How do I practice Sound Design?

Question: I'm relatively new to sound design and audio for film but am extremely interested. Lately I've been downloading commercials, video game trailers  and movie trailers and just trying to recreate the audio and fill in with my own creations I think are appropriate. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions or techniques/skills you could share with me to help me get started. How can I practice to get better? Or what did you do to get to where you are now?

Wow guys. Thanks alot for the answers. I got many more responses than I imagined I would get. This website has been VERY helpful. I definitely plan on reading all of those books and following everyone's advice really...
Thanks again. Great bunch of folks here.
JM
Answer: Call me old fashioned but I believe it starts with some heavy reading. There are a few very interesting books on the subject........ Then you can approach your sonic work with a sense of direction and understanding. Making mistakes pays off better that way?
Answer: Practicing and learning by oneself is important, but it'd be a shame to leave it all to you. There's a hundred years of cinema in books and you want to read some of them. I'll cite some of the ones that I know of and if you have a passion for it then you won't mind reading and re-reading them :)

Film Sound (Elisabeth Weis)
Sound for Picture: Film Sound through the 90's (Tom Kenny)
Sound Design: the Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in Cinema (David Sonnenschein)
Audio Postproduction for Film and Video (Jay Rose)
Practical Art of Motion Picture Sound (David Yewdall)

This is only a sample! (I tried to link every book to a page but it's not working, can't really work out why... I'll leave the linking to you Iain! :) )
Answer: Good advice so far. I'd add:
1) Find a film school and volunteer your services to up and coming filmmakers. Their films may not be as cool or interesting to design as the latest Hollywood Blockbuster or video game trailer, but you'll be working on something that will go out in the world with your name on it (yes this can be a bad thing too). You'll learn a ton about dialog editing as you clean up their horrible production sound, a lot about what type of effects cut nicely over said bad production sound, and you'll hone your mixing chops. Plus that filmmaker might (I stress might) end up being the next Coen brother/whatever director you admire. I learned a ton by doing this repeatedly...it was painful at times but worth it. Besides, great sound designers must learn how to collaborate.
2) Field record. Most (if not all) sound designers I admire have worked over the years building a custom library of both interesting and mundane recordings. Build your library and a unique voice, and practice effects cutting/manipulation by mastering your recordings.
3) Train your ears. Listen closely to the mixes you admire. Ask yourself: How are things panned? How are dynamics used? How does the sound design work with the music? How does the soundtrack help the storytelling?
Answer: From what I've learnt so far:
1) imitate
2) assimilate
3) innovate
Spend some years in the first step.
Answer: My advice would be to go out there, tout your services and get as much experience as possible. I can only speak from personal experience but I learned a hell of a lot from working on short films for free when I started out. A few years of that earned me a nice CV and the opportunity for bigger and well paid projects.
You could also see if any post sound facilities need any runners or assistants and learn that way. This would be preferable as there are lots of tricks and things to learn about sound than can be explained here or even working on your own.
In the meantime you have the right idea re-doing sound. Perhaps you can use that as a showreel to get work as a showcase of your skills.
Good luck
Ian
Answer: I think you took a step in the right direction with replacing audio and creating your own sound design for film or game trailers. In fact, I did the same thing for a video game that I'll be posting for feedback here shortly.   Ultimately, you learn by doing and getting feedback from people you trust when possible.

How do I practice Sound Design?


Canon 550EX and 600EX-RT compatiblity?

Question: How can I trigger a 550EX while using two 600EX-RT's? Is there a way to set it so that the 550EX will just see the flash pop and trigger itself?
Answer: This article from Canon seems to indicate that the 550EX uses the same optical wireless sync as the 600EX-RT when operating in optical mode rather than radio mode.  You should be able to set the 550EX and one of your 600EX-RTs as optical slaves and control them using the other 600EX-RT as an optical master.  (Alternately, you could theoretically use the 550EX as a master, but it might lack some of the feature support for the 600s.
Answer: Canon EX series flashes don't have an option to be triggered as a slave based on generic light from another flash (that isn't encoded as a 'master' signal).
If your body has a PC terminal, you can use a wireless trigger attached to the PC terminal to fire the 550EX using manual power control from the flash's own control panel.
Answer: The 550EX only speaks the optical wireless protocol, not the RT radio one, so if you used the optical wireless eTTL Canon system, you could play with all three lights.
If you want radio, however, since Canon doesn't make RT add-on units, you'd have to get a set of radio triggers for all three flashes.
You could also get a Sonia green-base optical trigger, and as along as the 600EX-RTs were in radio mode and not pre-flashing, that would work to set it off. The only problem is that the 550EX, iirc, does not have a sync port to attach the slave to, so you'd either have to mod the 550EX, or add a hotshoe to sync port adapter.
Answer: Why Not just set the 600EX-RT as Master using OPTICAL and setting your 550EX of camera (or anywhere in optical range) as SLAVE.  The 600EX-RT should trigger the 550ex.

Canon 550EX and 600EX-RT compatiblity?


403 Forbidden on Sub-Folders

Question: I decided to do a LAMP install to start getting more familiar with it (as our company is moving more towards nix these days). Everything went great and PHPMyAdmin, MySQL, Apache/PHP all seem to be running fine.
The test .php files I uploaded to the /var/www/html directory worked fine, but after extracting a tarball with a folder inside of it to that directory, I receive a 403 Forbidden error when attempting to access it.
I have tried...

Setting SELinux to permissive mode
CHMOD directory to 777 for testing. It fixes the 403 error but all the php files in it are just white pages
Setting a  in the Apache configuration

The httpd error_log reports (before I set it to permissive)...
SELinux policy enabled; httpd running as context unconfined_u:system_r:httpd_t:s0
suEXEC mechanism enabled (wrapper: /usr/sbin/suexec)

Answer: You can try to run:

restorecon -r /var/www/html
Answer: It is possible that you have a .htaccess file inside that archive, which causes that error.
If it's default configuration, then you should have more information in error log about 403.

403 Forbidden on Sub-Folders


Facebook scenario 5 on the Removal of offline_access permission page

Question: I have a general Facebook development question. I'm trying to understand how scenario 5 on Facebooks Removal of offline_access page is supposed to work and what that token can be used for.
A little bit about my app. I allow my apps users to schedule/post Facebook posts from a third party system I integrate with. We then pull the likes and comments and feed it back into that system. Right now we are set up to get the 60 day long lived token and that works great but we have to impose a time limit on scheduling. It's not the end of the world but if we can do better we want to explore that option.
Thus we were told about "Scenario 5" which I've posted and linked to below. My questions are:

What does it mean by a page that the user administers?
What are the pros/cons of this method?
Similar to #2 what can this method do or not do that the 60 day access token can't/can do?
Any tips or hurdles to watch out for when implementing this?

Scenario 5: Page Access Tokens
When a user grants an app the manage_pages permission, the app is able to obtain page access tokens for pages that the user administers by querying the [User ID]/accounts Graph API endpoint. With the migration enabled, when using a short-lived user access token to query this endpoint, the page access tokens obtained are short-lived as well.
Exchange the short-lived user access token for a long-lived access token using the endpoint and steps explained earlier. By using a long-lived user access token, querying the [User ID]/accounts endpoint will now provide page access tokens that do not expire for pages that a user manages. This will also apply when querying with a non-expiring user access token obtained through the deprecated offline_access permission.
http://developers.facebook.com/roadmap/offline-access-removal/
Answer: This is referring to the Page access tokens which are used by your app to administer a Facebook Page on behalf of an admin of that page.
These tokens can only access the page itself, or publicly accessible content, you can't use a page access token as a replacement for a user access token.


If menstruation has ended before sunrise in Ramadan is it accepted to fast, if one had eaten before the ghusl?

Question: If my menstruation has ended before sunrise and I had taken shower ghusl, but before that I had eaten on time for sahur is it accepted as fast?
Answer: The point is if the menstruation ended before dawn (this means before the fajr adhan) then there's a consensus that you must fast, even if you didn't perform the ghusl before the dawn! So you must specify what you exactly mean by sunrise, because sunrise is usually a time after dawn.
If the menstruation (truly) ended in the day (after dawn) of Ramadan then

most scholars (Imam Malik, Imam Ash-Shafi'i and Imam Ahmad in one of his statements) say that any body who was allowed to eat at the beginning of the day shouldn't fast according to a narration (not a hadith!) from ibn Masu'd (may Allah be pleased with him) saying

" من أكل أول النهار فليأكل آخره  who ate at the beginning of the day (this means after dawn) have to eat at the end of the day (this means sunset)"

As an Answer for the Question saying: "A man who did suhur thinking it is night and found out that dawn has already past".
By the way they also take the Verse 187 from surat al-Baqara (2) as a reference which states when one has the end and beginning times of fast!
As an example of practice a Tabi'i called abu Sha'ta' أبو الشعثاء  came from a journey back home in Ramadan while his wife just made ghusl from menstruation and they had a physical relationship as narrated by Jabir ibn Yazyd جابر بن يزيد.

Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Ahamd in his 2nd statement (and also the imams at-Thawry and al Awza'y) say they must fast the rest of the day and repeat the day (qada'). Here they assume that the person concerned knows that he/she will move from a person who is allowed not to fast (because of some conditions, menstruation, travel for instance) to a person who legally has to fast during day time, but this qiyas is considered to be kind of weak!

