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O.J. Simpson testified Wednesday in court -- something he did not do during his 1995 murder trial or 2008 robbery-kidnapping case -- that guns were never "a subject" during discussions leading up to a Las Vegas hotel room raid that led to the former NFL Hall of Famer's conviction and prison sentence.
Simpson testified Wednesday about the 2007 raid and his relationship with the trial attorney Yale Galanter, who is the key figure in this week's hearing that might go a long way in determining whether Simpson spends the rest of his life in prison. Simpson wants a new trial because he says his longtime lawyer failed to disclose that he knew about the hotel room raid in advance, told Simpson it was legal and provided bad advice at trial.
Simpson, 65, repeated his assertion Wednesday that he was not aware two of the men who accompanied him on a mission to retrieve the sports memorabilia at the Palace Station hotel had guns. He testified that he just needed "a couple of big guys" to help carry items from the hotel.
Local news from across Southern California
"I don't need security," Simpson said he told others involved in the conversation.
He was asked by his co-counsel whether he ever asked the men to bring weapons.
"No, never was a subject," he replied.
Several of the questions from Simpson co-counsel Patricia Palm addressed his consumption of alcohol on the night before and day of the raid. Simpson was in Las Vegas for a wedding and the memorabilia dealers were "essentially, down the street," he said.
"I wouldn't have gotten behind the wheel of a car," Simpson said of his activities the night before the raid. "I'm in Las Vegas with a lot of friends. We were in a very celebrative mood."
He started drinking alcohol again the next day at the Palms hotel, Simpson said. That's when plans to retrieve the memorabilia were discussed, he said.
Galanter gained an acquittal for Simpson in a 2000 Florida road rage case, but Simpson testified Wednesday that he socialized with Galanter, such as going out to dinner. It was at one of those dinners that Galanter and Simpson discussed the recovery of the sports memorabilia, including autographed footballs and framed photos.
The former USC Trojans star and Heisman trophy winner said the items went missing after his acquittal in the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman. Simpson testified Wednesday that once he learned the collection included family photos, he wanted them back.
"That's when I got interested," Simpson said.
Simspon was asked why he thought his actions to retrieve the items were legal.
"It was my stuff," he responded.
Crowds at the courthouse had been small, unlike the 1995 murder trial in Los Angeles and the 2008 robbery and kidnapping trials, until Wednesday. A court marshal turned people away, sending more than 15 people to an overflow room where video was streamed live.
During Tuesday's testimony, attorney Gabriel Grasso said he was contacted to work on the robbery-kidnap case and believed Galanter did not spend enough money to win an acquittal.
"I was under the impression that we were operating on a shoestring," Grasso said Tuesday. "There were no experts to be had. We didn't have any money to hire experts."
He also told the court he thought Simpson should have testified at trial.
"I had the distinct feeling that O.J. had to testify in this case," Grasso said. "That was our only shot."
The sports memorabilia dealer in the hotel room during the raid told NBC4 he believes Simpson was a "pawn." Bruce Fromong said one of the men pointed a gun to his head and told him he would be shot if he did not cooperate.
"O.J. was stupid that night," said Fromong. "In many ways, O.J. Simpson was a pawn just as I was."
The new challenge follows the Nevada Supreme Court's denial of Simpson's 2010 appeal, also handled by Galanter. Simpson's new attorney filed the writ of habeas corpus in May 2012, seeking her client's release from prison and reversal of the conviction.
He has already served four years in prison, but must serve nine of the maximum 33-year sentence before he is eligible for parole.
Simpson has appeared in court in blue prison clothes and shackles, although the judge Tuesday allowed him to uncuff his right hand so he could take notes during testimony.
Four Simpson co-defendants pleaded guilty to felonies and testified for the prosecution. A fifth defendant, Clarence "C.J.'' Stewart, was convicted and served more than two years in prison before the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that Simpson's fame tainted Stewart's conviction.
A judge eventually ruled that the items should be delivered to Simpson's civil case attorney.


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AUSTIN, Texas - The embattled Texas Highway Patrol Museum in San Antonio will close in a court settlement reached with the state.
The San Antonio Express-News reported today that less than a penny of each fundraising dollar went to help Texas troopers and their families.
The museum is not connected to the Texas Department of Public Safety, which oversees highway patrol operations.
Attorney General Greg Abbott last December sued the museum and alleged financial mismanagement. A settlement filed Tuesday in Austin resolves the lawsuit and shuts down the museum.
The lawsuit named executive director Tim Tierney and some museum board members.
Attorney David Minton, who represents several board members, says his clients were unaware of questionable spending. Tierney must settle $40,000 in credit card bills owed by the museum.

subset: commoncrawl


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THE SPORTS DOCTOR- Promising opener: So should Virginia fans dare to hope?
Thank goodness for Blackstone radio. Without it, I couldn't have listened to the UVA game Saturday night, September 4 (thanks for nothing, espn3).
And I did listen to all four quarters, something I haven't been able to stomach for quite a long time. For at least three years I've turned the radio or television off long before the end of all UVA games, sickened by the humiliating death spirals the Cavs routinely entered nearly every third quarter.
But last Saturday came and went with no taunting phone calls from my Hokie in-laws, and even though it was non-conference game, it was a win— a win!
Virginia fans reluctant to show even a little excitement know that one win does not a season make, but don't let anyone steal your joy. I didn't get all the nuances (I love football on the radio, but it's easy to get lost sometimes), but from what I could tell, UVA had a capable passing game and a competent, though improvable, defense– two things they've been missing for a while.
What's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah: promising. Saturday's win against U of R was promising.
But enough about UVA football (I'm not going to be the one to jinx it). There's another topic to discuss: a racist, profane and homophobic rant. I'm not referring to Dr. Laura; I'm referring to the "Pretty Boy," Floyd "Money" Mayweather.
If you look up the definition of "apology," you'll find remorse and regret are intrinsic to its meaning. If you heard– or even read the transcript of — Mayweather's video rant last Thursday against Manny Pacquiao, you might find it hard to believe that he qualified to use the word.
Mayweather attacked Pacquiao's race, his religion, his sexuality, and his integrity in a diatribe so offensive I can't justify quoting even the shortest excerpt. If you want to hear or read it, you'll have to look it up. Boxing wouldn't be boxing without a little trash talk, but Mayweather's comments are comparable only to Mike Tyson's utterly sincere comment about eating Lennox Lewis' children, and Muhammad Ali's calling Joe Frazier a "gorilla" and an "Uncle Tom." It's hard to believe words so hideous could come from anyone's mouth.
It took two days for Mayweather to utter words more horrible than those; in a public statement, he said, "If anyone was affected from [sic] what I said the other day, I apologize as a man and forgive me for saying what I said. I was just having fun."
What's worse: attacking someone with the most offensive words in the English language or claiming it was "just having fun"? It seems Mayweather, who has often proved himself a coward and a bully, finally proved himself a psycho too.
Secondly, we should all stand up and give Natalie Randolph a big ovation. Last Friday Randolph took her place in history when she took the field as our country's very first female high school varsity football coach. A former UVA track star, she played six seasons as a receiver in the National Women's Football Association. Since her appointment was announced last March, there have been plenty of sexist and downright ugly comments about Randolph, and they're likely to continue, especially as her team, D.C.'s Coolidge Colts, lost their season opener 28-0.
Before you start oozing misogyny from every pore, let me pose this question– when was the last time a man had to break through the glass ceiling? Not only is Natalie Randolph a woman, she's a black woman, and in a sport where even black men aren't often named head coach, by accepting the job and all the nastiness that comes with it, she has already proved she has the toughness, the strength, and the guts to coach football. Enough said.
Juanita Giles lives in Keysville where she makes videos.


