pull all of those photos into your computer and make color swatches of what you thought you knew to be "red." Then try painting a picture of that apple using just those sampled color swatches. You'll start to see how complex this all is.
I am all for social justice and breaking down ignorance and oppressive, hurtful social constructs, particularly when the path to that is to inform, educate, open minds, and promote empathy and equality. I am not a fan of self-righteousness in any form and I struggle to keep from drifting in that direction with my own views and convictions. The internet provides a great platform to call BS on a lot of things, and I encourage people to use it for that. But now that you have the official local color swatches of these characters' "normal" skin tones in the image above, I can assure you that using it like some Behr color chip ammunition to lambast every fanart depiction of Korra that doesn't match #a08365 is a flawed pursuit. Ask yourself if any of the things listed above in this post might be factoring into a color variation before you shoot from the hip with your judgement. And if the depiction of Korra in some fanart is without a doubt offensive to you, consider phrasing your response in a way that could help them see it your way. Art is hard! Maybe he or she is trying to get the hang of painting and working with color (skin being one of the hardest things to master). Maybe he or she is still ignorant to the worldly views that are obvious and significant to you. You could take this opportunity to turn it into what they call in parenting "a teaching moment." You could open some eyes and educate someone who might turn around and share their enlightenment with many others.
I haven't even scratched the surface of all there is to discuss on this topic in this overlong post. But I urge you to consider any number of the factors listed and described above before you jump to false conclusions, get your feelings hurt, or lash out with self-righteous condemnation based on a variable rather than a constant.
Love, Bryan
Son the m.night link
What's that emoticon for cut-eye? Does it exist? The colour-swatches are nice and all; the colour theory too. But it's still a white man talking about 'teaching moments' as if it's someone's job to be a teacher or PARENT to another person who insists on white-washing.
I personally do not appreciate the subtext of 'Look, now I've done this, don't use my words to be angry brown folk at some poor white kid and make them feel bad'. Versus the opportunity of; feel free to spread this post around to show someone the complications of shading and colour in art and how it's possible to still keep brown and the things to consider in order to do so.
He basically just handed over a key with a little tag and ribbon that says 'You can continue to claim it's a lighting issue and that you're just a beginner'
He's putting the words in the right order, using particular terminology and STILL dripping in privilege. This wasn't an 'I'm sorry it hurt you that such and such seemed lighter than they really are - I know how much fans look forward to seeing someone who looks like them'.
This was a - here let me mansplain how your misinterpretation of these complex things led to you hurting yourself and oh by the way; don't use anything I say against hurt caused you by other people in future; be nice to them. Equality will be won by kind words and submission. It's your job to teach people not to hurt you.
Anyone itching to give cookies, needs to reach around back and check their wallet is still in their back-pocket.
Consider also the sexism revealed in LOK S1, think on intersectionality and then double check your response when a white man tells you how he's not done anything as awful as the brown man over there and hey guys, I know you still love me and aren't I progressive.
Prejudice, as defined by Merriam-Webster:
- injury or damage resulting from some judgement or action of another in disregard of one's rights; especially: detriment to one's legal rights or claims.
- a (1): preconceived judgement or opinion (2): an adverse opinion or leaning forward without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge. b: an instance of such knowledge or opinion. c: an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics.
Discrimination, as defined by Merriam-Webster:
- a: the act of discriminating. b: the process by which two stimuli differing in some aspect are responded to differently.
- the quality, or power, of finely distinguishing.
- a: the act, practice, or instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually. b: prejudiced of prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment <racial discrimination>.
Racism, as defined by Merriam-Webster:
- a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capabilities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.
- racial prejudice or discrimination.
Sexism, as defined by Merriam-Webster:
- prejudice or discrimination based on sex; especially: discrimination against women.
- behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex.
Seeking Willow, do you see where I'm going with this?
Somebody named 'The White Hole' (where's the missing A?) actually replied to me with dictionary definitions of racism and sexism and prejudice.
It is not that I had forgotten there are such small people in the world; it is I had forgotten, I think, their glee in purposely resisting and ignoring the psychological and sociological definitions of a thing.
No wait, that's… not quite true. It's just been some years since I myself have received such weak responses to pain and history and intensive socio-media studies. The whitesplaining. The cocky assurance that dictionary.com can somehow restrain socio-political conversations, lived experiences, levels of higher and deeper learning they obviously have not reached yet,
The false; I shall make of this a teaching moment, vs a learning moment. Again, I'm suppose to take time out of my life to parent such as this? With what compensation? Who replenishes my spoons or my forks for dealing with this bullshit?
"Have you ever considered the dictionary definition of the colour blue? have you considered the colour blue I see may not be the colour blue you see?"
This Racism, Ethnocentric Imperialism, Dynamics of Socio-Economical-Political Inequality pre 101 bullshit. Fuck, pre Kindergarten bullshit.
Look, there's an actual Racism 101 Tumblr, ok small fry? Go get some crayons and move over there.