(See also this Fatwa and here س 2: in Arabic or here)
So if your menstruation has ended before the dawn and you fasted then your fast is accepted (and correct) and it was obligatory for you no matter if you performed the ghusl before dawn or later.
Answer: It is not permitted for menstruating woman to fast. Because fasting starts from dawn, and that your menstruation was still there at that time, your fast will not be accepted. You should make up for that fast.
Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (4/397):

The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is not permissible for
  women who are menstruating or bleeding following childbirth to fast,
  and that they should not fast in Ramadaan but should make up missed
  fasts. If they do fast, their fast is not accepted. 'Aa'ishah said:
  "We used to menstruate at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace
  and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and we were commanded to make up
  the fasts, but we were not commanded to make up the prayers." Agreed
  upon.  The one who commanded them thus was the Prophet (peace and
  blessings of Allaah be upon him). Abu Sa'eed said: The Prophet (peace
  and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Is it not the case that
  when one of you menstruates, she does not pray or fast? That is what
  is meant by lacking in religious commitment." Narrated by al-Bukhaari.
Answer: asalamoalikum wrwb
according to hanafi fiqh if you were in the end of menstruation during ramadan and in night you were sure that next morning your menses would end before fajr and you made an intention of fast in night and when in morning u observed no blood then ur fast is valid if u had taken bath before zawal time jazakillah wallahualam warasuluhu


Why are the answers even though of good quality and accepted still getting no votes?

Question: I have a huge concern here.People do accept the answers and Mark it correct and still they forget to Vote .Any thoughts guys on this?There are lot of answers that have been ticked but no vote given.
Answer: I think many people coming from Salesforce background don't have a background with Stack Exchange in general. There is likely a lot of learning going on, not just about Salesforce, here, but also in use and etiquette around SE.
I'll be honest: prior to SFSE, even though having heard about Stack Exchange, I had not used it before.
Answer: As an EXTREMELY new user (to both SF and SE) I thought I would chime in here to give y'all my newbie perspective.
Up until this point I have spent the entire 25 years of my development career completely points-free. Also I think the last time I earned a 'badge' was in Brownies when I was about 8 years old. But I think I understand the intent with the points and badges.
While I have completely read the FAQ and now have re-read the portion about 'reputation' specifically had NO IDEA that voting for someone like me was important until I saw this thread this morning.
I guess thinking about this because it will likely be years before I am qualified to answer a question (the only thing I think I might need points for) I might as well give away the few points I have earned... if they are important to someone then no sense letting them go to waste sitting with me. I am here to pick the brains of the experts in order to reduce the amount of time I spend banging my head against the wall.
I think someone should really look at enhancing the FAQ to make it more clear that voting is important. When I read what is there I don't come away thinking that my voting matters.
Comment: Good Answer!  You can definitely answer questions right away, though.  A good way to learn is to take a question that interests you and figure out an answer for it, experimenting in a Developer Org, reading documentation, etc.  Also, you can help make the faq better here: [What should our faq contain?](http://meta.salesforce.stackexchange.com/questions/90/what-should-our-faq-contain)
Answer: I suspect that the questioner doesn't remember or, more likely, doesn't understand upvoting.
If you see that on one of your questions you can add a comment to explain how SFSE works well with the community voting and ask the questioner to upvote your answer.
If it is someone else's answer and you agree that it is correct then I suggest that you upvote it, and still leave a comment.
Other users may not always agree with an answer that is checked and it is up to them to decide if they want to vote for it.  There may be another answer that is better, or they may not agree that it is correct.
I personally believe in upvoting the question that I think is correct, regardless of how awesome or simple it is, so that it is clearer which question is correct.
Comment: I think there's a big of "the answer is already accepted so there's no need to up-vote it" going on. Good answers should always be upvoted! I regularly upvote on S.O. things which were accepted a few years ago.
Comment: Awesome thoughts and cant expect better answer than this .
Answer: Lead by example, I am of the opinion that the more I vote, hopefully the more it will encourage others.


Can I use Godox V860ii C on Sony a6500?

Question: I am using Sony a6500 but I have Godox V860 ii C and Godox X1T C trigger. Can I use this flash and trigger on my Sony camera for high-speed sync? Will it work? If yes, how to do it?
Comment: What is the shape of the pattern of contacts on your camera's hot shoe?  How about the contacts on the bottom of your trigger's hot foot? How can ypu expect them to work seamlessly when the connectors do not match?
Comment: @mattdm, I don't disagree with your edits here, but be aware that [Robert Hall is calling tail syncing "hi-sync"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxDFSDgZmnQ), so it may be that "high sync" in this case isn't about HSS. I'd say you're most likely correct, tho.
Answer: If you need TTL/HSS, then whatever goes on the hotshoe of the camera has to have a matching flash foot that has all the contacts required for electronic communication. So, the V860II-C or the X1T-C will not work with full function on the Sony multi-interface hotshoe of the α6500. Only the -S versions will. With the -C versions, you will get triggering, and probably M power control if the X1T is placed into single-pin mode (Fn 01 = on). But HSS, if you meant high-speed sync, and not tail-syncing (aka hi-sync, hypersync, supersync, overclock sync, etc.) is probably not going to work.
You can, however, use the V860II-C as an off-camera TTL/HSS/remote power control radio slave to an X1T-S (or, better yet an XPro-S or R2 Pro II-S), so long as its firmware is at v1.4 or later. (See also: How do I tell if my Godox trigger or flash needs a firmware update?)
Answer: related: Are any of the common third-party flash systems with radio-trigger capability inofficially multi-platform?
TL;DR: You might need to update the firmware in the V860II, and purchase an additional and correct trigger.
Answer: Full compatibility
To use all the flash modes and features, your a6500 will require the X1T-S version of the trigger. In the same vein, the V860II-C cannot fully work when directly mounted on the Sony a6500 hot-shoe. You will need the V860II-S version for that.
In case you want to be fully compatible at low cost, the V8600II-C will work seamlessly with a X1T-S trigger on your a6500 (ttl, hss and all).
Working with your current gear
The only mode that will work with your current gear is the "single contact mode".
You will need to set the Godox X1T-C to single contact mode (Fn1=on, see the X1T-C user manual page 38) and pair it with V860II-C in manual mode. Set the Sony a6500 to fill flash (see online manual here).
Flash power can then be adjusted manually on the X1T-C (or on the V860II-C for that matter). Of course, you won't have any automatic feature working. But at least, it will flash.

Can I use Godox V860ii C on Sony a6500?


Late to the DAO Withdraw Game

Question: So I'm super late withdrawing the DAO and depositing it in my Ethereum Wallet. I tried to withdraw my DAO on one occasion. I created a DOA Watch Contract and a DAO Withdraw Contract. Nothing happened. I had no confirmations on my execution contract and nothing was deposited in my account. Should I have more Ether in my wallet to propel the withdraw? Total novice here. Any advice would be appreciated. Cheers!
Comment: Is DOA a typo of DAO?
Answer: You only need about 0.1 ETH in your wallet to properly withdraw.
Here's the guides for all the refunds:

How do I convert my The DAO tokens into ethers using the withdrawal contract after the hard fork?
How do I get a refund for the amount I paid in excess of 1 ether to 100 The DAO tokens
How do I get a refund for my The DAO tokens that was split into a child DAO?
How do I convert my The DAO tokens into ethers on the Ethereum Classic chain?
How to conditionally send ethers to another account post-hard-fork to protect yourself from replay attacks

Late to the DAO Withdraw Game


Are specific brain facts about specific people considered on topic?

Question: I saw this question come up today and I don't know if this is the kind of question we want to encourage here. It's motivation is trivia, rather than learning or knowledge sharing. Is there be a policy on this sort of question? What do other sites do about this?
Comment: I understand your concern, but I do not feel we get this sort of questions very often, so a 'default' way of dealing with them might not be needed.
Answer: No, there is no policy unique to this kind of question, if I understand what kind of question you're trying to use this as an example of. (There is a meta-question about neurobiology questions though: Are questions about neurobiology on or off topic? the question were off-topic for some clear reason that at least five people (or one moderator) would endorse, it could be put on hold for a custom reason, but I don't see any reason to consider this off-topic.
I don't think "trivia" is a motive, much less one that is distinct from "learning or knowledge sharing", nor do I see a need for concern about users' motives when they are not particularly disruptive. If you feel the question is not useful, you may wish to downvote. Of course its clarity and specificity deserves as much scrutiny as any other question, so those are options for flagging/voting to close too, but I don't see any need in this case, personally.
Answer: My thought is that it's loosely related to the question of whether being a genius is related to brain volume. In that sense, it is a bit relevant to this site. That said, I don't think the brain volume of Albert Einstein is especially relevant to this debate.


How were elements and molecular formulæ determined in the old days?

Question: Before modern chemical techniques, say in the 19th century and earlier, how did (al)chemists determine whether a substance was an element or a compound? If it was a compound, how did they determine its molecular formula and structure?
Comment: "...how did (al)chemists determine whether a substance was an element or a compound?" - It wasn't always foolproof. [Chlorine was once thought to be a compound](http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/107223), and [lime (calcium oxide) was once thought to be an element](http://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/ea/lavprefann.html).
Comment: This should be a community wiki, because there is no single correct answer. It won't let me do it because I'm new to the chemistry stack exchange, but anyone else is welcome to.
Answer: First thing, they couldn't tell elements and compounds apart. See Dalton's list of elements with their symbols.