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The first full-fledged severe weather threat of 2011 is possible this afternoon and evening in the Charlotte region, and fittingly enough, it comes on Severe Weather Awareness Week in the Carolinas.
Emergency management officials in both states will be calling attention this week to the safety procedures needed during severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. There could get some real-time drills later today, as a strong cold front advances.
South Carolina plans to hold a test tornado warning at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In North Carolina, the drill will be at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Those drills are a rite of spring in schools, where students and staff review what to do during a severe storm.
North Carolina had 26 tornadoes last year, and there were 25 in South Carolina.
An interesting fact ... there were nearly 900 severe thunderstorm events in North Carolina last year, and only Kansas, Texas and Nebraska -- three states in the Midwest/Southwest tornado alley -- had more.
Fortunately, there were no deaths last year in the Carolinas, but more than a dozen people were injured.
In the Charlotte area, there were tornadoes in Gaston and Rowan counties in March; Lancaster and Lincoln counties in July; Burke County in September; and Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln and Rutherford counties in October.
Stay tuned today. We'll keep you updated on weather developments.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Perfect timing ... severe weather threat
The first full-fledged severe weather threat of 2011 is possible this afternoon and evening in the Charlotte region, and fittingly enough, it comes on Severe Weather Awareness Week in the Carolinas.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Ice on Oscars' red carpet?
Wearing a strapless gown on the red carpet at Sunday night's Oscar Awards ceremony in Los Angeles could be a test of endurance for the actresses brave enough to try it.
An unusually cold air mass is filtering southward this weekend across California and then turning eastward into Nevada and Arizona.
A low pressure system ushered in the cold air, causing snow to fall at some very low elevations in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas. There was a threat of snow in downtown San Francisco early Saturday, but only a few wet flakes of the white stuff were reported in the city.
In Los Angeles, snow levels Saturday are expected to drop to 1,500 feet, and possibly even lower during the heavier snow showers. In fact, snow could fall in the area of that big "Hollywood" sign that we've all seen on TV and the movies.
Temperatures on Sunday evening in Los Angeles could be in the upper 30s, which is well below average for this time of year.
This outbreak of cold air will be more than just a curiosity piece, I'm afraid.
A freeze warning is in effect for the central valleys of California, with temperatures expected to tumble into the upper 20s in places like Sacramento, Fresno and Stockton. Agriculture officials out there fear the freeze could be damaging to budding trees, such as apricots, almonds, peaches and plums.
A hard freeze could send produce prices (which already have soared in recent weeks because of cold weather and skyrocketing gas prices) even higher.
Believe it or not, snow is not unknown in San Francisco and in southern California.
Snow has been reported several times in downtown San Francisco, but the most recent occurrence was 35 years ago. The record is 3.7 inches, which fell on Feb. 5, 1877.
And 3 inches fell in Los Angeles on Jan. 19 and 20, 1949.
Farther east, the storm system is expected to bring showers to Phoenix, which could mean trouble for the NASCAR Spring Cup race scheduled there Sunday. By the way, an inch of snow also is possible late tonight or Sunday in Tucson.
That storm is expected to move into Colorado and then into the Midwest later Sunday and into Monday.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Surprise! Joe Bastardi's gone
Just like that ... Joe Bastardi checked out of Accu-Weather.
The first word that Bastardi had left the Pennsylvania-based private meteorological company came about 4:30 p.m. Monday, in the form of announcements from Accu-Weather on various weather bulletin boards and the company's Facebook page.
Bastardi is one of those bigger-than-weather figures, like Jim Cantore at the Weather Channel, or even Steve Lyons, formerly of the Weather Channel.
Bastardi was chief long-range meteorologist at Accu-Weather, and he isn't afraid of controversy. Some might say he thrives on it. He's also seemingly never lacking in self-confidence.
His act doesn't play well with some meteorologists and weather weenies. But others enjoy it. And still others -- myself included -- might not like his style all the time but appreciate his effort to delve into a part of meteorology, long-range forecasting, that is avoided by most scientists. And he delves into it with passion.
Bastardi angers some with his belief that humanity's role in climate change might be superseded by that of natural changes in weather patterns.
That, of course, is politically loaded territory, putting Bastardi at odds with the Al Gore crowd and somewhat in the camp of the Rush Limbaugh conservatives.
Let's face it ... he's a lightning rod (I was waiting to use that one ... sorry).
But now he's gone, after 32 years at Accu-Weather, and it'll be interesting to see what happens next for the company and for Bastardi.
Accu-Weather has said several times since Monday that Bastardi was not fired.
The official statement, through spokesman Justin Roberti: "We wish him the best in his next endeavor, whatever form that might take."
And in answering comments on the Facebook page, Accu-Weather said Bastardi's beliefs about climate change had nothing to do with his departure. One person, posting a note on the website of the newspaper in State College, Pa., where Accu-Weather is based, said he works at the company and said Bastardi just wanted a change.
For Accu-Weather, its Pro website could take a hit. The company charges $24.95 a month or $249.95 a year for subscribers to get advanced-level weather information, and Bastardi's videos and columns were a big hit on that website.
Paul Pastelok has been named to replace Bastardi as chief long-range forecaster, and he wasted little time in making his presence known. Accu-Weather's website, www.accu-weather.com, has a story Thursday from Pastelok, about weather for the coming month.
There was a ruffle -- although less intense -- when Lyons left his position as chief hurricane specialist at the Weather Channel last year and rejoined the National Weather Service at its office in San Angelo, Texas (interestingly, far inland).
Lyons, who became chief meteorologist at the office, said he wanted to return to his roots -- serving the public and forecasting weather.
Sometimes people need a change of scenery and want to try something different.
It'll be interesting to see where Joe Bastardi pops up next.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Is winter on the ropes?
Is it time to stick a fork in winter?
Well, it's never a good idea to declare winter finished, but let's just say it's time to open the silverware drawer.
After 10 weeks of temperatures that were well below average and several rounds of snow and ice, the weather pattern has changed dramatically in the last week. And there doesn't seem to be any sign of a return to the conditions we experienced earlier this winter.
Based on what I've seen and heard from a number of meteorologists, it appears as if any prolonged outbreaks of cold weather and snow will be relegated to areas north of the Carolinas. The consensus seems to be that the Great Lakes, Upper Midwest and Northeast will have a few more rounds with winter, but the area south of a line running roughly from Washington to central Kentucky to southern Missouri is in the clear.
Among the most bullish on this idea is Accu-Weather's Joe Bastardi, who said in an article on his company's website that "The back of winter is broken" in the Southeast. Dave Tolleris, another meteorologist who does some long-range forecasting, agrees.
The Climate Prediction Center, operated by NOAA, is less certain. For the next 6 to 10 days, it predicts warm weather for the Carolinas. In the 8-14 day period, the forecast is less-clear. The discussion is rather technical, but here's a link, if you're interested: www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/610day/fxus06.html.
In the 30-day forecast, the Climate Prediction Center notes that the big unknown is the Atlantic Oscillation (AO). When it was negative, in December and January, the jet stream delivered cold wave after cold wave to the eastern United States. Now the AO is neutral. Will it stay that way in March? Forecasters aren't sure.
Here's a link to the 30-day forecast: www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/fxus07.html.
Every one of these long-range forecasters adds a warning ... there's still a chance of a brief outbreak of winter. That means for a day or two, or even three, we might have chilly weather.
In the foreseeable future, there is nothing but mild weather in sight. For the next 6 to 10 days, temperatures are expected to be at or above average. That would take us into the first week of March, and at that point, the Carolinas climate favors springtime.
Heavy snow has fallen in mid and late March, but it has a shelf life of a day or two. The high angle of the sun and the presence of warmth nearby usually melts the snow in a hurry.
And let's not forget the Easter Sunday a few years ago when Charlotte's temperature dropped into the lower 20s one morning -- in early April. That can happen again.
However, the big dip in the jet stream that brought arctic air funneling into the Southeast has relaxed. The pattern has become more zonal -- west to east.
If you are sick of this winter (and many people have written me to say that), you might be in luck.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
What happens when the island melts?
My boyhood home was within walking distance of Lake Erie, and I spent many hours fishing in that lake.
But in my nearly three decades living up there, I never went ice fishing. I never saw the attraction, to be honest. It's cold enough in northeastern Ohio, just going from buildings to your car. Why sit out there on a frozen block of ice and shiver, just to catch the same fish you can catch in July?
Not everyone share my feelings, though, and thousands of people go ice fishing annually on the Great Lakes. Of the five, Lake Erie is the most popular, because it's the shallowest of the Great Lakes and, therefore, tends to freeze quicker and more completely.
Another reason why I didn't go ice fishing is because I don't like to swim in 33-degree water, and that's a threat on Lake Erie, when strong winds break the ice into floes and trap fishermen.
This is the time of year when it tends to happen. By late January or early February, the ice buildup has reached its peak.
Take a look at this link to the National Weather Service website in Cleveland. At the top of the page, you'll see a link to a series of satellite photos of Lake Erie, showing how the ice coverage increased in January. www.erh.noaa.gov/er/cle/
It's been plenty cold in that part of the world this winter, with temperatures in Cleveland, Buffalo, Detroit and London, Ontario, averaging about 4 degrees below average from Dec. 1 until early February. The result: the lake was nearly frozen over earlier this month.
Warmer temperatures and gusty winds this week will threaten to break the ice, sending floes moving out into the lake, and forcing authorities to rescue fishermen.
The most-publicized case happened Feb. 7, 2009, near Toledo. Winds blowing 35 mph from the southwest caused a huge chunk of ice -- more than 2 miles wide -- to break loose and begin floating toward deeper water. The U.S. Coast Guard and local sheriff's offices used air boats and helicopters to rescue more than 130 people.
"I was told the lake was frozen all the way across," said one 51-year-old angler who was plucked from the floating ice.
Stories at the time told of one fisherman who fell into the water and died. As it turned out, that man, 65-year-old Leslie Love of central Ohio, actually died of a heart attack and never fell into the water.
But it was a massive -- and costly -- rescue.
"We get people out here who don't know how to read the ice," Ottawa County (Ohio) Sheriff Bob Bratton told the Associated Press. "What happened here today was idiotic."
The whole episode was costly to some of those who were rescued, too. They went onto the ice with their ATV's, but in some cases, they left in a Coast Guard helicopter. Their ATV's floated out into the lake and eventually went to the bottom when the ice melted in the spring.
Nope. Not me. If I want perch or walleye, I'll get it at the restaurant.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
This is nice. How long will it last?
The sun is shining, and temperatures are climbing into the upper 50s and 60s for the next several days.
After the cold and snow of December, January and early February, this is a nice change. Do you expect it to last? I mean, is winter over?
Anyone who's lived in the Carolinas for at least one winter knows the answer to that last question. March is an incredibly unpredictable month around here, equally capable of producing 80-degree days or heavy snow.
The good thing about heavy snow in March is that it doesn't last long. With a relatively high angle of the sun and milder temperatures ready to move in, warming trends usually follow any frozen precipitation at that time of year.
Anyway, I doubt that you'd find a meteorologist willing to predict that winter has ended in the Carolinas.
But we're at least getting a 10-day break.
The jet stream is switching to more of a zonal flow, in which air masses will move generally west to east, with none of that dropping-from-the-Yukon stuff. When we have a zonal flow in winter, our temperatures are mild.
Highs on Saturday should reach the middle 50s, and then the lower 60s Sunday. Monday should be quite mild, with highs possibly hitting the upper 60s. We'll fall back a bit Tuesday, after a dry cold front passes through. But after a couple days in the upper 50s, we'll return to the 60s by Thursday.
The mild weather should continue through next weekend.
After that, it gets a bit hazy.
The Climate Prediction Center, operated by NOAA, seems to think it'll stay warm for the next two weeks. You can check out the Center's various products at www.weather.gov/predictions.php (check out the 8-14 day temperature forecast).
The two major commercial weather services differ a bit. The Weather Channel's (www.weather.com) 10-day forecast shows mild weather through Feb. 21 (a week from Monday). Accu-Weather (www.accu-weather.com) predicts a return to chilly conditions Feb. 21 and 22, with a high of only 48 degrees for Charlotte on the 22nd.
But let's enjoy the coming week. This seems like a good time to get out in the yard and clean up the mess that winter left.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
How about some springtime?
OK, the massive snowstorm has moved away, and we're recovering from the onslaught of flurries that fell in the predawn hours Thursday.
Yes, you're right -- it was what is known in meteorological circles as a busted forecast. The prediction was for an inch of snow, and it didn't develop. Temperatures were a bit above freezing, and the amount of precipitation was small. Only a little snow fell, and most of it melted.
Since I wrote there might be an inch of snow, you can blame me. Guilty.
Now let's move on. How about some springtime weather?
We'll have to wait about 48 hours, but much nicer conditions are coming. And we could be looking at an extended period of milder weather.
High temperatures today will only reach the mid 40s, and it'll drop to near 20 degrees early Friday morning. Those readings are well below the average high and low at this time of year -- 55 and 33. Under sunny skies Friday, highs will reach the low 50s.
Then it really gets nice.
The large trough -- a dip in the jet stream -- that has governed our weather since early December is relaxing. Computer models indicate the new pattern will last at least two weeks, which takes us near the end of February.
Instead of arctic air surging southward, our pattern will be what meteorologists call "zonal." That means systems largely will be moving west to east. Our weather is a lot milder when that happens.
By Sunday, highs are forecast to reach the mid 50s. And then we'll have highs in the low to mid 60s for much of next week, if the forecast holds.
I would discourage anyone from thinking it's time to stick a fork in winter. As we all know, March is a very unpredictable month. It usually produces some warm weather, with a few days in the 70s and sometimes even the 80s. But March also has brought some of our heaviest snowfalls.
The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting average temperatures for the next 30 to 45 days, for what that's worth.
After what we've had in December, January and early February, average sounds just fine.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Snow in forecast again, but not much
It's been nearly a month since our last encounter with significant winter weather, but snow is back in the forecast this week.
At this point, meteorologists say, the snowfall likely will be on the light side.
This will be a week of rapid changes, none of them too drastic.
Today's weather will move quickly from sunshine to clouds, and a few hours of rain will cross the region later this afternoon and this evening. Temperatures today will be near average for this time of year, with highs probably in the lower 50s.
The system responsible for this evening's rain will move off to the east quickly Tuesday, leaving partial clearing, breezy conditions, and temperatures a few degrees cooler -- in the upper 40s for highs.
By Wednesday, a low pressure system is forecast to cross Texas and enter the Gulf of Mexico. Incidentally, that system will spread a couple more inches of snow in the Dallas area, where heavy snow fell last week in advance of the Super Bowl.
In the Charlotte region, look for clouds to increase and thicken Wednesday, with chilly highs only in the lower 40s.
Then snow is forecast to arrive Thursday morning. As of now -- about 60 to 72 hours in advance -- the snow is expected to begin sometime before daybreak in the Charlotte area. Robert Bruce, of the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C., said the low pressure system won't bring much precipitation into the region. He said snowfall totals of 1 inch are likely in the Charlotte region.
A 1-inch snowfall won't cause huge problems in the area, but if it arrives shortly before the morning commute, there could be trouble. Snow and rain should end by late in the afternoon, with clearing skies predicted for late Thursday.
Temperatures will remain cold through Friday, but a gradual warming trend will begin next weekend.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Some sleet possible for us ... but Texas!!!
6:45 p.m. Thursday update ... The National Weather Service has issued a Freezing Rain Advisory for the row of counties north of Mecklenburg. Basically, it means light ice accumulations are possible early Friday in all Charlotte-area counties except Mecklenburg, Gaston, Lincoln, Cabarrus, Stanly, Union, Anson, Montgomery and Richmond in North Carolina; and all S.C. counties.
Areas in the advisory might get enough ice accumulation to cause slippery conditions on bridges and overpasses. Forecasters don't expect enough ice to cause power outages, though.
In the area not covered by the advisory -- that is, the immediate Charlotte area -- some sleet is forecast early Friday morning, but meteorologists don't expect the temperature to fall below freezing. Hence, no road problems are expected.
City of Charlotte road crews didn't take any chances. They spread a brine solution on city streets Thursday afternoon.
We'll keep an eye on things later tonight and early Friday.
Earlier post ...
A low pressure system will spread a very chilly rain into the Charlotte region later tonight, and there's a chance of sleet falling with the rain for several hours Friday morning.
Meteorologists don't think temperatures will fall much below freezing in Charlotte, so they don't anticipate problems on area roads in the morning. We'll keep an eye on that this evening and let you know if the forecast changes.
But what's happening today and tonight in southern Texas is more amazing.
The same low pressure system bringing us rain into Saturday morning is expected to drop accumulating snow on some places that rarely see it.
How about 2 to 3 inches in Houston? Or an inch (and maybe more) in San Antonio and Austin?
Better yet, how about an inch of snow and some sleet in Brownsville, on the U.S.-Mexico border. And accumulating snow is expected south of the border, at sea level in Mexico.
Temperatures haven't risen above freezing since early this week across much of the Lone Star State. In fact, morning lows were below zero today in El Paso and across the Rio Grande in Ciudad Juarez. The thousands of people gathered in Dallas for Sunday's Super Bowl haven't seen temperatures above the 20s for several days.
Winter storm warnings for accumulating snow and sleet are posted Thursday evening and night from the Mexican-U.S. border, across southern Texas and southern Louisiana into Mississippi and Alabama.
It's a situation you don't see more than once every 20 or 30 years, meteorologists say.
Temperatures in Texas are expected to rebound into the 50s and 60s by the weekend, but another blast of cold air is coming next week.
And next week's arctic outbreak could affect the Carolinas -- unlike this week, when we escaped the worst of it.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Why is the big storm missing us?
"If it's snowing in Dallas, and it's going to be far below freezing there, why isn't it coming to the Carolinas?"
I've gotten a version of that question several times over the past 24 hours, and it's understandable that people might wonder how the big storm moving across the country will miss us.
First of all, it won't miss us.
A steady and fairly heavy rain will move into the Charlotte area sometime this evening, and it probably will be accompanied by some thunder in the overnight hours. Temperatures, which will remain in the upper 30s and low 40s much of the day, will climb into the upper 40s and lower 50s late tonight and early Wednesday.
And winds will increase later tonight. Even on Wednesday, when the sun breaks out by midday, we could be experiencing wind gusts of 40 mph. Those gusts will be part of the circulation around the strong low pressure system.
So we will get some impact from the storm.
But why not the frozen part?
(To those of you who follow weather closely, allow me to get un-scientific for a moment.)
Imagine the jet stream as a letter "U." For much of the past two months, the left side of the "U" has stretched from the upper Midwest down across Tennessee and Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. The right side of the "U" came up the East Coast. Here in the Carolinas, we were stuck inside the "U," near the bottom of it.
That "U" was the track that carried arctic air into the eastern United States. Occasionally, storm systems followed all or part of that track. They would cross Florida and then go up the East Coast.
But the jet stream has changed, at least temporarily. Now the really cold air is coming down across Colorado and New Mexico, into Texas. And the right side of the jet stream juts northeast, at something resembling a 45-degree angle. It crosses Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, northern Maryland, and the New Jersey-Delaware area.
The center of the current strong storm system is following that track.
Areas several hundred miles north of the center are getting very heavy snow. Areas on the north side, but closer to the center, are getting sleet and freezing rain.
And places south of the center are escaping this time. That includes much of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, most of Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. We're sitting this one out. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are possible from Louisiana to Alabama today, but wintry precipitation will not be a factor.
However, anyone planning to travel into the storm area from Charlotte can forget about it. Cities in that zone include Dallas, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Columbus, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York and Boston. Washington will have a close call with icing problems.
Conditions will be at their worst today from Dallas to St. Louis and Kansas City; Wednesday from Chicago to Pittsburgh; and Thursday on the East Coast.