My point was that you are far more guilty of being sexist, racist, discriminatory, and prejudiced than Konietzko is. (Though I do admit I am not entirely certain what you're trying to say in your post due to your not-so-strong grasp on the English language.) In your first paragraph, you outright dismiss his entire message simply because he is both white, and a man (thereby fitting the criteria for all four terms at once). You also seem to think that people shouldn't try to educate others and open their minds to eliminate the kind of ignorance people have been killed over.
You then don't appreciate some subtext (I suppose because you seem to think everything in the world must please you) that doesn't even exist that suggests that the reader shouldn't fit into an "angry black person" stereotype to attack white artists. And in the same paragraph, you somehow completely miss his message that coloring and art are very complex and hard, and that people shouldn't get so worked up over it because of this, despite several paragraphs expressing those very ideas.
You then use an analogy I don't quite understand about a key and a ribbon that states "You can continue to claim it's a lighting issue and that you're just a beginner". Even though I think in this case you claim Konietzko is claiming it's just a lighting issue and telling the audience they are just beginners.
In the next paragraph, you conclude he's using words in the right order and using particular terminology (which I suppose is your incoherent way of saying he was trying to be as neutral and PC about everything as possible) and state he was dripping in "privilege", something many people on tumblr think all white people have that also allows others to hold incredibly racist views of them and never expect anyone to call them out on said views. Then you say that his message doesn't say that he's sorry people think a character in the show is lighter then he/she really is, or that he realizes how much people look forward to characters who look like them, which is completely incorrect, and you would know this if you actually read the entire post (I imagine your dismissal of white males was preventing you from doing such).
Your next paragraph is even more incoherent, blaming the Konietzko for "mansplaining", which I suppose is what you think all males do in order to be the racist, sexist pigs you only think they all are. You then exhibit your ignorance of the fact that equality can only be won through peaceful methods, since violence and hate can only be met with more violence and hate. (Have you ever heard of Martin Luther King Jr.? Ghandi, perhaps?)
Next, you accuse anyone who happens to think that the post was reasonable and well-stated is somehow being robbed.
Your last paragraph is the most incoherent of all thanks to your refusal to use the quotations marks on your, I presume, standard English QWERTY keyboard, which I also assume is still functioning reasonably well. I think you claim The Legend of Korra is sexist, which I can't dispute much since I haven't seen the show, but still know it stars a woman who is destined to become one the most powerful people on the planet, if not the most powerful. You spew the word "intersectionality" (which I had to look up and still don't fully understand; what does it mean exactly?), and then tell people to double check their responses when, while trying to show his progressive views, "a white man tells you how he's not done anything as awful as the brown man over there", even though, judging by Konietzko's original post and with my complete lack of knowledge on your skin tone and gender, Konietzko is not a racist, sexist, discriminatory, and prejudiced person like you, who thinks that equality can be achieved not through peaceful methods, but through violence and hate.
Again, I can't be 100% on this, I have a very hard time understanding just what it is you're trying to communicate with people.
As for your response to my original response, you continue to happily demonstrate the four words I talked about earlier, and claim that I am an asshole and immature. But I don't really think that's an important issue here at all, so I won't take much time to discuss it.
So I am told that the latest Arena finally addresses Hazmat's grief and that it's not that bad.
…I guess I might peek, but every clock is right twice a day! Doesn't mean it's good!
I thought you liked that.


text: Greetings one and all, It's my understanding that at the A&S Symposium as month Mistress Nessea was giving the replacement mug for Stargate's Hearld. I've spoken with her and she indicated that someone (from Stargate), she couldn't remember who, relieved her of it and said they would see it got delived. We are trying to find out who that was. If you are that person, would you please contact us off list at bandb_stargate at ev1.net. Thanks, Ihon & Isabeau ________________________________________________________________ Sent via the EV1 webmail system at mail.ev1.net


text:
For Sale: 1999 Honda Prelude
Needs Transmission Work, Runs an Drives
Ad #182191954 Posted:2014-05-02 12:50:34
This ad expired 90 days ago.
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text:
Our home is just like your home.
Just Like Home Staff
About the Top Dog
Susan Engelsman
Owner of Just Like Home Canine Bed & Breakfast Inc. has been a dog lover and owner all of her life. She has trained dogs and was a dog groomer for many years.
Officially opening in May of 2011, Susan has been hard at work making her canine bed and breakfast the best it can be for the dogs in your life.
Experience Counts
- Business Owner
- Dog Trainer for 9+ years.
- Dog Groomer
- Raised 10 puppies to completion for Can Do Canines Service Dogs, and fostered many puppies for them 'short term'.
Sue and her husband, Andy, currently have three dogs of their own - Cowboy, a mixed breed; Knight, a black german shepherd, and Janie - the newest addition - a little beagle mix. All three dogs were adopted from a local rescue group. They also are proud "parents" to Meany, the cat!
Nicole Ahner
Nicole has lived in Zimmerman for the past 20 years and is a graduate from the Minnesota School of Business. She is a certified vet tech and is the proud owner of two cats and a boxer named Nala. Nicole and her husband, Richie, have one son. Besides working part time at Just Like Home, Nicole has her own business as a Pure Romance consultant.