Lime is right there--and it's not actually an element. Neither is Baryte(s). Soda and Potash probably refer to the oxides of Sodium and potassium, though terminology may have been different back then.

In those days, elements were things that could not be synthesized by addition reactions. If you have a reaction $\ce{A + B ->C}$, then $\ce{C}$ is a compound (can't say much about the other two). Alternatively, if the substance can be decomposed (via anaerobic heating/etc), then it's a compound.
Most probably they would stuff things into the list "innocent until proven guilty" (I don't know about this).

Molecular mass can be determined by osmotic pressure, ebullioscopy, Cryoscopy, etc. (Usually stuff delendant on colligative properties)
Determination of molecular formula is much harder.
For organic compounds, it can be done by burning in a controlled environment. The ratios of oxides produced lets us know the relative quantities of all elements but oxygen. The quantity of oxygen can be determined by finding the decrease in Oxygen content of the chamber, and subtracting it from the Oxygen content of the oxides. The molecular formula can be found if you use the emperical formula and determine molecular mass.
For inorganic compounds, they probably had various tests for ions/etc (like the silver nitrate test for halides). They also had flame tests (and the borax bead test), which could help identify certain ions. I'm not too sure here, though.
Comment: I once read through a book of chemical identification techniques from the 50s, it was quite interesting. Yes, there were a lot of precipitate tests, and a lot of branching series of experiments to nail down the exact identity.
Comment: @Canageek: some schools still use precipitation methods to test the skills of their undergraduates.
Comment: I've done a couple of those, but this was mostly spot tests you could do on less them a miligram of compound, all really easy to perform as well.
Answer: One very useful characterization tool would've been the sodium fusion test.

It is a general test for the detection of halogens, nitrogen and
  sulfur in an organic compound. These elements are covalently bonded
  to the organic compounds. In order to detect them, these have to be
  converted into their ionic forms. This is done by fusing the organic
  compound with sodium metal. The ionic compounds formed during the
  fusion are extracted in aqueous solution and can be detected by simple
  chemical tests. The extract is called sodium fusion extract or
  Lassaigne's extract.
When an organic compound is heated strongly with sodium, any halogens,
  nitrogen, and sulfur will be converted into inorganic sodium salts
  such as sodium halide (for halides), sodium cyanide (for nitrogen),
  sodium sulfide (for sulfur), and sodium thiocyanate (for sulfur and
  nitrogen).The nitrogen is confirmed with ferrous sulfate i.e. iron
  sulfate.

An example procedure for halogens: Melt a small pellet of sodium (first strip the oil off with hexanes) in a test tube using a Bunsen burner. When it gets red hot, remove from heat, add a small amount of sample (1 to 2 drops if liquid), allow it to react for a bit and then place back on flame for a few seconds. When adding the sample, I would make sure that the test tube is contained in another piece of glassware, should it break. After allowing the sample to cool, quench it with a few mL of water and then neutralize the mixture using dilute nitric acid. If there is sulfur or nitrogen present you should boil this solution for a minute. Now, add silver nitrate and you should get out a nice precipitate that varies slightly in colour depending on the halogen in question. There are milder procedures but this is the only one I've had experience with.


Reactions of alkynes with sodium/ammonia vs sodium amide

Question: What happens when alkynes react with sodium in ammonia ($\ce{Na/NH3}$), or when they react with sodium amide ($\ce{NaNH2}$)?
Are these two sets of conditions different?
Answer: Sodium in ammonia ($\ce{Na/NH3}$) and sodium amide ($\ce{NaNH2}$) are very different sets of conditions, despite superficially looking similar!

Sodium metal itself, $\ce{Na}$, is a one-electron reducing agent – it is oxidised to $\ce{Na+}$ in the process. When it reduces neutral hydrocarbons, negatively charged species are formed, which pick up a proton from the ammonia solvent. Overall, $\mathbf{Na/NH_3}$ is a way of reducing some organic compounds (including alkynes).
Internal alkynes $\ce{R-C#C-R}$ can be reduced to trans-alkenes using $\ce{Na/NH3}$. Specifically, solvated electrons are created which add to the triple bond as shown. Ammonia acts as a proton source to protonate the carbanions formed. The vinyl anion intermediate 4 can interconvert between a cis and trans geometry, and the trans geometry is preferred as this minimises steric repulsion between $\ce{R^1}$ and $\ce{R^2}$. When this anion is protonated, the trans-alkene is formed. This is a nice synthetic procedure for the preparation of trans-alkenes, complementary to Lindlar hydrogenation which produces cis-alkenes from alkynes.

On the other hand, in sodium amide $\ce{NaNH2}$, sodium is already in the +1 oxidation state and is no longer a reducing agent. However, the amide ion $\ce{NH2-}$ is a very strong base (the $\mathrm pK_\mathrm a$ of ammonia, $\ce{NH3}$, is 38). So $\mathbf{NaNH_2}$ is a way of deprotonating some organic compounds (including terminal alkynes).
The proton attached to the terminal carbon in a terminal alkyne is acidic enough ($\mathrm pK_\mathrm a \sim 25$) to react with sodium amide, forming the corresponding carbanion 7. Such carbanions are good nucleophiles and can be used in many synthetic procedures involving nucleophiles, such as addition to a carbonyl compound, as illustrated here.
Answer: In the first case hydrogenation occurs(anti addition) whereas in the second case, acid base neutralization occurs. So they aren't identical.
According to Wikipedia,

$$\ce{2 Na + 2 NH3 -> 2 NaNH2 + H2}$$

This shouldn't occur "usually" in reactions, unless it is specified at very low temperature.
However, using FeCl3 as a catalyst one can produce sodamide and hydrogen from sodium metal and ammonia in appreciable amounts.


Local TFS souce control and Microsoft hosted TFS

Question: Is it possible to host our own TFS server that works in conjunction with Microsoft's hosted TFS service? Asked another way: Can we have some sort of edge server at our location running our source control reposisotry that acts as a local cache to the source control running in Microsoft's TFS environment? The goal is to allow for us to commit code changes, initiate builds, etc all locally but still have the source code stored up in Microsoft's environment as the master controller? We currently host our own build server but when Microsoft's TFS service goes down or is running slowly we're unable to pull the latest code and run builds.
Answer: You want TFS Proxy. It's a proxy for source control files. It had been around for a while and was originally designed to save bandwidth at a remote site, but it will do just what you describe with the service. It comes with on premises TFS. Here is the page that describes how to set it up on MSDN:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee248710.aspx
This page is geared toward a remote installation to save bandwidth, but just consider your local pc the remote site and the TFS service as "headquarters."
Good luck!


Where in the midrash does it state that David told Yisrael that not everyone will be Torah scholars?

Question: I read a reference to this in Eim Habanim Semeichah, ch. 3,לג (though later editions give R' Yonatan Eybeschutz's Ahavat Yonatan here as the source; indeed same phraseology), but there's no source given.
I've also heard it from a sichah but he doesn't know which one.
I understand that part of the chevlei mashiach is the withering of the quill, that Torah scholars will diminish, but I'm looking for the specific source that Rav Teichtal was referring to, namely that David told Yisrael not everyone will be Torah scholars.
Comment: Can you clarify who David and Yisrael are? (Last names would help, to start.) (I assume you're not referring to the biblical personalities: their lifetimes didn't overlap.)
Comment: Your comprehension of what Rav Teichtal wrote is incorrect. He does not write that David HaMelech is quoted in Midrash. He writes that David HaMelech states a support that both observant Jews and non-observant Jews form a symbiotic relationship that is beneficial or detrimental for them both. He points to Shmuel 1 for this. Rav Teichtal then says Midrash declares that many Jews at the time of Moshiach and the redemption will not be religiously observant. That is what the footnote states had been unknown to his son at publication. His son didn't know what Midrash his father referred to.
Comment: That Midrash is mentioned in my answer. The second portion of the Midrash quoted, which is also quoted by Rabbi Yehonatan Eibschitz in his commentary to the haftorah for parshat Terumah in Ahavat Yehonatan, actually originates in Pirkei Heichalot Rabbati, chapter 33:5 which is by Rabbi Yehoshuah HaKohen Gadol from the time of Rabbi Akiva like is found in Midrashei HaGeniza Batei Midrashot by Wertheimer.
Comment: @YaacovDeane I think OP's comprehension is correct. After quoting David's ominous verse (in Samuel), R. Teichtal explicitly writes "ומפורש **דבישר** להם וכו׳" - "...he told them". David is the "he". The quoted midrash interpreted what David intended to foretell and not "declaring" on their own.
Comment: Can you also clarify in which "sichah", and by whom, you heard it from? (FTR, cf. [Sanhedrin 97a](https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.97a.1?with=all⟨=bi))
Answer: This is brought in Sefer Avkat Rochel by Rabbi Makir ben Yitzchok, sefer rishon in the first sign beginning with the words from Hoshea 3:4:

כִּ֣י ׀ יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים יֵֽשְׁבוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֥ין מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ וְאֵ֣ין שָׂ֔ר וְאֵ֥ין זֶ֖בַח וְאֵ֣ין מַצֵּבָ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין אֵפ֖וֹד וּתְרָפִֽים׃