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In much of our liturgy, we say:
הודו לה' כי-טוב כי לעולם חסדו
Turkey for G-d because it is good, because [His/its] loving-kindness is everlasting.
טוב להודות לה
It is good to turkey G-d.
I have a number of questions on this ancient practice which, were this not Purim, I'd break into separate questions.
- What does this look like? Does it involve sacrifice?
- When did this practice emerge?
- Are there communities that still practice it?
- Is this the source for the minhag of turkey on Thanksgiving? on Christmas? (maybe out of scope for this forum)
I'd love sources for this.


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Going on a cruise? Traveling cross country, or around the world? Moving to a new town? Want to meet like-minded folks, or just need recommendations about sights to see, places to stay, etc? Let us know where you're headed!
Members: 86
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Atheist Alliance International's Travel Club
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Started by Gerald Bunting-Blake Nov 8, 2012. 0 Replies 0 Likes
We are looking for a RV traveling group with shared values. Not necessarily atheist but one not promoting any particular agenda e.g. prayers at shared meals, etc. Does anyone have any knowledge or…Continue
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Hi All! I'm flying to Durango, CO and headed to Mesa Verda National Park and Telluride next week. Anyone know of any must-see things at either location or along the way?Continue
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My friends and I are planning to hike route 50 from Virginia to Ohio. Any suggestions of places to camp, eat and see along the way would be greatly appreciated.Continue
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It looks like Atheist Travel is one of the fastest growing groups on Atheist Nexus. As our membership grows, the likelyhood of there being new and interesting ideas and information that YOU can…Continue
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We are moving back to Kansas soon taking I-70 across Middle America. We are planning on stopping in Dayton to see the Air and Space Museum. My daughter gets car sick, so we are planning on lots of…Continue
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I'm looking for some links to resources that atheists might find useful for travel. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
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Is there an atheist or secular humanist points of interest guide to New York City? We decided to forgo our trip to Maine in favor of going to NYC for a couple days (Oct.24-26).Come to think of it, is…Continue
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Hi everyone!My husband and I will be in New Haven, CT at the end of October. He is willing to drive as far north as Maine, where we have a house to stay at, and as far south as New York City, but he…Continue
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Suns Out, Guns Out in Season 4 Episode 12
McGarrett (Left Alex O'Loughlin) helps Grover (Right Chi McBride)investigate his friend's disappearance after he apparently commits murder. Meanwhile, Kono continues her search for Adam. on HAWAII FIVE-0, FRIDAY, JAN. 10 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Best Possible Screen Grab/CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved


text: Every time I watch the Super Bowl, I ask the question: why can't the people who make commercials just make them funny all the tim?. Why do they have to wait for the Super Bowl (to at least try)? It's as though ad folks are relieved after the Super Bowl because they can gently slide back into an uncreative, not funny mode.


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On August 9 the National Weather Service deemed Fort Bend County as "StormReady." For months, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the office that writes emergency plans and coordinates in an emergency for the county, has been working to demonstrate that Fort Bend County is ready to handle even the most dangerous storms. The StormReady program measures several factors: communication, monitoring, warning, preparedness, planning, and coordination. What does all that mean for a Fort Bend County resident?
It means residents can be notified directly of serious threats through the county's advanced communication capabilities. The main way the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management communicates with residents is through www.fbcoem.org. In seven years using this website provider, the OEM has only had a few minutes when the public website was unavailable. The same system powers FBC Alert, Fort Bend County's opt-in emergency notification system, with thousands of residents receiving direct notification from the Office of Emergency Management. This platform gives Fort Bend County stat-of-the-art communication capabilities.
Residents and businesses can take comfort knowing that the Fort Bend County OEM is working closely with the National Weather Service from the County's Emergency Operations Center and a 24-hour warning point at the Sheriff's Office. The Office of Emergency Management receives regular briefings from the National Weather Service as weather conditions develop. These briefings are conducted by phone call or by email, and strengthen the relationship between the two organizations. Whenever more information about a threat is needed, staff in each office call or send email messages to each other. The Fort Bend County Emergency Management Coordinator, Jeff Braun, and employees from National Weather Service regularly visit each other's offices; keeping the two organizations in lock-step in preparedness efforts for our community and region.
Living in a StormReady community means residents can trust that calls to 911 to report weather incidents will be connected to someone who understands weather hazards and reporting. The Fort Bend County OEM hosts numerous weather spotter training and weather outreach opportunities each year. Training ranges from educating 911 dispatchers on weather threats, to SKYWARN training for volunteers and Fort Bend County employees. Jeff Braun, Emergency Management Coordinator for the county added "Any resident can become a trained weather spotter by attending one of the many SKYWARN training classes hosted in the county."
Those that live and work in a StormReady county, like Fort Bend, can be confident that they are getting accurate information about weather threats; the Emergency Operations Center utilizes sophisticated and state-of-the-art radar technology to monitor rainfall across the region. This radar allows staff members to filter and view specific threats in our area. When rainfall is excessive, Fort Bend County monitors flood gauges to determine the threat of stream or flash flooding. Of course, anytime OEM senses an imminent threat, our residents are notified using our powerful communication platform.
Lastly, it means that citizens can rest assured that Fort Bend County has plans and pre-positioned contracts in place to handle hazardous threats in our area. From hurricanes to tornados to flash floods, the Fort Bend County OEM is ready to respond and recover when disaster strikes.
According to Braun, "We're proud that Fort Bend County has been deemed StormReady. It serves as recognition of the hard work done daily by our thirteen staff members who work to ensure that the over 600,000 residents of Fort Bend County are safe and able to recover quickly form any threat." The Office of Emergency Management is proud that Fort Bend County residents are safer because the county is well equipped to respond to and recover from whatever Mother Nature throws at us.