Ginny Hemerick
Ginny has over 20 years experience as a dog sitter, caring for other people's dogs in their home as well as in her own house. She has owned many dogs over her lifetime. She is a member of the Greater Minneapolis St. Paul Basset Hound Club and was on the board for many years. She co-owned her last basset with the breeder and has shown the champion dog many times.
Susan Lehr
Susan and her family live in Princeton, Minnesota where she spends her free time working with kids in 4-H. She helps them train their own dogs in showmanship, agility, and ralley obedience to prepare them for participation in county and state fairs. She has shown her own Great Danes in showmanship at many dog shows. Susan loves spending time with all the dogs here at Just Like Home, making sure they get all the love and attention they deserve to make them feel at "home" and insure they have a great experience while here.
Cowboy has been on "staff" since October 2011. He came to Just Like Home as a rescue dog with MARS (Midwest Animal Rescue), waiting to go into a foster home. After a month of waiting and no one stepping up to foster him, Sue and Andy adopted him. Cowboy helps all the doggy guests feel at home here. He loves to play with all the dogs, big and small, and returning dog guests are always happy to see at least one familiar face. He really enjoys his "job" and he works for 'kibble'!


text:
We're delighted to be touring Dracula again and hope to see you at a venue this autumn. Click here to find out where we will be performing.
We are delighted to announce that we have won a South Bank Sky Arts Award for Dracula. Click here to see all of this year's winners.
Evening classes in Frome
NEW TERM: Intermediate contemporary technique classes in Frome start on Tuesday 25 February. Click here for more information.
Excerpts of past productions can be seen on our video page.


text:
Last year, Starlin Castro was one of the most polarizing players on the Chicago Cubs' roster. Many Cubs fans were calling for the aggressive shortstop's head after a dismal 2013, while some took a level-headed approach and preached patience with the young-but-experienced two-time All-Star.
Castro, of course, suffered through the worst season of his career, posting an alarming .245/.284/.347 triple slash and never really seemed to be focused, or have his "head in the game" as he went through the season-long slump. In the first full year of his seven-year extension signed in the middle of 2012, it was not what Cubs fans needed to see in one of the rebuild`s building blocks.
This year has been an entirely different story, as Castro has hit .283 with a strikeout rate falling to just 13.2 percent, a major improvement over an 18.3 percent mark last season. While Castro has gone through a mini-slump in the month of May hitting just .174, the Cubs have seen a new Castro at the plate (or rather the old), working himself into hitters' counts and driving pitches to all fields –regardless of the count.
Castro's glovework has even seen an improvement as he owns a UZR, which values how many runs a players saves or costs a team, of 0.1 (league average is zero) and that should certainly be considered progress after posting a costing the Cubs about 3.3 runs last season, according to Fangraphs.
With Castro seemingly on his way back to his All-Star levels or pre-2013, it is fair to ask how will the Cubs now handle the glut of talented infield prospects? Many called for Castro to be dealt last season, but now with him performing to expectations, how will the Cubs field Javier Baez, Castro, Arismendy Alcantara, Kris Bryant and even Christian Villanueva at the same time? That's not necessarily an easy answer.
The easiest answer could be to simply solve the surplus on the trade block. It could potentially make sense to deal from a surplus with a player like Alcantara or Villanueva to fetch an organizational need – top young pitching. The Cubs' future infield appears to consist of untouchables in Baez, Bryant, Castro and Rizzo, while Mike Olt could also factor into future plans.
This leaves very little room for the 22-year-old Alcantara, who is considered a top 100 prospect by Baseball Prospectus at number 83 entering 2014, and possesses very solid upside. If the Cubs truly want Alcantara to stick, their best bet might be to expose him to the outfield this summer in Iowa, and possibly develop him into a super-utility, Ben Zobrist type.
If not, if Alcantara is indeed squeezed out of the picture thanks to Baez, Bryant and Castro, he could find himself somewhere else. Alcantara packaged with Dan Vogelbach, another very nice hitter with a questionable future in the Cubs organization, could reel in talented, young pitching the organization desperately needs to compete a couple years down the road.
This all should be considered unlikely until the Cubs truly start to feel the pressure, but it's something that will need to be discussed at some point this summer.
The best course of action? In my opinion, just let performance dictate what happens. Let the prospects duke it out in the minors to see who sticks and who should be considered a major future asset. Baez is obviously struggling in Triple-A at .169/.250/.313 and Alcantara isn't exactly displaying great patience with a .276/.295/.474 line and just four walks in 30 games, so there is definitely time to sit back and see what happens.
It's way too early to consider dealing Alcantara or even Vogelbach, and legitimate considerations to do something about the "surplus" likely won't be made until after this season, but the progress made at Triple-A from Baez and Alcantara is going to be something heavily analyzed this summer as the Cubs attempt to identify future building blocks. Any way you look at it, a surplus is always a very good problem to have.
Tags: Chicago Cubs Starlin Castro