It then goes on to explain that there will be no Roshei Yeshivot or Gaon Yisroel (Gaonim) or faithful leaders or chassidim or kabbalists (Baalei HaShem) at that time.
This first sign was addressing the beginning of the second world war and the rise of the Axis powers.
It should be noted that it doesn't mean literally there would be none of these individuals, but that they would not be effective (as they traditionally had been in each generation up until then) in protecting the generation from harm, like for example Mordechai and Esther.
This is one of the primary reasons why the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneerson emphasized that the suffering that took place during the Holocaust was categorically different from anything that had occurred previously.
This Midrash is also found in Beit HaMidrash, Cheder Sheini, page 58, by Aharon Yellinek. It also can be found in volume two of Machzor Vitry.
Comment: -1: I don't see anything in this answer about a David telling a Yisrael anything, which is what the question asks about.
Comment: @msh210 Please see my comments to the OP and what they write in their question.
Answer: מָצָאתִי. בְּנוֹהֵג שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, אֶלֶף נִכְנָסִים לְמִקְרָא, אֵין יוֹצְאִים מֵהֶם לְהַצְלִיחַ שֶׁרְאוּיִם לְמִשְׁנָה אֶלָּא מֵאָה, וְאוֹתָם מֵאָה שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לְמִשְׁנָה, אֵין יוֹצְאִים מֵהֶם לִגְמָרָא אֶלָּא עֲשָׂרָה, וְאוֹתָן עֲשָׂרָה שֶׁנִּכְנָסִין לִגְמָרָא, אֵין מַצְלִיחַ מֵהֶם אֶלָּא אֶחָד לְהוֹרָאָה, הֲרֵי אֶחָד מֵאֶלֶף:
I have found. It is customary in the world, [that out of] a thousand who enter [a school] to [learn] Scripture, emerge from them— successful and capable of [the study of] Mishnah— only one hundred. And of those hundred who enter [to study] Mishnah, only ten of them emerge for [the study of] Gemara, and of those ten who enter to [study] Gemara, only one emerges who is capable of rendering decisions [pertaining to religious matters], the result being one out of a thousand.
https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Ecclesiastes.7.28.2
Rashi is qouting Koheles Rabba 7:28


protools 10 clip gain line and volume issue

Question: What is the real difference between editing the the clip gain line and the volume line in protools 10
Answer: The difference between clip gain and volume automation is basically INPUT volume and OUTPUT volume. Clip gain is the input volume. This data is read and taken into account before insert effects, sends, volume automation, eft. Here are two examples : if you crank up the clip gain you could potentially clip your audio. If it Wasn't clipping while you were recording, it might be now that u cranked the clip gain. You don't have this effect with volume Automation because volume automation is post Fader.
The 2nd example is : say You have a compressor on a track, and you have all the settings where you want them. 3 to 1 ratio and you're getting 2 DB of again reduction. If you raise the clip gain you are raising the input to that compressor. This means that it might throw off your settings. For example you may now be getting four or five Db of compression. However if you adjust your volume automation or volume, you are adjusting the volume after the compressor. Therefore you do not mess with how the compressor is working.
Answer: Clip gain affects only that clip. The volume automation affects the actual track in the sections you change. They are both similar means to a similar end, but I've been finding if I have a track with many clips, clip gain ends up being a faster way to adjust volumes. If you need different volumes for two or more sections of the same clip, separate the clip, do a crossfade and adjust the clip gains.


Lubuntu won't boot on my laptop

Question: Recently I tried to boot lubuntu on my laptop, but it just stopped after I clicked the install opiton. I later tried to boot win xp, and it worked. What could be the problem?
Answer: You don't give much information on your computer at all, also were you booting from CD/DVD or USB FLash ?
If it was a disc then make sure the .iso file was downloaded properly and if using the torrent download force a re-check...  Also burn the .iso to disc at the slowest possible speed...
If using a USB Flash Drive, try unetbootin instead of Startup Disc Creator to make your stick bootable...

Lubuntu won't boot on my laptop


How does the fact that the output of a quantum circuit cannot be efficiently simulated classically help for optimisation?

Question: This question refers principally to the article where for a low-depth circuit QAOA, the output cannot be efficiently simulated classically. I am wondering how this kind of quantum supremacy matters for optimization. Any insights would be interesting here.
Answer: In the article you mentioned it is said that classical algorithms can beat some cases of (quantum ) QAOA's as is proved in this article. So finding cases where quantum QAOA can still beat classical algorithms and can run on NISQ devices with low depth circuits is still exciting and promissing.
The article uses plausible conjectures from complexity theory to show that there are choices of γ, β and cost function C for which the output of a quantum computer running the (p = 1) QAOA could not be mimicked with a classical device.
Quantum supremacy is not necessary for optimization problems but can it make more worthwhile. In a recent paper it is shown that you really can find quantum speedup using a few hundreds of qubits.
In the mean time you can try solving optimization problems with Qiskit or pyQuil with some max-cut examples on my github.


How can I get Kies to detect my Galaxy S GT-i9000 on Windows 7?

Question: When I connect my phone to my Windows 7 PC the Kies application opens and displays "Connecting", but it does not connect. Why? How can I fix it?
Comment: Just check if your debugging mode is on by default or if the phone is data storage mode, just A suggestion
Answer: This answer doesn't seem to apply if you have a Galaxy S running the official Froyo, and the latest Kies as they seem to have fixed many of these issues now, this is mainly for if you're running an older phone OS or Kies version.
For prior versions of Kies and the Galaxy S (I don't know which upgrade is the one that fixes it) there were quite a few problems Kies had seeing phones.
Some of these problems were driver problems, you can generally fix these by using the reinstall drivers option in the Kies menu at the top-left of the Kies screen.
Kies had problems connecting properly to phones that had files on them with long file extensions (I think the problem was  if they were 16 characters or longer, but I couldn't be sure).
To get round this problem, firstly if you have an SD card in your phone, unmount, eject and remove it for the moment, this saves a lot of messing around with the contents of that card, you can plug it back in after you've done everything you need to in Kies.
Next attach your phone to your PC in Mass Storage mode, and have a hunt round on the internal SD card and internal memory for groups of files with long names and long file extensions (one particular culprit is often the pictures' thumbnails cache which sits under Android\Data\com.cooliris.media on the internal memory; you can safely delete everything in that folder, it'll get automatically regenerated next time its needed). Once you've done this, disconnect from the PC, run the My Files app, and go in and re-delete that folder if it has regenerated (if you haven't got My Files you should be able to find it in the Samsung Apps listing, if not you can use something like Astro File Manager).
Finally make sure you are actually connecting to the PC in Kies mode. depending how your phone's set you may get a list appear on the phone's screen when you plug it into your PC asking what mode to connect in, make sure you select Kies mode. If you're not seeing that menu and its automatically connecting in one mode or another, then you can go into your settings and re-enable that menu. On a Froyo Galaxy S (it was somewhere slightly different on Eclair but I can't remember where) go into Settings -> Wireless and Network -> USB Settings, and select "Ask on connection".
Of course this all depends what you want to use Kies for, if you want to backup files from the phone, look up contacts, send/manage text messages, etc then it might be worth trying out the Kies Air app that Samsung released into the Samsung store recently, this runs a website on your phone that you can connect to from a PC using your web browser over the wifi connection, this smooths out almost all of the connection problems and is actually quite a nice, handy piece of software.
Comment: Regarding connecting to PC in Kies mode, Make sure USB debugging is off otherwise it won't work. You can do that in Settings -> Applications -> Development -> USB debugging.
Comment: Samsung galaxy s GT I9000 is comes with 2.1. for upgrade there must be connectivity with PC/Laptop, other wise how to do upgrade ?
Comment: @Jeevan True, I had to go through the updating drivers, ejecting the SD card, deleting images cache, that I describe above when I upgraded my I9000 to Froyo.
Answer: I had a similar problem and found that the phone was complaining that the connection with Kies is only possible in standby mode. It seems that some badly programmed apps can prevent the phone from entering standy mode, so I deinstalled any apps I suspected and suddenly Kies did find my phone.
Comment: Did you work out which app(s) was the one causing the problem?
Comment: @GAThrawn Unfortunately no, I was too impatient to try deinstalling them one after one, I just deinstalled most of my applications in one go.
Comment: :) thats why i asked this question because a lot of people just try random think with galasy and finally they see connectivity. But this should not happen, why samsung don't have right reason ??
Answer: You could try Kies Mini, it may work better although it may not have the features you want.  Or make sure Kies is updated, you can check for updates right from the program.
Comment: i have update it. still not detecting.
Answer: I had the same problem until I noticed that previously installed PALM synchronization software used the same communication port. Uninstalling the PALM software solved my problem.
EDIT - This question was asked again in which I answered (again) but this time a bit more thorough. I have copy/pasted my from that question here because my answer to the other (closed) question is unlikely to be read. Maybe it helps someone.
I had the same exact problem that my KIES program did not recognize my Samsung Galaxy S. An exact PC, also running Windows 7 Pro didn't had that problem. E.g. the exact version of KIES on this exact PC would recognize my phone without any problems.
I spend a fairly amount of time investigating this.
In my case the problem was that on my PC I had previously installed the PALM synchronization software to sync my Palm with my PC.
This synchronization software of PALM use a communication port (Comm 4) in a software way. I am no communication expert so I don't know why, but it does.
Somehow this blocked the KIES software on my PC from detecting my phone. As soon as I had uninstalled the PALM synchronization software, KIES detected my phone all right .
Please look at other communcation / synchro programs on your pc.
This may or may not be the problem in your case, every PC is different, who knows what is blocking your phone on you case.
We can only strive to answer question in our own experience in the hope that one of the suggested solutions also applies to your case.
Answer: KIES is known to cause problems, especially if you're on 64-bit Win 7. If you are, your best bet is to load up a Virtual Machine and run 32-bit Win XP on it and then running KIES on it.
If you're trying to update your phone, try using ODIN instead to install the requisite ROMs.
Just to digress a bit... KIES is to Samsung phones, what iTunes is to Apple devices. 'Nuff said.
Comment: i have tried all thing in both Windows 7 and Xp, both have same behavior.
Answer: update to latest version of kies
check if it works
plug in phone in data/media mode
search on phone for "."  This will bring up a list of all the files on the drive.  Look for anything that has an extension of more than 16 charactors.  these will need to be deleted. WARNING - check that they are not needed by doing a google search.  If not found then they are not needed.
unplug and plug back in in keis mode.
goto device manager in windows.  This will show where there are any driver problems.  If there are any ones with issues(they have a yellow triangle beside them) right click and update drivers.  Unplug and repeat until there are no issues
In my case I had problems with USB controller -Samsung android USB composite device, and then Modems - Samsung android USB modem.
unplug, restart keis and plug back in
keis should now work
Answer: Had a problem of the phone not being able to sync with outlook through Kies. My PC detected the phone but I was not able to sync. Outlook would start flash a brief message and close.
Here's how I solved it step wise.