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The Saskatchewan Genealogical Society has put something new in its membership - a value-added package, beginning in 2009!
In a special page on their site, http://www.saskgenealogy.com/aboutsgs/Value_Added.htm , they will add the following to their regular membership -
Saskatchewan Residents Index (SRI) -
Burial Index - index of burial information of 50,000 individuals
Obituary Index - index of obituary information of 75,000 individuals
Cummins Maps - name and location of individuals in the 1920s
Change of Name Index - index of individuals who changed their name and are listed in the Saskatchewan Gazette from 1971 to 1950
RCMP Obituary Index - index of name as well as the source for the obituary
NW Rebellion War Claims Index - the names of those who requested compensation after the 1885 NW Rebellion.
Rural Municipalities Historical Documents Index - an index that will list documents held by municipalities - such as tax assessment rolls.
Plus, the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society and the Ontario Genealogical Society www.ogs.on.ca also have joined in offering a $5.00 discount in membership fees for 2009!http://www.saskgenealogy.com/aboutsgs/Value_Added.htm


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Surface water
Highly reliable operation is a matter of course when Grundfos pumps are used for pumping surface water of any kind – from seawater and river water to rainwater. Our high-efficient multistage pumps have been specifically designed to withstand the abrasive media encountered in the various types of surface water. On top of stainless steel, cast iron and bronze, the range is available in titanium for seawater applications. Shaft seals and impellers have also been carefully designed in order to prolong the life of the pump and avoid corrosion.
If the surface water is to be treated, Grundfos offers a wide range of disinfection systems and mechanical and digital dosing pumps that will efficiently support the chemical and microbiological processes in reaching the exact quality required. Moreover, measurement and control solutions can be customised to meet individual needs.
|The abrasive/corrosive (high salt content) media in seawater wear the pump.
|Grundfos offers titanium pumps specifically designed for seawater applications to avoid corrosion and ensure long life.


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gill(redirected from green around the gills)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Idioms.
Related to green around the gills: blue around the gills, same old same old, pale around the gills, pay a visit
gill,in weights and measures: see English units of measurementEnglish units of measurement,
principal system of weights and measures used in a few nations, the only major industrial one being the United States. It actually consists of two related systems—the U.S.
..... Click the link for more information. .
A unit of volume used in the United States for the measurement of liquid substances, equal to ¼ U.S. liquid pint, or to 1.1829411825 × 10-4 cubic meter.
A unit of volume used in the United Kingdom for the measurement of liquid substances, and occasionally of solid substances, equal to ¼ U.K. pint, or to approximately 1.420653125 × 10-4 cubic meter.
A structure consisting of radially arranged rows of tissue that hang from the underside of the mushroom cap of certain basidiomycetes.
(vertebrate zoology)
The respiratory organ of water-breathing animals. Also known as branchia.
1. the respiratory organ in many aquatic animals, consisting of a membrane or outgrowth well supplied with blood vessels. External gills occur in tadpoles, some molluscs, etc.; internal gills, within gill slits, occur in most fishes
2. any of the radiating leaflike spore-producing structures on the undersurface of the cap of a mushroom
a unit of liquid measure equal to one quarter of a pint
gill1, ghyll Dialect
1. a narrow stream; rivulet
2. a wooded ravine
3. a deep natural hole in rock; pothole
Dialect a female ferret
(Arthur) Eric (Rowton). 1882--1940, British sculptor, engraver, and typographer: his sculptures include the Stations of the Cross in Westminster Cathedral, London


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Sorta willing to bet that even Anna Kendrick leading a chorus of girls in Blackstreet's "No Diggity" can't beat anything Bridesmaids' criminally-underused Rebel Wilson is gonna do in this movie, which looks like a Glee/Bring It On mashup of epic proportions. All that's missing is Will Schuester's Jheri Curl and "spirit fingers." (Actually I bet there'll be spirit fingers.)
[via YouTube]


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Jimquisition: Dumbing Down for the Filthy Casuals
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5 straight days of Jimquisition? YAAAAAAAY (Kermit arms)!
Also, I love Willem Dafoe's gloves.
I think it's safe to say that the point of a game with the tagline "prepare to die" is to be hard. Just my two cents.
If you abolish a things defining aspects it loses its individuality, meaning and very purpose.
I have nothing against people who prefer for any reasons to play games that are easily embraced. The thing is, though, that not every game can or should be so easily accessible to every single person imaginable. Our personal tastes and preferences are unique to us and that is why there at least should be a broad selection of different kinds of games to choose from. It is important to remember that not everything is meant for everyone, and seeing others enjoy something doesn't mean it's necessarily suitable for you as well. Or should every game perhaps also have an exceptionally difficult mode, even if it goes against the games nature? Of course not, it would be nonsensical.
Dark Souls is often said to be a punishing game. That may be so, but in general it only punishes those who are hasty or otherwise remain indifferent to the many visual clues the developers have intentionally placed all around and often in reasonable locations.
Dark Souls is often also mistaken to be an action RPG. While Dark Souls certainly has many aspects that are usually affiliated with such a genre of games, the description in this case would be lacking. Perhaps the most prominent theme in Dark Souls is exploration, coupled with quite a heavy focus on strategic, knowledge based gameplay.
Edit: I've seen (and been a part of) this argument before. I'm out.
Are you saying that playing the game on Easy makes it less enjoyable? Is there anything inherently wrong with a mediocre action RPG with little to no story?
would I somehow enjoy games less because I play on a lower difficulty? Because not everyone plays a game for challenge. some people just want to sit back, relax and enjoy the atmosphere of a game. They don't want a long tedious puzzle to help them unwind. Some people on the other hand would be able to relax with a long tedious puzzle and that helps them unwind. Is it somehow wrong for a game to be open to both of these avenues of relaxation and enjoyment?
With all due respect, I personally do not approve of an easy mode in Dark Souls. It's just kinda contradictory to the whole point of the game. I really don't care about what difficulty you play on when it comes to most games, but Dark Souls is an exception, because the difficulty is the whole point of the matter. Please do not insult me for having a different opinion than you.
I would like to think that it isn't the fact there might be an easy mode in Dark Souls, it is more of what it represents to the gaming industry. Let's be honest here guys, Dark Souls is a hard core game for the hard core gamer. That is the target demographic for the game. A game like Demon Souls and Dark Souls are beloved by this community because as it stands, these games are practically a dying breed. A shining example of what many of us would like to play in a increasingly casual pandering industry. As such, when one of these games come along, and it is good, it is bound to garner a passionate player base.
I don't think people complaining about Dark Souls potentially having an easy mode are being elitist, I think they are generally concerned about what such implications could mean for games like Dark Souls down the line. Dark Souls at it's core is not meant to be easy, and as such, Dark Souls attracts a certain crowd of usually like minded individuals who are craving a challenge that is quite honestly missing in today's gaming market. These people play through the game, and these people beat the game...and usually will replay it trying different methods and strategies. It is a game that will not pander you, it will test your mettle as a gamer. People want that challenge. Dark Souls is strictly skill based. If you die over and over and over again, it's probably because you suck....but you can learn from your mistakes. The game rewards persistence and patience, it rewards learning from your mistakes. In a way, it sort of untrains you to a degree from all the easier games you have played.
People are afraid of a game like Dark Souls losing its identity. They are afraid that the people who are so used to being pandered will pick up the game, see how hard it is, and automatically complain about it...usually quitting in the process. They are afraid that From Software will hear these complaints and tailor it to meet their needs. They are afraid that corporate greed will take over, and have games like Dark Souls developed so that it would appeal to a wider audience, to make it more "accessible".
So yes, adding an easy mode to Dark Souls is a big deal. It's one step closer to a game like that losing it's identity. It's one step closer to becoming like the others. And if a game like Dark Souls is not immune from being a victim of corporate pandering, what game is? And what does that mean for the gamers like us who enjoy those types of games? Yes, it is possible for a game like Dark Souls to maintain it's difficulty while having an optional easy mode...but as soon as that happens, we cannot kid ourselves. The second that a easy mode is implemented means a decrease in overall difficulty in the games that follow, it has happened in many game series. Plus there is still the fact that a game in which it's community had all gone through the trial by fire known as Dark Souls, would be no more different than the rest of the online communities.
One of the posters above was very much correct. Dark Souls has a niche online community, and many of us want it to stay niche. The include of an easy mode would threaten that community. It all goes back to how unique Dark Souls is, and how it attracts a certain group of people. Dark Souls is for us, and people willing to take on the game's challenge and learn from their own mistakes. The game is a refuge for a playerbase that games are no longer made for, as such we are a passionate bunch which is why we are the ones loudest when we hear something that threatens the experience of future games in the franchise.
Hey, Hey Jim!
You DO know that games aren't made by magic right?
You DO know that creating easy modes takes time, right? Not every game can be made easier simply by adding more player health and making the enemies less durable, if the difficulty is execution based then it WILL take time out of development to put in a easy mode and as such provide less of the actual good game content that people want. A game that would provide a good example of this would be, oh I dunno, DARK SOULS.
Not a SINGLE person is complaining about just adding a mode where the player health is simply increased. Not. A. One.
I would like to say I found the Brave new world reference funny, good show there Jim.
Also an while I am for inclusiveness in in Easy, Normal, Hard, and Sadistic modes to gameplay. I thought Darksouls modus operandi was being as sadistic as possible.
I disagree with Jim's assessment of this issue and of his broader assertion that hardcore gamers hate the things they hate because of egocentrism Certainly that exists, but he's over emphasizing it.
The Dark Souls backlash is a perfect example of this. With that game, complaints about the difficulty have nothing to do with shutting people out. Most hardcore fans, myself included, pray that more people pick the game up and plug at it until they understand it better. That's the thing about cult series, you're not always sure you'll see another game in the franchise so you want to see it do well.
But Dark Souls is to video games what The Wire is to television in terms of approachability. Difficulty in the 'Souls' series is a crucial part of the franchise's DNA. Death and rebirth, determination and fear, triumph and loss, these elements are the essence of the games' souls.
Putting in an easy mode, that tempers the consequences, is to miss the entire point of a game that is built from the ground up with death as the central mechanic. It would fundamentally break the game by negating all of the work put into weapon balance, enemy design and animations, and level structure.
And that, would ruin the series.
See, this is why I WASN'T one of the guys who got up in arms about an easy mode in Mega Man 10. Mega Man is fucking hard, and I don't want to risk strangling myself in frustration when there's an easier option. I mean, there are many different levels a game can be played. Like some people try playing the original Zelda without using the sword. Who's to say we can't do something similar with modern games; having the option of both easier to play games for everyone and harder to play games for experts wanting to test their mettle.
What I want to know is what will happen to Jim now that he has eaten his experiment?
Will he develop the powers of a carrot gifted with gab? Will he breed an army of vegetable/Willem Dafoe hybrids? Are there no limits to the dark designs this sinister mastermind conjures?
Yes you are. You paid for the challenge, so get better. The game doesn't put up a magical door that stops you from progressing if you are a casual or some such nonsense. It puts appropriate challenges in front of you, learning the skills to beat the challenges is the entire point of the game.
Little known fact about this video:
He actually shot this several years ago and his carrots injected with the DNA of American game show hosts turned into the cast of the Jersey Shore.
I like how this episode describes TotalBiscuit.
Well your issue is silly.
You don't have to play it that way.
Now if you wanted a legitimate issue that isn't silly, being concerned that they get tons of sales from the easy mode and realize that they could save time and effort by making Dark Souls 3 just an easy game with the same atmosphere would be a concern.
One might think that's a silly fear, but look at the rising price of PC games in response to that FPS getting raised 10 bucks (though it looks like this is going back to 49.99?)
Or what happened to most franchises that EA got a hold of.
Dragon Age 2?
Stuff like that.
Basically people, I hope, are not worried that the CURRENT game will get or be ruined. They are worried that the profits will be so disproportionate that there will be no fiscal incentive to continue catering to the "hardcore" folks.
It's a genuine problem and the one that gets lost when folks just complain that they can't get how other people would 'like that sort of thing'.
I don't get Hostel films, but lots of folks like them, I just make the choice to not. Same for folks playing DS on easy. (Albeit I probably would, I don't have the time or desire to play a game that punches me in the asshole all day, but I do respect that the option is there).
To you.
It wouldn't actually change anything to ADD optional features to any game.
When I was a kid folks had "easy" mode through devices like gameshark and game genie. These days those are nearly impossible to find or use, so now folks turn to developers actually catering to everyone if possible.
Just because you don't get it, or don't like it, doesn't mean its wrong. Also your opinions on art aren't objectively correct. What you feel is the DNA of this thing is not necessarily the case.
This isn't ACTUAL biology, you don't have a literal concrete string of data to pull from. This is an intepretation of an art.
A good example was Smash Brothers. Everyone I ever knew thought the game was about intense competition. The game dev thought it was about being retarded and tripping all over the place.
I disagree with his view, but that's just how it works. I feel one way, they feel another, and other people feel different further still.
That's the beauty of gaming, letting everyone interpret things as they wish. Especially when the modularity of those interpretations literally never impact you in any way whatsoever.
Wouldn't what you said at the end be exactly what Easy Mode in Dark Souls would be >.>
Higher DPS and Higher Health...
I'm not aware of anything else you'd add that would be necessary. That's exactly what most games I've played do for easy modes, you become a walking tank and your enemies are paper dolls.
It would effect my play experiance, I posted why nearly right above your post.
I would really hate to see the online community stagnate any more than it has.
Among other worries. Why can't a niche title stay a niche title? If people want a game for the story not the gameplay, why not play something that caters to that instead of trying to make niche games appeal to you?
...or you could disable the online for easy characters.
Just like achievements are disabled in games when you use cheats.
This isn't rocket science, and the precious "gem" that is this game wouldn't be "tainted".
PS. I've played both games a bit, I cared none at all for the online aspect. So losing that for "easy" wouldn't have bothered me, I imagine most folks like myself that just found it passingly interesting would not mind losing that either.
I disagree. I've beaten Dark Souls several times now, and I think its a beautiful game with great art and atmosphere, and I think everyone who wants to experience it themselves should get the chance. Don't sell the game short my friend.
And why shouldn't it include an easy mode? Because you don't think anyone could possibly appreciate the game in a different way than you do? Yeah, lets not throw around the 'absolutist' title.
I've watch that video, and in fact I've been a fan of ENB's work since before the game even came to America (he's what got me to buy the game in the first place)... and I have to say, both of you are completely wrong. Yeah, You, Me and ENB (and many other Dark Souls players) derive our enjoyment of the game from its difficulty and harshness. But that doesn't mean other people can't enjoy it in different ways, and that has no effect on how we play the game.