I first unmounted the internal storage
Shut down the phone
Removed the external SD card
Started the phone.
Downloaded an update from MS (Windows Search 4.0 for Windows XP (KB940157))
Plugged my phone into a USB port on the back of the PC.
Started Kies and was able to sync.
Unplugged, shut down, inserted the external SD, restarted and reconnected successfully.

Thoughts

I tried connecting through the front USB ports but Kies hung
I tried through the back port and it was successful.
I read in some forums that the phone was sensitive to voltage and that may be true.
Outlook needs to be upgraded for Kies to work.
I'm not so sure about the unmounting of SD trick but who knows. Anyway Kies works and that's all I ask.
Answer: It is a fairly common problem with Galaxy S.
Try one of the solutions offered in this thread.
Comment: I have tried all the thing mention on thread but still not working. There is no error related to driver but when i connect it to pc it charge mobile and screen continuously start blinking.
Answer: I have discovered after a lot of experimenting that not all supposedly compatible USB to micro-usb cables will work with the Galaxy S.
Even though your PC may make the connecting sounds and KIES will say connecting, the connection is never completed.
The Samsung original lead (Marked U2 APCBU10BBE KD1ZC08TS E) works every time for me. However of two unbranded leads one (the longer one) works perfectly whilst the shorter one seems only to work to supply power.
As USB is a four wire system +ve, -D, +D and ground I suspect that some of these cheap cables are possibly only wired to supply power or have the +D and -D lines transposed.
So I'd say it's worth ensuring you're using the genuine Samsung cable as a first check.


How can I memorize complex hindu slokas?

Question: I recently got profound interest in learning Hindu slokas. But I am having very hard time memorizing them. How can I do this. The slokas I am trying are AdityaHridayam, Suryashtakam, BhagavadGita, Govinda Namalu, Hanuman Chalisa.
Comment: First know the meter used in stotra... then find method of chanting of that meter... then it becomes easy....
Comment: the human mind learns something physically through only two methods - either by physical motion or by speaking. To memorize you must repeat a sloka many times on a daily basis. How often you repeat determines how quickly you learn. Read out loud 4 lines 25 times, 2-3 times a day. You will find that in a few days you can repeat it without reading. Go on to the next 4 lines. You will soon learn your own pace for memorization. The more you repeat daily the more quickly you can memorize.
Comment: Just hear them multiple times. I memorized Hanuman Chalisa within one month
Comment: @Anurag I think it's related because OP has a problem with verses found in Hindu scripture. He has no problem memorizing English sayings (for example).
Comment: How is this question related to Hinduism.
Answer: listening the shlokas with audio source is also very effective method to memorize shlokas (if possible). We tend to quickly grasp or  memorize what  we hear and our mind repeats it, keeps it in memory. By this method we also get familiar with the pace and exact pronunciation of words, shlokas.
As we all are familiar with our experience related to songs, we tend to memorize and repeat the songs we listen. The same rule also applied to shlokas. Also combining  the methods stated above by all , Its more simpler to do the thing.
Comment: Good advice for remembering sloka
Answer: If you really wanted to memorize Hindu shlokas then you must follow habit daily basis according to my opinion.
Here, I want to share my personal experience. I have memorized Adhyay 12 and 15 in shrimad Bhagavat Geeta in 2 months. What I did for achieving this?
I woke up Early in the morning.
I have just read the first 10 shlokas of Adhyay-12 with my father. He Knows correct pronunciation of every shlokas.
This process goes on continue 15 days and I couldn't believe that I have memorized 10 shlokas of Adhyay-12.
Finally, This way I have memorized whole these two Adhyay And still I don't forget both.
One most important thing is that you should not lose the consistency of every day of your reading shlokas.
Personal benefits for me:
I have little stammering in my childhood. After doing memorize and mesmerize of shlokas, It was completely out of my mouth.
My memory power becomes more strong.
Answer: In addition of the all answers,

Should memorize you have to clear your mind/soul & physically
The time is very very important to memorize between (5 AM to 6 AM)
Don't carry a lot of Slokas/Mantras in overnight.

Split Mantras by Week days

Monday ... (God Sivan)
Tuesday ....(God Murugan) .... like etc all the days continue by this method.
Answer: If you really want to remember shlokas of Sanskrit language of Hindu holy books, then first of all you have to learn Sanskrit deeply.(It is required for all of us Hindus, because we are nearer to miss our valuable ideas that our Vedas and Upanishads provided to us.) And then, start with a small book of Sanskrit shlokas, say "Shikshapatri" by Bhagwan Swaminarayan which is a very small book containing all Hindu ideas and niyams(rules that must be followed by each Human being to have a peaceful and a happy life). One important thing to note is that clearly read a translation given below the shlokas to understand the meaning of the Sanskrit words. And then go to some big books containing many shlokas in Sanskrit, say Shrimad Bhagwad Gita, a small part of Shrimad Bhagwad Purana. You will definitely see your improvement in Sanskrit shlokas remembrance and understanding.
Answer: You don't have to know any meaning of any words. You don't have to learn any Sanskrit. Feel the devotion and recite. The more you put in your mind with understanding, the ego grows and thoughts multiply. The aim of this path is to be free from thoughts and not accumulate more. I have learned many mantras without knowing what any of it means, but only my love and deep feeling of devotion. More than your understanding, your feelings have to be there. Recite each line multiple times until you can repeat without reading.
All the best to you!
God's Grace.
Comment: You should cite sources (for one doesn't have to know meaning, etc.)
Comment: @Shashwat We insist on citing sources in oder to maintain quality. It has nothing to do whether answer is right or wrong. Visit [Why we insist on source requirement](https://hinduism.meta.stackexchange.com/q/786/277).
Comment: @Pandya Isn't there a story about a famous sage? The sage was walking when he saw a man crying at the Bhagavad Gita. When the sage enquired why is he crying, people told that man is illiterate. When the sage asked the man directly, the man said his Guru told him to read Bhagavad Gita, and seeing the picture of God he was happy and crying. Then the sage said that the man is reading it correctly. If I remember correctly, the sage was Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. I think if this story is true, then the answer is also true.
Comment: @Pandya but is the story true? I remember reading it somewhere but do no remember if it is correct or not. Do you know?


What are the reasons for Barry's downfall?

Question: In the 1975 Stanley Kubrick film Barry Lyndon, the main character Redmond Barry ascends the social ladder to transform himself from a countryside farmer to a member of the aristocracy. During his search for a title to secure Lady Lyndon's wealth, in case she passes away, Redmond begins to experience a series of unfortunate events that ultimately result in him falling back to his original place in society - yet much older in age and lesser in strength. What actions had caused his own downfall?
Comment: Its been a long time since I've seen this film, but if I remember the plot correctly it was basically karma that led to his downfall.
Comment: Quite correct, with the caveat that "karma" here reflects popular understanding of the term, as in consequences brought on by negative action in a single lifetime.  Traditionally, karmic consequences are expressed in future lifetimes, per the concept of reincarnation.
Answer: Pride is probably the major one. Also lack of character that is expressed in his vices and petty cruelty.  Cruelty, especially to the little Lord Bullingdon in the form of physical abuse, and to Bullingdon's mother though open infidelity, is what really takes him down in the end.  When Bullingdon, a great lord, eventually comes into his inheritance, he forces the now powerless Barry into banishment.
The cruelty to Bullingdon is also what causes Barry to be "banished" from the polite society of the high aristocracy, per the scene at Lady Lyndon's birthday party. Bullingdon uses the party to publicly call Barry out, which leads Barry to publicly beat Bullingdon. This specific act makes Barry a social pariah.
Mercy, at the wrong moment, is also a factor. Barry's decision not to shoot Bullingdon in the duel, even though he has the upper hand, leads to Barry being shot in the leg by Bullingdon. When Barry is convalescing from the injury, Bullingdon seizes control of his estate.
Act II Plot summary from Wikipedia has all the details.


Crossing the Lao/Thai border at Ban Than - no border office?

Question: My brother and I are biking from Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai  just realized our bike route takes us through a border crossing with no immigration office. Is this a problem? I know we can do 15 days visa exemption but does this still require crossing through an immigration office?
Comment: Could you clarify the name of the border? Google fails to find any mentions of a "Ban Than" border crossing.
Comment: Ban Than is quite some distance from the border. Going from Luang Prabang through Ban Than and further to Chiang Mai, it would make sense to cross the border at the Bang Pangmon - Wat Huak crossing, but there you will of course find an immigration office. Can you please clarify your question? As asked, it does not really make sense.
Comment: I don't understand the close votes here. This is a very common type of question I've asked myself here several times.
Comment: It would be great if you could add a map or map link so we can see exactly which route you're on. There's a good chance it's a border crossing only Thais and Laos are allowed to use. I tried to cross from Cambodia to Vietnam at such a crossing a few months ago. And was turned back. There's also a chance we're overlooking something.
Comment: Thanks guys. My question seems to have been fully significant. I was having a hard time loading the map to see the small border towns. However, I did find a more recent account: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/route-planning/ban-huak-phayao-thai-laos-76269 That said, this was just before the most recent coup I'm may 27th 2014. So who knows if that border crossing was closed again.
Answer: If this is the border crossing I'm looking at on Google Maps right now, it looks like it does indeed have an office. The town on the Lao side is Ban Pangmong while on the Thai side is Ban Huak on Route 1093. No visible signs in English would seem to suggest a negative but notice the photo is from January 2013:

Link to Google Maps

But I finally found a recent-ish thread on a site for motorcyclists in Asia from February 2012. The earlier post states that indeed only locals (Laos and Thais) can cross here, seemingly only open twice per month for a local market. A post ater in the thread from February 2015 seems to suggest nothing has changed but doesn't actually say whether the person has check recently. Compare this with Sebrand's answer. The update here may well be an assumption.
Answer: You can ONLY enter Thailand at an international border crossing.
If you cross anywhere else you will be in Thailand illegally.  When you try to depart you will likely be arrested, charged and deported, not the kind of thing you wanted noted in your passport.
The fact that you qualify for a 15 day visa waiver entry does not allow you to bypass entry formalities, Immigration still has to grant you permission to enter and stamp that entry in your passport.
And because at least one of the people involved in the recent Bangkok bombing crossed the border illegally, Thai Immigration and border control is currently much stricter than before with enforcement.
I would change your route and head for an open international border crossing such as Huay Xai - Chiang Khong or Muang Ngeun - Huay Kon.
Answer: Thanks guys. My question seems to have been fully significant. I was having a hard time loading the map to see the small border towns. However, I did find this more recent account from 15 May 2014:

The new Ban Huak / Phayao Border crossing (19.679285, 100.430435) - opened in 2013 as a trade border only; is now open to foreigners.
  I could find no information regarding foreigners crossing this border online so I took a chance on my ride to Chiang Rai which paid off and crossed from Laos to Thailand this week.
  It is a much more direct route from Luang Prabang, Laos than the Chiang Khong Friendship bridge and was a quick and easy crossing with not much traffic.
  I crossed on a big bike with Carnet de passage and obtained my Thai visa on arrival. Visa on arrival facility is also available on the Laos side.

That said, this was just before the most recent coup I'm may 27th 2014. So who knows if that border crossing was closed again.
Comment: The post at the link does clearly say that it was open to foreigners with visa on arrival in both directions a year and a bit ago. So this does provide an answer, only if you follow the link though. But yeah the more recent post I found makes it seem that it's no longer open to foreigners. So perhaps neither is conclusive.


Do updates to page layouts reflect on current pages?

Question: I am working on a 2010 Publishing site.  We have a bunch of pages tha are based off of a layout that controls news stories.  We have made the change in the layout which is just adding some additional text and font color to a page content field.  However, pages that were created off this layout previously, are not being updated.  New pages created off layout are fine. I was under impression this was the luxury of layouts that pages I built off a layout that is changed will also update.  Not just new pages.  Can someone clarify for me?
Answer: Pages based on the page layout should get updated when you change the page layout.
A couple of reasons why this might not work are:
1) You are trying to change the page layout in the SharePoint root directory (e.g. by deploying a solution package) but the layout has been customized in SharePoint Designer. In this case changing the page layout on the file system will have no effect. You will need to revert the page layout to the template in SharePoint Designer or through the UI.
2) The page is being cached, and so the changes are not being seen. For example if you have page output caching it may take a while to see the effects, depending on the cache settings. You can do an iisreset to make sure (assuming you are not on a production server). It could also be cached in the browser or on a proxy server.
Answer: Your changes to the layout page will have to be published and approved if you have approvals turned on. This also holds for any CSS files that you might have changed.
Answer: What I've observed is that the Pages that have been published will not reflect changes to 'Page layout' after the page was published.
Sometimes, editing the inheriting pages in SPD will break their connection with the Page Layout. As a result, they will stop reflecting changes in page layout.
Hope this helps.
Answer: Try going to your page that was not updated and re-select your page layout. This should force it to update.
I'm having the same issue here and the only solution I found was it. Still wondering now how i'm going to do it in the other thousands of page which uses this page-layout (updating via powershell did not worked, only worked by manually doing it)


Can moderators know the identity of (non-serial) mass downvoters?

Question: This recent question received an inexplicable downvote from some user who apparently downvoted every other question that was asked at around the same time. Can moderators find out exactly who this person is and bring him/her to task? I know that there are similar questions on meta to the one that I am asking here, but this is not an instance in which a certain individual is being targeted, but rather the community at large.
Comment: That would require database access, which non-SE-staff site mods don't have. In my experience (as both a mod and normal user), speculation about votes is usually way off the mark.
Comment: To stress a point that might be lost: In my understanding moderators have no tools to detect this **because** there is no need for moderator action.
Comment: Somewhat related: [Is it considered serial voting even if the votes are not directed towards the same user?](http://meta.math.stackexchange.com/questions/19582/is-it-considered-serial-voting-even-if-the-votes-are-not-directed-towards-the-sa)
Answer: Nope. The tools moderators have are not precise enough to determine who voted on which posts (let alone at which times). Or even how many votes were given within short time-frames. We're only given tools to help identify targeted voting (targeted, that is, towards individual users). Even here precise details are not given to us, and we're given more aggregate information.
Community Managers, on the other hand, should be able to determine this. There is a contact us link at the bottom of every page. I don't think I heard of a mass-but-not-targeted-voting complaint being raised before, and IMHO it is questionable what, if anything, they would do about it.1

1 In fact there was an event in, IIRC, Dec 2013 where a user began to suddenly downvote arbitrary posts of generally high-reputation users. The moderators knew who it was after certain thresholds were passed, and the SE team was undeniably aware of the situation as well. In the end the account was deleted, but having been a high volume voter — before this unfortunate turn of events — all these downvotes were retained.
Comment: @BillDubuque why do you think epimorphic thinks  "those votes were cast by a single user." No such claim is made by epimorphic.
Comment: @BillDubuque Well, yes, but epimorphic is not OP. // Added after your edit; I see. Errors happen. I am glad we could clarify this.
Comment: I checked the reputation pages of the askers of 14 consecutive questions, and they were all downvoted between 14:48 and 14:52. That's pretty unusual, I think, especially since many of them aren't of the type that tend to be downvoted.
Comment: @epimorphic Why do you think that those votes were cast by a single user?
Comment: @quid  Read the question. The OP wrote "some user who apparently downvoted every other question  that was asked at around the same time... who this person is". The comment was meant for the OP but I couldn't change it after 5 mins.
Comment: @epimorphic: Unusual is generally not enough to warrant action. In my dealings with the CMs I feel that they are generally quite hesitant to invalidate votes unless there is quite clear evidence of wrong-doing. While it is unlikely that someone would have a poor opinion on a number of consecutive questions asked on the site, it is also possible, and absent anything else I personally doubt that the SE team would intervene.


If metals want to "lose" electrons, then why will copper ions take electrons from a zinc electrode?

Question: According to my book, metals want to "lose" electrons to achieve noble gas configuration. But at the same time, copper ions in a galvanic element are going to gain electrons from a zinc electrode. Why is it so? Is it because one of them HAS to gain/lose electrons, and zinc wins out in terms of achieving noble gas configuration?
Answer: Typically, when one uses terms such as "likes to lose" or "likes to gain", we should think of that phrase as "likes to lose relative to...".  In your case, when we think about electron configurations, it might be more helpful to think "metals like to lose rather than gain electrons to achieve a noble-gas-like configuration".  When comparing two metals, both of which tend to lose electrons, we need to look at different concepts to answer the question.
We can explain the transfer of electrons by looking at the the metal activity series such as the one shown here.  The way one reads this table is that a Galvanic cell created with two metals will have the metal higher on the list as its anode (where oxidation occurs) and the other metal will be the cathode.  Thus, we would expect Zn to be oxidized to Zn(II) and Cu(II) to be reduced to Cu.  These tables are based on standard reduction potentials:
$$\ce{Cu^{2+} + 2 e^- -> Cu(s)}\ \tag{E = 0.34 V}$$
$$\ce{Zn^{2+} + 2 e^- -> Zn(s)}\ \tag{E = -0.76  V}$$
By flipping the 2nd reaction (thus changing the sign of E) one obtains a cell potential of about 1.1 V; a positive number meaning that this reaction will happen spontaneously:
$$\ce{Cu^{2+} + Zn(s) -> Cu(s) + Zn^{2+}}\tag{E = 1.1V}$$
The standard reduction potentials tell us that the electrons would rather be on copper than on zinc.
Answer: Reactive systems seek lowest free energy equilibrium.  In aqueous solution, Zn + Cu(II) is higher in energy than Zn(II) + Cu(O) re the electromotive series.
This can be manipulated.  In hard Lewis base water, soft Lewis acid Cu(I) is unstable to disproportionation to give hard Lewis acid Cu(II) and Cu(0).  In soft Lewis base acetonitrile, Cu(II) and Cu(0) are unstable to conproportionation to Cu(I).  That last is quite a reaction.  Anhydrous CuCl2 and copper powder (slight excess) are refluxed with stirring in MeCN. The solution turns a terrible opaque inhomogeneous khaki color, then flashes colorless and transparent.
It would be interesting to try it with Fe(II) and Fe(O).
Answer: Metals want to lose electrons because the process requires very less energy. Some metals require more energy than others, e.g. consider Cu and Zn. Zn will require lesser amount of energy to lose electrons than Cu. This is easily seen by the greater Oxidation potential values of Zinc.
When a metal electrode is dipped in an electrolyte containing its own ion, then it may lose or gain electrons depending on whether it has a negative or a positive oxidation potential, again involving energy $(W=qV)$. Thus, Zn having a negative potential loses electrons and Cu having a positive potential gains electrons. Thus, a connected Zn and Cu system will allow passage of electrons from Zn to Cu.


Lower bounds of laplace transform of characteristic functions

Question: I have the following integral:
\begin{equation}
f(\mu) = \int_0^\infty e^{-\mu t}\varphi_X(t)dt
\end{equation}
where $\varphi_X(t)$ is the characteristic function of some undetermined probability distribution and $\mu$ is some complex variable with strictly positive real part $\mu_r>0$.
It is easy enough to prove that this function is bounded above, $|f(\mu)| \le \frac{1}{\mu_r}$.
However, numerics suggest that for 'nice' distributions (symmetric, and non-increasing on $[0,\infty)$), the integral is bounded below by $|f(\mu_r)|\le|f(\mu)|$.
So my questions are:

1) Are there established results on finding lower bounds of the Laplace transform of a characteristic function. (My trawling of google scholar and the like haven't produced anything. It seems like such an elementary problem that surely someone has considered it before.)
2) If not what general techniques are used to look for lower bounds on integrals such as this?

Background:
The integral comes from investigating how non-identical frequency distribution of linear oscillators a particular collective behavior problem. It turns out that the solutions of these problems can be described in terms of the solutions \begin{equation}
f(\mu) = \mathbb{E}\left(\frac{1}{\mu - \mathrm{i} X}\right)
\end{equation}
where is $X$ set of frequencies. If we consider the real part only, we can relate this to the convolution of a Cauchy distribution (with median $\mu_i$ and spread $\mu_r$) with the distribution of frequencies. Treating it as a convolution allows us to use Fourier transforms to reformulate the integral as above, which seemed to me a easier (or at least seemingly more natural) problem.
This has occurred before in such problems and has been treated asymptotically for strictly real $\mu$ [1] and commented on for complex $\mu$ (appendix [2]). Due to the parameter regions we are interested in (around $\Re{\mu} =1$) the approximations made previously no longer hold.
Many Thanks, Pete.
References:
[1] - RE. Mirollo, SH Strogatz. Amplitude Death in Limit Cycle Oscillators. http://www.springerlink.com/index/ln051rp502550471.pdf
[2] - PC. Matthews, RE. Mirollo, SH Strogatz. Dynamics of a large system of coupled nonlinear oscillators. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/016727899190129W
Comment: [Watson's lemma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watson's_lemma) may give you some insight.
Comment: The link to Mirollo & Strogatz's paper at `springerlink.com` is broken, but it can be found at [doi:10.1007/BF01013676](https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01013676).
Answer: One could start from the formula
$$
f(\mu)=\mathbb E\left(\frac1{\mu-\mathrm iX}\right).
$$
If $\mu=\mu_r+\mathrm i\nu$, this is also
$$
f(\mu)=\mathbb E\left(\frac{\mu_r+\mathrm i(X-\nu)}{\mu_r^2+(\nu-X)^2}\right).
$$
Comment: Actually Did, that is where the question is derived from.
Comment: Actually you could have mentioned it in the question.


What is role-playing, and where do I start?

Question: I have been told that roleplaying is great fun. I've looked and looked and it all seems so complicated. Could anyone tell me a good place to start, and what sort of things you end up doing in roleplaying?
Answer: Welcome to roleplaying!  I know it can be daunting; there are literally thousands of RPGs on the market as well as out of print ones that people still play.
What is roleplaying?
Many a roleplaying game has a "What is roleplaying?" section in the front, and they all have different takes on it, but the most common summary is that it's a formalized version of the kids' game of "cops and robbers."  Though trying to generalize how role-playing games work is kinda like trying to generalize how board games work (there are many exceptions to every statement you could make), most commonly you create a "character" that represents someone in the fictional world - a wizard or cowboy or space trucker or whatnot.  Their attributes - what they look like, how strong and fast and smart they are - is written down on a "character sheet."  You are part of a group of other players who also have characters, this is usually referred to as a "party."  There is a Game Master who doesn't usually play a character of their own, instead they depict the whole world and all the people in it who aren't player-controlled characters (NPCs - non-player characters).
The game has rules, and usually dice, which are used to determine if you succeed or fail at difficult tasks.  If you are Legolas trying to shoot an orc with your bow, you would roll a die and consult your character's skill and the result would determine if you hit him or not, for example.
As a player,  you run a character (like in World of Warcraft or the like) and go about on adventures of whatever type is appropriate to the game's genre.  So in this way, using both game rules and the participant's imagination, you can all participate in an exciting story.
Some games don't use dice, don't have a game master, don't have you play one specific character you identify with, etc., but mostly they do.
Game Genres
What kind of story?  Well, that's one reason why there's 1000 RPGs on the market.  There's everything from stock fantasy (Dungeons & Dragons) to stock science fiction (Traveller) to games that are specifically licensed properties from TV shows or movies (Serenity, Dresden Files, Ghostbusters) to really unusual concepts, like Mormon cowboys keeping the peace (Dogs in the Vineyard).  For any genre - superheroes, pulp, horror - there are many games on the market.
Game Complexity
Some RPGs are quite complex and require loads of rules and multiple books to play.  Some people like this approach, and it can be more like miniatures gaming or complex wargaming.  Some games are very small and have extremely light rules and focus more on the story and imagination aspect, and verge towards being collaborative storytelling games.
Recommendations
The most played game is Dungeons & Dragons, in its various incarnations.  Because you need a group to play (though you can play online, and there are games tuned towards just two people - some are even for one person, though these are more just choose-your-own-adventure books)  it can help to choose a popular game.  D&D, especially in its modern incarnations, definitely is one of those multi-book complicated rules heavy games, though, so it can be an intimidating starting point.  They usually have a starter set with simplified rules that you might consider using to kick the tires on the concept.
Though if you are willing to start a group of your own, maybe just by corralling a couple friends to play, you really can choose whatever game you want.  Then, a less rules-intensive game might be a good choice.  Pick a genre you like and there's probably a good starter game in there - ICONS for super-heroes, for example.  Or Call of Cthulhu for horror.  A game that has a good amount of published adventures a GM can run for their players is a good place to start because creating your own adventures can be hard when you're just getting started, and it'll help you get the feel for how others do it.  There are gaming stores in most major cities (often comboed with comics or board game stores) and you can go browse at your leisure.
Find Other Roleplayers
In the end, the best way to get started is to find someone who roleplays already -  you probably have a friend that does and you don't know it.  See Where can I find other RPG players? on how to find other gamers.  You can try it out with them and learn more and see if you like it.
Next Steps
As a more in-depth primer to pick up where this leaves off, there is an excellent pair of short PDFs called How to Play Roleplaying Games and How to Run Roleplaying Games. They provide a very nice "what does it actually look like and how do I make it happen?" primer for new players and new game masters.
It's a fun hobby, many of us have been doing it for 20+ years.  Check it out, it can be a blast!
Answer: What is Roleplaying?
It's a form of "let's pretend." Think back to your childhood. Odds are you played cops-n-robbers, or cowboys and indians, or rebels and stormtroopers, or some other such pick sides and pretend shootout. The big problem always was "Who hit whom?"
Roleplaying games (RPGs) generally use dice and rules to replace the old arguing about who got hit. Further, since they evolved from miniatures games, they tend to avoid the whole running about bit, and instead players describe their characters' actions, maybe roll a few dice in some cases, and from this tell a story.
Getting Started
Three avenues present themselves for getting started: join an extant group, get a game and launch a group on one's own, or play solo adventures until you get an idea of mechanics.
First, and probably easiest, is to find an existing group, and try it out with them. The advantages are that they'll know the game and the way play should happen, but the drawback is that they're already playing something.
Second is to launch a game yourself. You get the book(s), you get the group together, and you give it a go. This is not an impossible task, but it's not the easiest route. Some games are much better than others for this, having better advice, and simpler and clearer means of creating characters. Since there are now many good games available legally for free download in PDF, it need not even be expensive.
Third is to start with solo modules. This teaches the rules mechanics for combat, and the kinds of things one can have characters do, but it lacks the multiplayer aspects, and the freedom to go off-script.
Which ever way you go, realize the following truths:

If everyone's having fun and some form of story emerges, you're doing it right.
Game rules are not hard and fast rules.

many groups ignore some of the rules a lot of the time.
many groups will change certain rules for a variety of reasons
it's ok to start with just some of the rules and add the rest in as you need them.

there are different styles of play

there are those for whom it's improvisational radio-play, with brief interruptions for rules
there are those for whom it's a miniatures game with permission to go beyond the scope of the rules
most range over some area between those two

What you'll be doing As a Player:
Sitting around, talking about what the characters are doing, rolling dice to determine the success or failure of the character you control at the actions you have them attempt. You might be moving a miniature figure, cardboard token, or other representation of your character on a battlemap. You might be speaking in character, interacting with others.
What you'll be doing As a Gamemaster:
As a Gamemaster (GM), also called Storyteller, Referee, Narrator, Storyguide, or Dungeon Master in various games.... Just like a player, but also: you control everything which isn't a player character, you adjudicate the rules, and you narrate the results of actions. Often, the GM picks the ruleset.
The GM sometimes prepares a story ahead of time, making room for player actions to affect it, but more often, prepares an environment which the characters will explore. This is sually done by making a map, and labeling what's there, and then encouraging the players to have their characters go there, but not showing them the map. But even when the story is pre-written, the GM has to be willing to let players go "off-script", because no matter how well prepared, there's always some option the GM never thought of.
The GM has only two real restrictions: they don't control the player's characters, and need to be fair. The players need to have that sense of being in control of a character. And the GM needs to not play favorites, because when they do, the fun suffers for the others, often including the favored player.
What your characters will be doing
This depends a lot on both the game chosen and the rules in use.
In Traveller, I've run games where the characters were active duty space marines, others where they were mercenaries, others where they were space-merchant crews (Firefly is very similar), and a few where they were agents of the government, solving problems. I've even run a few where they were just out-of-work retirees looking for excitement.
In Tunnels and Trolls, I've had wandering duelists (Think Inigo from the Princess Bride), having misadventures looking for the big bad guy, in order to kill him. I've had local farm boys deciding to go kill the evil monsters that have cut their village off. I've had the classic dungeon explorer trope, as well.
In Star Wars, I've had rebels of all stripes, including an Ewok Jedi, and a Galamway Salesman, to name a few.
In Pendragon, I've had players play knights, druids, priests, and lords in Arthur's Brittain, and warriors and lords in Beowulf's Scandinavia.
In 7th Sea, Crimson Cutlass and Pirates of the Spanish Main, swashbuklers, pirates, and priests all have their places, and characters can range from hard-core killers to do-gooder officers of the crown, and all points in between.
In Vampire, the players are playing vampires: the hunt, the avoiding letting mortals catch on, and the infernal politics of the damned...
It's a matter of matching rules, setting, and players.
Answer: I would recommend Epidiah Ravachol's nano game "What is a roleplaying game?".
It is a small but complete game that fits on a business card and can be freely downloaded as PDF.
It explains the basics of what roleplaying is (to him, obviously). You can try it without preparation, dice or anything similar. It will take about 20 minutes to play.
You will be able to explore and comprehend the detailed mechanics and whatnot of full, big roleplaying games by yourself, after trying this.
PS: I did a German translation of this game and it is also available in French.
Comment: That's a pretty cool little RPG.
Answer: Before you spend money, find out if it looks like fun to you.  Your best bet, before you invest in rule books, is to find a group and watch them play a session.  Or a couple groups at least.  Your local game shop can often help you find a group and many of them have accomodations to let groups play at the shop so you can watch a group there.
Playing RPGs is indeed a great deal of fun, but it's a lot more fun if you like the group you're playing with.  It requires an investment on your part however.  An investment of money, of time and effort to participate and learn the rules, but most especially of imagination.  You have to learn to think like the character you're portraying.  You have to be able to imagine the situation you're in, visualize it in your mind, then decide how your character would react to that situation.  It takes some time to figure out what works best for you.
If you decide that the concept of role-playing sounds like fun for you, then you need to figure out what genre you want to participate in.  If you like midevil/fantasy settings, go with Pathfinder or Dungeons and Dragons.  If you like science fiction, try Star Wars, Star Trek, or Serenity.  If you like detective stories, there's Gumshoe.  If you like horror, Call of Cthulu.  Really, the options are pretty much endless.  Again, your local game store can be a big help laying out the options and helping you find a group to play with.  You can also get an idea by browsing through online game shops such as Paizo.
It's a lot of fun and worth the investment of time and effort.
Comment: Thankyou too! Could you give me an idea of the money side of things please?

and that Paizo website... It has so many products... Are there any standard/basic/beginner DnD kits?
Comment: I'm glad you asked! Of course there are beginner sets. They're called basic sets, or quick starts, and they're almost always available as free PDF downloads from the publishers websites, and DriveThruRPG. The only thing you have to add are pencils, paper, and dice, and even the dice are optional at this point, given the number of dice rolling apps available. The quickstarts generally contain an adventure, characters, and enough rules to play. Also check out the "Old School Renaissance" games, like Swords and Wizardry. They're mostly D&D retro clones, and many are totally free.
Answer: The sorts of things you end up doing in roleplaying will vary from group to group, but it's common to find yourself in groups with a lot of the following:

Fighting monsters or other adversaries.
Searching out clues to unravel a mystery.
Hunting down treasure or some lost secret.
Working out solutions to a problem with the other players in your group.
Talking to characters played by the moderator in order to gain information.

In many games, there's another element: creating a persona for your character and "acting" as they would, which can include talking to the other players as if you were that character and making decisions accordingly. This is the part that many people identify most with roleplaying games, as it focuses on the portrayal of a role to the people around you.
Answer: Welcome to the Adventure!!
There's a lot of good answers here, but seeing has I've only (really) started now Role-Playing, I've been "there" recentely, "where to start?" and "How to do it?", and been answering a lot to new players of my group aswell.
What is role-playing!!
Basically , Role-Playing (games) is like a theater play, but instead of you just watching it , you are a character, and there's a story other actors (PC's) and extras and set (npc's and the world you're in) .
In pencil and paper RPG's Like Dungeon and Dragons , Pathfinder, and alike , there's also the DM /GM (Dungeon/Game-Master) he is the director of the play , and can write one from scratch or adapt one already written (with pre-written adventure modules) , is in charge of everything a director his,saying how the set is, where the extras are, whats the story , and what's happening around you.
The Key difference is, you can change it, you can interact with EVERYTHING, following a set of rules and a luck system with dice, easily explain in a little book.
And the "great fun" part comes there.
An example, when we started I felt that there was a player that was a bit off with playing these types of games, wouldn't get into it so well, also because we didn't use miniatures (mini figures that you use to show characters, monsters and you can find and buy or do them yourself for any kind of physical object or being in your adventure) or stuff like that, I was afraid he wouldn't emerge in the story so well, but through some "magical force" he was the one that liked it the most (besides me) , because it's the more basic source of fun you can have ,don't underestimate the power of your own imagination , and the company of good friends. And that's what makes it SO DAMN GOOD!! It's something you have to experience.
And now to the "where to start?" part, like said above there's a lot of games , and material to the games (like the mini's) that can confuse a newcomer. But here's some things that can help a lot , getting started.

Watch a video or podcast: if you really like to see how it is and
have patience, there's very cool videos of people playing online i
recommendthe Aquisition Inc. videos
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzIJemFtXXs) they're very fun with
fun people (and no, you don't need the crowd or bards playing when
you yourself game).
Get friends or find a store: A lot of game shop's have tables and do
/or have groups that weekly play together and it's not hard to
participate,but if you can and you think its fun , really get some
friends to play , it's the best. Then try with other players. You can
also find that solution "online" in a website called
http://roll20.net/ where you can find groups to game with, that can
teach (but I'd leave it for last, because the physical human
interaction ia a great part of the game, if not the most important ,
after "having fun")
Chose a game: there's a lot, so this part of the answer is being a
bit bias , but you seem overwhelmed with the information so maybe
giving you what I think are the best introductory game sets out now,
and you can take it from there, they are ,the Dungeon & Dragons
Starter set, the best in my opinion for the ton of reviews, and
videos I saw of other games, (the 5th edition D&D, It's the cheapest
and most "humble", no mini's or tokens, and all the work done, just
read the rule set that comes with, should take like half and hour,
and/or the rest you can find in game has you play the pre-written
adventure , that pretty much explains everything and how to do it,
plus already made characters with nice backgrounds, I'm playing
now,and it really is great, great fun) or the Pathfinder Beginer Box
(it brings very cool stuff,and I was thinking of going with that
before it come out the 5E D&D )
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYtudwCqpek)
There's also, some RPG's you can try "solo" ,
Looking for solo (one person) RPGs - do they exist? , also some nice books
called Fighting Fantasy , they're awesome, but more of a training
weels, and very low level Role Playing and gets boring , and not
really what you seem to be after, if you really wan't the experience
get a group because it's without comparasing to anything else.

And there you go , with the "starting" part, after that, the rest should be easy to see, and if not you can also ask anything else, (like I and a lot do here) .
To sum up, and the  "sort of things"  :
From fighting monsters, exploring space and other dimensions, you can do whatever you can imagine, and all of it takes you through amazing adventures, it' something best explained by experiencing it, and the most important thing you'll learn and anybody can tell you on these games (when they get confusing with rule deciding, or you get to lost in what to do next) ,its the ultimate rule , Have Fun!!