When I purchased the Prepare to Die edition several months back, I had already beaten the crap out of the PS3 version last year, but I also purchased a copy for a friend since he had seen me play it. However, try as he might, he just could not kill one of the earlier bosses. He tried and tried, but couldn't do it. He stopped playing for a week but then asked me if I knew any cheats, so I found him a trainer for the game and he played through like that. After a few nights with an invincibility hack he'd beaten the game, and he absolutely loved it. He gushed about the art direction and sound, and all the incredibly design boss fights and locales. It's a great game without the difficulty too. Now, would you and I and ENB (and others..) say he was missing a critical part of the game? Maybe so. But that doesn't matter, he enjoyed the game immensely in a different way.
Now, the only argument I have ever heard on this issue that holds even a drop of water with me is the "This is what the designers intended". For me, that's the trump card. If the designers feel the only way to experience their work is the one difficulty setting, well, that's their decision and I would stand by that. However, if for Dark Souls 2, they make an "easy" mode they feel is an acceptable addition new players or those who want a different kind of experience, I'm totally fine with that too. I don't think it would ruin my souls experience at all, or anyone else's for that matter. And if that just doesn't make any sense to you... well, I don't know what the hell is going on in your head.
I apparently missed this story entirely.
I have a little trouble believing that there will definitely be no possible knock-on effect of the series now being designed with casual or easy modes now a part of the consideration. The best stuff that gets made in creative mediums is developed with focus. You try to be all things to all people, and you're going to make compromises.
Dark Souls was awesome because it was so focused and uncompromising. I'm not saying this will end up being a problem, but I'm not convinced that it won't bite us on the ass a little further down the line.
The incinuation that it's only a problem because people don't want the series to gain popularity strikes me as childish, though I do appreciate that it's really convenient and easy to be able to assign people their motivations and beliefs before telling them why they're wrong.
So you're worried that a broader audience will harm the community, and bring in the kind of player that depends on others to do the work for them?
Yes, basically. The difference in the community from Demons Souls to dark souls is basically because Dark Souls got way more advertising and brought in a broader playerbase. Along with the aforementioned fat that you can summon people to help you much more easily.
I want more people playing, don't get me wrong. I just want more people to develop the skills they need to play against people in the later parts of the game. Its no fun for anyone involved if you get people who (by no fault of their own) never learned to play in endgame pvp.
It breeds bad habits into players who should have learned essential skills.
If online mode was turned off I could see that working. People who enjoy the harsh game and the online aspects keep their game and people who don't can play for other reasons.
I really don't have an issue if they decided to do it like that.
Being able to invite people from your friends list into your world directly in the next game could solve most if not all of the multiplayer community issues as well, time will tell I guess.
I mean I don't get why adding an 'easy' mode, to a game is an issue, if there's an easy, there's a hard right? And if there's a hard mode, you and your "1337" skillz are free to frolic and play with the big nasty things.
But the 'elitism' has always been, and very likely will always be a problem in the gaming community which is sad really.
Next week in "Problems that are only Problems to a Very Small Minority of Privileged People", Jim addresses problems that are only problems to a very small minority of privileged people.
I would agree with you...except for three things that really poke holes in your argument.
You say that gaining the knowledge is quite literally the game. From what I understand, that knowledge is gained through trial and error if you don't already have it, which still does not take away from the play experience.
You compared this by saying it's similar to a challenging philosophy book...except that one is designed to educate or enlighten, and the other is designed to be entertainment, and I don't feel that it's fair to say that one should be wholly invested in a product to get the full entertainment value it can provide. Some people do not have that much time to a commit to a game and should not be punished in order to experience it all. Especially with the number of new titles that are released these days. Yes, Dark Souls is meant to be a time invested and challenging game, and that's fine. However, that doesn't make a simpler version of it for those whom are unable to invest a bad thing for it. This comparison is rather weak in my honest opinion.
As well, it's not our place to deside whether or not a game should not have the option to play it in a different mode. If someone else gets a different experience than you, it does not make it a bad one. I personally always played Elder Scrolls in 1st person, but thoroughly enjoyed playing in 3rd person in Skyrim. The option had always been there, but it didn't work as well until this instalment, and I loved it for it. Did this harm the gameplay in the first person perspective? Not at all. Just like an easy mode of Dark Souls will not affect someone not looking to invest as much in it, but still would like a good experience. Nor will it affect those like us who want to play it as it was meant to be played.
The AI is to say the least, stupid as a pile of rocks. They are easily exploited.
But my point still stands with many contemporary games, they design the games to be somewhat challenging for casuals/controllers, which makes them stupidly easy for veteran players.
Here is my problem, games as a whole are getting easier. I am going back and playing old NES and SNES games and finding them brutal to all but the most damning of current gen games. To liken it to your book analogy, if you buy a book you can't understand, does that mean the writer needs to include footnotes explaining everything at kindergarten level for you? No, it's your fault for buying a book you couldn't read. Don't get me wrong, there have been a few games and a few modes I myself can't beat. Many J-RPG's on the hardest setting are nothing short of absolutely unfair and ridiculous (I am looking at you Resonance of Fate and Infinite Undiscovery), but that doesn't mean I sit and ask for an easy version or for the whole game to come down because I simply am not as skilled as those elite players who can beat those modes.
Have you ever considered the other side of the matter that the controversies are broken records?
But seriously, the Internet gaming controversies are pretty much some of the biggest whinefest for small reasons that exists... Jim responds to controversies or stupid decisions. If you've been on the Internet for a long while, you'll know that the former comes often.
i prefer the halo method
"psst, psst
hey.... want the COOOL amror and ALL the points
...play a harder mode, it can be fun."
basically as long as i get a better stuff out if , i don't care if there is an easy mode, some cases i don't but in many cases i do, so i don't mind easy mode, as long as the game isn't hard because of bad game design
ninja guiden..
speaking of hard modes, i think gta needs one well a harder one, though i love them there gets to be a point in gta where the only reason the mission is hard for me is because i have to chase someone in a vehicle or there a bunch of dudes with guns
i propose a gta hard mode where you have more health and police act more like police, forcing you to be smart and if you wanna be dumb your gonna have to work for it.
Come on man, this ain't Reddit/Tumblr.
Anyway, in relation to the original video;
I can see what Jim is saying and where he's coming from, but he's over-simplifying the issue and ignoring (or not understanding) the other factors that play into something like this. Difficulty is a massive job for a dev team to measure correctly and takes time and resources away from other areas. Some games can just change the numbers under the hood, but the Souls series difficultly often comes from the environment or the attack patterns of the enemy. Many of the fights in the game rely on the devastating power of the enemies for them to work as intended.
It's really not a matter of elitism for most Souls fans, those guys just seem the loudest because people focus on negative. The truth is, there isn't anything to be elitist about with Dark Souls, other then the fact it's a very well designed action-RPG.
It's not game to relax to, it's a game to sit up and get focused and tense at. Not all games need to be brain-candy, if you want that you've already got a HUGE selection out there.
The game's big flaw is the utterly shite tutorial and the fact it doesn't explain what any of the stats do in any detail. It seems to me this is where all the difficultly comes from.
So, in my books, 0 votes for an easy mode, 1 point to a better tutorial. That is how you make something accessible, you don't assume the worst in your customers and dumb it down.
Another one was Mass Effect 3. OMGZ HOW DARE IT HAVE A NARRATIVE MODE!!! Yet nobody could explained to me why I should be as butthurt as they were. I was content to just ignore it and play on Hard/Insanity/whatever. Just because it's in the game doesn't mean you have to use it guys. And what's with nonsense like this:
Excuse me, but who the hell are you to dictate how other people enjoy their entertainment? Who the hell are ANY of you people to dictate how other people enjoy their entertainment? I'm seeing a lot of snobby, stuck-up comments like the one I quoted all over this thread, and my message to these people... would get me modded, so I won't actually say it, but the polite version is stop it. Other people enjoying a game in a different way than you did doesn't change how much you enjoy the game with your "hardcorez" settings. For fuck's sake, get over yourselves. You all thoroughly disgust me.
No, Far Cry 3 was ridiculously easy at Hard because the developers fucked up. Easy mode is there to cater to the casuals, Hard mode is supposed to be hard. If Hard mode isn't hard, that's not the fault of Easy mode or casuals, it's the fault of developers who did a shitty job of making their Hard mode actually hard.
And once again, those instances are the fault of the developer, not the casuals. They made the game incorrectly and THEY should be the ones getting bashed by teh hardcorez gamerz, not the casuals.
Anyway, 5 episodes next week? Thank god for you indeed, Jim! I look forward to seeing what 4 games are covered on Monday through Thursday before The Walking Dead's Friday episode.
Quite a few people may not care much for the online aspect and just want an easy trip to the lore and story and I can sorta get behind that.
It must be kept in mind that the souls series is not just a hardcore action rpg for hardcore fans, its a hardcore action rpg that hardcore fans can play together against other hardcore fans. Its a niche game that lets niche fans play together and that nearly never happens anymore.
The games difficulty is integral to the social aspect of it. A hugely important factor that has bonded its players together. I've meet so many people in this game and had so many experiences because of it.
I've invaded and been invaded by a lot of players who sent me a message congratulating me for the victory, telling me it was a good fight when I lost, asking me where one of my weapons or hard to get spells they saw me use could be found. I was once invaded and killed feet away from a boss gate, asked that same player for assistance on said boss and received it. I've made friends this way. I've made friends on an online game after brutally getting killed by these people or killing them in their worlds.
This is totally unlike the random people you meet on Xbox live's other multiplayer games. Good people play souls games, I don't want to see that become like call of duty's multiplayer. Filled with hyperactive swearing kids.
If easy mode turned off the multiplayer this would sort of make the above a moot point, but I still would rather people just got better so more people could hang out at the top.
>implying that people care that you place that much value you in the game
>implying that some guy on the internet should dictate who values what in the game
>implying that people will give a damn
and i believe i have won
Maybe is THIS why people dont want Dark Souls to have easy mode?
So, people can't enjoy the game for reasons other than it's difficulty?
I agree with jim, and have argued as such on these forums before. About all I have to say about that...
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If you have not decided on the colour for your walls or cabinets then that may be the best place to start. Would you like your RAL Yellow grey Splashbacks to complement or contrast your walls for example?
Some tips on chosing the right coloured splashback for your kitchen or bathroom.
You catch it, we'll match it! Using our colour catcher mobile app you can use your mobile device's camera to capture any colour.
Once you have found the perfect colour for your kitchen splashback our app will take you directly to the closest glass splashback colour we have on our system.
Our app is of course only as reliable as your phone's camera so it may be an idea to either order a sample or visit your local paint store to pick up a paint sample to check.


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I've been on a recent obsession with classic caesar salads with anchovies and all. I know some would turn their noses to anchovies, but I love those little suckers. Salty and fishy. Yum. It's the anchovies that make the caesar salad dressing. Not the shaved parmesan. Not the croutons. It's the anchovies. I think it's blasphemy to call a caesar salad dressing when the little fishies are omitted. I just doesn't taste the same. Caesar salads are nostalgic to me. It reminds me of our days living in the Parnassus library at the UCSF campus studying pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, and pharmcotherapeutics. We would be the first ones there and the last ones to close down the library. And like any library, we weren't allowed to eat there (at least not to their knowledge). We definitely had our fair share of Pringles chips, coca-cola flavored gummies, boba tea, sodas, coffee, chocolate, chips, and more. When we were finally craving real food , we walked down to Pluto's on Irving and 8th Avenue, and I always ordered the steak caesar salad. The steak was over cooked and tough, but the dressing. Wow. And when the croutons soaked up all the dressing at the bottom. Oh em gee.
Classic Caesar Salad with Steak
1 teaspoon garlic, smashed into a paste
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
6 anchovy fillets, mashed into a paste with fork
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 large raw or coddled egg yolks
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 romaine hearts, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices, rinsed, and dried very well
If you can't stomach the raw egg component of this recipe, try making a coddled egg, which essentially is an egg cooked briefly in boiling water. The taste of coddled egg yolks is similar to that of a raw egg. It's just not as raw as a raw egg 🙂 To make a coddled egg, place whole eggs into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 1 minute. Crack eggs and separate whites from yolks.
Mince the garlic, and then sprinkle a little salt over the minced garlic on your cutting board. With your chef's knife in hand, press and crush the garlic with the knife on an angle. The salt draws out the liquid from the garlic, but also acts as an abrasive to mash the garlic into a paste. Continue this until a paste is formed.
Finely chop or mince the anchovy filets. Mash the anchovies into a fine paste using the back of a fork. Continue doing this until you have a smooth anchovy paste to work with.
In a large bowl, whisk together garlic paste, anchovy paste, and lemon juice. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Whisk in Worcestershire, dijon mustard, and egg yolks. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the extra virgin olive oil until the dressing has completely emulsified. Add 1/2 cup of Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, then whisk until completely combined.
To serve, plate the romaine lettuce and croutons. Drizzle dressing overtop each serving, then sprinkle liberally with Parmigiano-Reggiano.


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I received a telephone call from David Greenwalt of Leanness Lifestyle yesterday, just as I was leaving the office for the day. We spoke for over 60 minutes. We mainly spoke about my ultra-running, my addiction to alcohol and the carbs.
Dave told me that if he didn't know my history with food and diets, etc. and was given two minutes to create an eating plan for me, that based on running 50+ miles per week he would develop a plan consisting of 60% of carbs and approximately 2400 calories a day. I've eaten that EXACT diet before and gained weight by the pounds. BUT, since he knows what my body does with carbs...HOARDS every calorie and will not burn for energy..he knows to create a different plan.
He told me that 33% of the women he comes across have a hard time losing fat with carbohydrates. He did admit that he hasn't come across an ultra runner who runs 50+ miles a week. We are working through the plan.
Last week, because I had a 32 mile training run, and just because I wanted some yummy cream of wheat, I decided to add ONE ..yes..ONE (complex) carb meal a day. Guess what happened? My weight completely stalled. Haven't loss 1/10 of a pound in 5 days. Yupper. I ran 49 miles, RT 3 sessions, and calorie average of 1209. I didn't take a splurge meal because I wanted to see 143 so damn bad. Didn't see it.
This next week I am creating an aggressive plan. I know that I will be running a 50 mile training run on Saturday so that will be my high of 1500 calories, all other days are 1100-1300. The plan calls for 650 minutes of exercise. No problem. There will be non-coniferous carbs only on the training run. I will stick to fruits/veggies otherwise.
I'll be watching the scale today-Saturday AM just to see what happens.
Oh, so, I am in Bootcamp Intensive 2 and told Dave I want a VERY AGGRESSIVE 5 weeks. Now, my 100 mile ultramarathon is April 16 and BCI-2 begins April 6. Don't know what the 2 day carb fest of ultra running will do to my body. We shall see. Wouldn't a 'normal' person lose some weight runnning 100 miles...sorry, I can't help but have those thoughts!
Dave made a strong point to let him know what the complex carb cut does with to my training sessions.He wants to know if this diminishes my workouts in any manner. I hadn't noticed any change in training with the veggies/fruits carbs. Other than taste. I mean, isn't Cream of Wheat with a T of natural peanut butter JUST THE BEST...or is that just me?
It's amazing what the body adapts to. My body has adapted to thinking running 50+ miles a week is totally acceptable..a walk on the beach.
Which reminds me, Dave said that my vouchers for airfare and hotel are in the mail..I may be heading to the beach. I hope he dangles that carrot in front of us for BCI-2!


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Salaam and Greetings of Peace:
Who are the hundred most influential intellectuals in the world? After nearly half a million votes, the British monthly, Prospect, and the American magazine Foreign Policy, publish their new list.
Alhamdulillah! Muslims make up the top ten spots.
Number one is the Turkish writer and the Sufi thinker Fethullah Gülen. who is the prizewinner. He is followed by nine other thinkers of the Muslim world: Nobel Peace Prize winners Muhammad Yunus (second) and Shirin Ebadi (tenth), Nobel Prize winner for literature Orhan Pamuk (fourth), as well as Pakistani Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan (fifth), Egyptian televangelist Amr Khaled (sixth), Iranian reformer and Rumi scholar Abdolkarim Soroush (seventh), Tariq Ramadan (eighth), Islamist preacher Youssef al-Qaradawi (third), and Columbia University Professor Mahmood Mamdani (ninth).
Read the rest for yourselves and Google their biographies and writings for your children. Inshallah, this is the beginning of another Muslim Age of Enlightenment.
The hundred most influential intellectuals can be found HERE.
– Edited from the Sufi News and Sufism World Report blog of Thursday, June 26, 2008.
Ya Haqq!


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J-Byrd (13-Year-Old) - Green And Yellow (Over Wiz Khalifa's Black & Yellow) [Tribute To The Green Bay Packers] [Unsigned Hype]
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Imagine a square tile with four numbers on it, one on each edge. We will call these edges north, east, south, and west.
If the four numbers were [1 5 7 9], this vector would be displayed with the numbers going around clockwise from the north like so:
1 9 5 7
But the tile can appear in four different orientations. Let's say that when the north is 1, then the first number appears in the north position. If north is 2, then the second number appears in the north position, and so on. So if the tile numbers are [1 5 7 9] and the orientation parameter north is 3, then it would display like so, since 7 is the third number:
7 5 9 1
The numbers you are given will always be one or two digit positive integers. You must return a 3-by-6 character array that fits this template:
where dots are used to indicate spaces (ASCII 32). One digit numbers should be right aligned. In the example given immediately above, the output should look like this:
Inputs t = [1 5 7 9], north = 3 Output is [' 7 ' ' 5 9' ' 1 ']
I solved the problem using repmat but it gives a message that
"There was an issue submitting your solution
Remove inappropriate content. For guidelines, see About Cody"
Can anybody help me out ......
awesome problem!
I might have misunderstood the statement, but to me the second test is wrong and td should be defined by
td = [' 8 '
' 5 27'
' 46 '];
I believe the test is correct; if north is 4 then the fourth number (46 for test 2) should appear in the north position (not 8, which is the second number)
Ah! I misunderstood the question then; I thought that there was a rotation in directions according to the north parameter, whereas the latter indicates which of the four numbers should be placed in the north position.


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Cellular physiology is an area in which mathematical techniques are greatly needed and research opportunities abound. It is a vital part of the rapidly growing field of mathematical biology.
The goal of the course will be to prepare qualified participants to start collaborative interdisplinary research in the area. The course has two main components. One component deals with the science of mathematical biology, and covers
The second component is designed to provide the participants with the 'soft skills' needed to in a multidisciplinary research collaboration, and involves
The overall goal of the course will be to familiarize the participants with specific mindset and style of the field of the modern mathematical biology, and to enable them to start working in the field on their own. The overall structure of the course will be three lectures per day (two in the morning, one after lunch) followed by a working problem solving/discussion.
An important feature of this course will be the problem solving sessions. For these the instructors will choose several biological problems from "hot" fields (e.g., signal transduction, biochemical regulation), collectively identify corresponding modeling problems, "brain-storm" the model, formulate model equations and delineate their solutions, analyze the solutions together. An attempt will be made so that these sessions represent a realistic demonstration of the interaction between theoreticians and experimentalists.
Additional lectures, meant to provide the participants with valuable insights into the field, are more informational in nature,and will be more in the format of discussion sessions. An invaluable part of the program will be informal discussions with the participants, in which the instructors will help them to bridge their own current mathematical research with biological applications and suggest ways to find collaborators and new topics.
Textbook resources for this material: