text:
é um personagem fictício e tritagonista principal da série de  anime e mangá Ranma ½. Ele é apresentado como um garoto sem nenhum senso de direção com uma maldição que o transforma em um pequeno porco preto quando ele se molha com água fria mas retorna a ser humano ao se molhar com água quente. Também é o primeiro e mais longo rival do protagonista Ranma Saotome.

Aparições

Ranma ½
Algum tempo antes do início da série, Ryoga e Ranma estudavam juntos em uma escola particular para garotos na cidade de Tóquio. Durante a hora do lanche Ranma vivia roubando a comida de Ryoga e por isso os dois marcaram um duelo em um terreno atrás da casa de Ryoga. Contudo, no dia marcado, Ryoga errou o caminho e só apareceu três dias depois. Durante esse tempo, Ranma e seu pai Genma começaram uma jornada de treinamento e Ryoga resolveu partir para encontrá-lo. Ao chegar na China, mais precisamente na área de fontes amaldiçoadas em Jusenkyo, ele acidentalmente é atropelado por Ranma em sua forma feminina e cai dentro da Fonte do Porquinho Preto Afogado, Eitonnichuan. A partir desse momento Ryoga passa a se transformar em um porquinho preto sempre que se molha com água fria e volta a ser humano ao se molhar com água quente. Apesar da maldição ele continua sua busca por Ranma e retorna ao Japão algumas semanas depois. Ele chega a Tokyo e com algum esforço consegue fazer com que Ranma se lembrasse quem ele era. Uma semana depois os dois batalham e Ryoga acaba descobrindo que Ranma também foi amaldiçoado em Jusenkyo, além de acidentalmente cortar parte do cabelo de Akane, fato que levou Ranma a parar a luta. Durante a noite do mesmo dia, Ryoga, que estava transformado em porco devido a uma chuva, vai até a casa dos Tendo onde Akane o encontra. Ela pede a Ranma que desse banho no porquinho e assim que ele é colocado na água quente Ryoga aparece. Ele conta a Ranma que uma garota o derrubou na Fonte do Porquinho Preto Afogado e logo percebe que Ranma era aquela garota. Ryoga então ataca o Ranma mas é molhado com água fria e se transforma em porco. Akane o encontra novamente e, sem saber sua verdadeira identidade, resolve batizá-lo de P-chan, seu novo mascote. Após ter sido beijado no focinho Ryoga se apaixona por Akane pois ela foi a única pessoa, além de seus pais, que lhe mostrou carinho e afeição. Sua rivalidade com Ranma aumenta quando ele descobre que este é noivo de Akane.

Conforme a história continua, Ryoga frequentemente parte em viagens de treinamento mas sempre retorna a Tokyo para testar suas habilidades em Ranma ou tentar declarar seu amor por Akane. Ele também se une a outros personagens, como Mousse e o próprio Ranma, para procurar curas para a sua maldição e enfrentar vilões como Taro e Herb. Uma de suas lutas mais marcantes foi contra Lime, um dos servos de Herb. Após ter sido estrangulado pelo oponente sua alma chegou ao paraíso onde ele conheceu seus avós. Se recusando a morrer sem ser amado, Ryoga de alguma forma consegue retornar ao seu corpo e vencer Lime utilizando seu ataque mais poderoso, o Super Golpe do Rugido do Leão. Em uma de suas viagens ele conhece uma garota chamada Akari Unryu cuja família treina porcos para lutarem sumô. Quando Ryoga derrota Katsunishiki, o mais fortes dos porcos da família Unryu, Akari se apaixona por Ryoga. Ela também descobre sua maldição mas devido a sua admiração por porcos ela passa a amá-lo ainda mais. Os dois começam a ter encontros e a paixão que Ryoga tinha por Akane diminui com o tempo. Ao final do mangá, Ryoga e vários outros personagens viajam a Jusenkyo para retirarem suas maldições em fontes especiais mas se envolvem nos planos de Saffron, uma criatura meio homem meio fênix cujo objetivo era mudar o curso de todas as fontes amaldiçoadas para criar uma fonte que o fizesse atingir sua vida adulta. O grupo consegue derrotá-lo mas todos ficam incapazes de se curar pois Saffron misturou a água das fontes durante a batalha. De volta ao Japão, Ranma e Akane finalmente planejam se casar. Ryoga se despede dos dois e parte pensando em Akari mas acaba se perdendo e acidentalmente retorna a casa dos Tendo.

Aparições em outras mídias
Fora do mangá e do anime Ryoga aparece em 12 dos 13 OVAs da série, bem como nos filmes Ranma ½: Grande confusão em Nekonron!! e Ranma ½: Nihao minha concubina!! e nos especiais de TV. Ele também marcou presença em todos os jogos da série Ranma ½, como personagem jogável, NPC ou chefe. Mais recentemente Ryoga foi mostrado nos minigames e vídeos de Fever Ranma ½, um jogo para pachinko. Também é um personagem jogável em Sunday x Magazaine: White Comic. Ryoga e Mousse são vistos ajustando holofotes no videoclipe da música "A Pure and Honest Christmas" do grupo musical DoCo, que faz apresentações através dos personagens Ranma na forma feminina, Akane, Shampoo, Nabiki e Kasumi, cena mostrada no segundo OVA. Ele também possui vários temas musicais como "His 'n' Her Suffering", "P-Chan's Dilemma" e "Ranma vs. Ryoga" e seu próprio single chamado "Querida Akane". Por volta do final do filme Speed Racer um chaveiro de P-Chan é visto dentre as coisas que caíram do bolso de um personagem.

Criação e desenvolvimento
Rumiko criou Ryoga para ser o maior rival de Ranma mas também um personagem que simpatizasse com o público feminino e infantil. Ela o fez seguindo a ideia de criar personagens que se transformam em animais para dar graça ao mangá e deixá-lo parecido com um conto de fadas e planejou Ryoga com uma personalidade "idiota" pois esse tipo de personagem é o seu favorito. Ela também o fez como um personagem que sempre mostra suas emoções para que fosse mais fácil desenhá-lo. Rumiko ainda comentou que gostava de desenhar o Ryoga em seus momentos de timidez por que ela mesmo se sentia tímida nesses momentos. Por fim, para nomear o personagem Rumiko escolheu o nome Ryoga, que significa "grande presa", devido ao fato de que Ryoga possui caninos pontudos que parecem presas.

Personalidade
A característica mais marcante de Ryoga é a sua falta de senso de direção, um problema que existe em toda a sua família. Ele se esquece facilmente dos caminhos que já percorreu, é incapaz de ler mapas e tem dificuldades em seguir a direção que outras pessoas apontam, fatos que o obrigam a viver como nômade. Para compensar esse problema ele sempre viaja com um objetivo em mente e por isso nunca desiste por mais perdido que esteja. Conforme a história avança ele conta com a ajuda de seu cachorro Preto e Branco para guiá-lo. Ryoga também é apresentado como uma pessoa muito emotiva e escuta mais seu coração do que sua cabeça. Ele geralmente é tímido, nervoso e educado, especialmente perto de mulheres, e costumava ser muito depressivo por nunca ter sido amado e por sofrer ataques de animais e pessoas quando se transforma em porco. Em algumas ocasiões seu desespero por afeição fazem que ele se transforme em P-chan propositalmente para poder dormir ao lado de Akane. Essa depressão diminui um pouco quando ele conhece Akari mas ele se importa muito com comentários alheios e por isso se frustra facilmente. Ryoga também é um garoto muito honroso e generoso que está disposto a ajudar qualquer pessoa, inclusive seu rival Ranma. Além de tudo, ele demonstra uma grande inocência e por isso é facilmente manipulado por outros personagens.

Poderes e habilidades
Ryoga é um lutador excepcional e um dos guerreiros mais fortes da série mas não consegue utilizar sua capacidade máxima em algumas ocasiões por se deixar levar pela raiva, apesar de que quando motivado suas habilidades aumentam consideravelmente. Seu treinamento começou para enfrentar Ranma mas se intensificou após cair na Fonte do Porquinho Preto Afogado pois ele teve que aprender a se defender na forma de porco. Esse é um dos fatores pelos quais ele opta por treinamentos que aumentem sua força física ao ponto de ser sobre humana. Ele também possui uma grande resistência devido a um treinamento com Cologne em que várias pedras gigantes foram arremessadas em sua direção enquanto ele ficava pendurado em uma árvore. Ademais, Ryoga apresenta velocidade e agilidade muito maiores do que as de uma pessoa normal apesar de ser mais lento do que Ranma e Mousse. Ao se transformar em P-chan esses dois fatores aumentam devido ao seu pequeno tamanho mas sua força diminui.

Ryoga opta por lutar com suas próprias habilidades físicas mas domina duas técnicas: o  e o . O Ponto de Ruptura ele aprendeu com Cologne e consiste em rastrear com sua mente o ponto mais sensível de um corpo sólido e depois atingi-lo com seu dedo indicador fazendo-o explodir automaticamente. A única falha dessa técnica é que ela não funciona em seres humanos ou animais e por isso não pode ser utilizada para atacar um inimigo. Ele logo aprende com um minerador o Golpe do Rugido do Leão que é gerado a partir de um Ki pesado que ele cria deixando seu coração pesado através de sentimentos ruins como depressão, solidão, frustração, dor e desespero. O golpe inicialmente se materializa como um globo mas evolui para um raio e posteriormente para uma onda de energia flutuante que depois atinge Ryoga e tudo ao redor dele como uma enorme pilastra. Na última ocasião, para não ser ferido por seu próprio ataque ele precisa manter seu Ki ausente para criar uma espécie de campo de força. Ao atingir sua versão mais poderosa o golpe passa a se chamar Super Golpe do Rugido do Leão e se torna uma gigantesca explosão capaz de destruir florestas e montanhas por completo. A cor do ataque já variou entre vermelho e azul. Por um curto período de tempo Ryoga possuiu em sua barriga a Marca dos Deuses, um símbolo que lhe garantia força suprema sobre todos os seres humanos, que ele recebeu de um mestre em Caligrafia Marcial. Ryoga, entretanto, considerou a Marca dos Deuses como algo ruim pois o símbolo era um rosto mostrando sua língua, o que lhe deixava envergonhado. O único modo de retirá-lo era ser derrotado por alguém que superasse sua força. Para isso foi necessário que Ryoga se humilhasse na frente de várias mulheres, ficando em estado de choque e permitindo que Ranma o derrotasse.

Além de suas habilidades e técnicas, Ryoga carrega consigo um pesado guarda-chuva que serve como arma, escudo ou proteção contra água fria. Ele também possui em seu arsenal um grande estoque de bandanas que conseguem cortar madeira e pedra.

Recepção
Ryoga, tanto na forma humana quanto como P-Chan, foi e ainda é alvo de mercadorias como pelúcias, bonecos, chapéus, dioramas e etc.

Muitas publicações em diversas mídias tem criticado Ryoga positivamente. Em uma pesquisa do site Henshin foi feita a pergunta "Qual é a melhor transformação em Ranma ½?" e a transformação de Ryoga em porco ficou em segundo lugar com 20,65% dos votos. O site também brincou com o personagem dizendo que mesmo ele perdendo para Ranma em popularidade, Ryoga sempre terá um lugar garantido na cama de Akane. Enquanto explicava o sangramento nasal comum em animes, o Anime News Network mostrou que esse problema geralmente ocorre quando um personagem têm algum pensamento malicioso e que até o inocente Ryoga pode já passou por essa experiência. Em uma crítica à quinta temporada do anime, o site notou que o encontro de Ryoga com o Gato Fantasma é uma história fofa e engraçada pois após ter sido possuído pelo felino Ryoga finalmente se declarou para Akane. O DVD Talk comentou sobre como sua relação com Azusa, uma garota que adora Ryoga em sua forma de P-Chan e o chama de Charlotte, consegue provocar várias risadas especialmente quando Ryoga é chamado de Charlotte ou forçado a usar um colar rosa. Durante uma entrevista Rumiko Takahashi contou que Ryoga é um dos seus personagem preferidos e seu favorito de Ranma ½. Ryoga e Ranma foram colocados na lista "Os Melhores Amigos-Inimigos", do Anime News Network, por causa do desenvolvimento que os dois tiveram em sua amizade. Em uma pesquisa do mesmo site, fãs de anime e mangá votaram em que habilidade especial eles gostariam de ter em troca de um ponto fraco. As habilidades de Ryoga com sua falta de senso de direção ficaram em segundo lugar.

O Golpe do Rugido do Leão de Ryoga é um dos golpes mais bem criticados da série. O Mania Entertainment elogiou o arco da história que envolve o Golpe do Rugido do Leão por apresentar o verdadeiro poder de Ryoga e divertir os fãs do personagem. Esse mesmo arco foi classificado como um dos melhores da sétima temporada da série pelo DVD Talk. Em uma revisão de Ranma ½: Nihao minha concubina!! o THEM Anime Reviews considerou o filme um tanto entediante mas a performance do Golpe do Rugido do Leão quando Ryoga enfrenta Sarutoru foi dita como "algo que vale a pena".

Personagens de Ranma ½
Tritagonistas
Artistas marciais fictícios
Porcos fictícios
Manipuladores de Ki na ficção
Personagens com superforça


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Q: Adding a target="_blank" with execCommand 'createlink' I am attempting to create a mini WYSIWYG editor for a custom CMS. It has the option to add and remove links. It adds links fine, but would like to have the option to add target="_blank" to the hyperlink. Also, if possible, I would like to be able to add alt="" and title="".
At the moment this is my code:
function addLink() {
    var linkURL = prompt('Enter a URL:', 'http://');
    editorWindow.document.execCommand('createlink', false, linkURL);
}

Been looking around, and can't seem to find a solution. Most of the solutions I've seen say to add:
function addLink() {
    var linkURL = prompt('Enter a URL:', 'http://');
    var newLink = editorWindow.document.execCommand('createlink', false, linkURL);
    newLink.target = "_blank";
}

But this doesn't seem to work. Any suggestions?

A: I know this thread is quite old, but let me throw my 2 cents in, and maybe someone will find this useful ;)
I'm working on a WYSIWYG editor too As I found the accepted solution fails for me when I try to make a link from a selected image in FF (the getSelection().getRangeAt(0) returns the image's parent div and treats the image as it never wasn't there (this is how I see it)), here's a dirty but working (and, I think, it's turbo-cross-browser) idea I came up with (jQuery):
//somewhere before losing the focus:
sel = window.getSelection().getRangeAt(0);

//reselecting:
window.getSelection().addRange(sel);

//link:
document.execCommand('createLink', false, 'LINK_TO_CHANGE');
$('a[href="LINK_TO_CHANGE"').attr('target', '_blank');
//any other attr changes here
$('a[href="LINK_TO_CHANGE"').attr('href', theRealHref);

Is it good idea? Works like a charm. And this simplicity ^^

A: I was able to find a solution. Don't know if this is the right way to go, but it works. Following https://stackoverflow.com/a/5605841/997632, this is what I used for my code to work:
function addLink() {
    var linkURL = prompt('Enter a URL:', 'http://');
    var sText = editorWindow.document.getSelection();

    editorWindow.document.execCommand('insertHTML', false, '' + sText + '');
}

Just in case anyone else is looking and stumbles upon this...

A: Since, there is no straightforward cross-browser solution, one cross-browser workaround could be programatically attaching an event handler to a inside your editor:
var aLinks = Array.prototype.slice.call(editorElement.querySelectorAll('a'));
aLinks.forEach(function(link) {
      link.addEventListener('click', function() {
          window.open(link.href, '_blank');
      });
});

A: insertHTML can be frustrated if you have a bold or italic before.
I use the following approach:

var url = 'example.com';
var selection = document.getSelection();
document.execCommand('createLink', true, url);
selection.anchorNode.parentElement.target = '_blank';

A: Nobody seems to mention that as per specs, the document has to be in the design mode:
document.designMode = "on";

Then the following should work:
var url = 'http://google.com';
var selection = document.getSelection();
document.execCommand('createLink', true, url);

A: The execCommand'createLink' does not always work. It will sometimes wrap the link text inside a link.
i.e
label

Resulting the html link code appearing in the document and the link not working.
in this case ues execCommand 'insertHTML'
 val=`<a href="`+val+`" target="_blank">`+label+`</a>`
//document.execCommand('createLink', false, val);
 document.execCommand('insertHTML', false, val);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Two Books on CRPG Histories
About a month and a half ago, in response to my posting on Ultima IV and virtue, a reader recommended that I try the book Dungeons & Dreamers (2003) by Brad King and John Borland. While I was ordering it from Amazon, I also purchased Dungeons & Desktops (2008) by Matt Barton, a prolific writer on old games who also maintains a blog. During my month of traveling, I had a lot of plane trips on which to read these books, consider them, and take notes.
Barton's book is a methodical and chronological history of CRPGs from their precursors through a few years ago. He divides his history into six "ages," which are quite sensible and useful:
The "Dark Age" from 1974-1979 when dozens of programmers were writing mini CRPGs for university computer systems.
The "Bronze Age" from 1979-1983 when commercial CRPGs were getting their legs and figuring themselves out. Akalabeth and Temple of Apshai are exemplars of this era.
The "Silver Age" from 1983-1985, when the first landmark CRPGs--Wizardry and Ultima among them--appeared.
The "Golden Age" from 1985-1993, when the number and variety of CRPGs exploded, including The Bard's Tale, Ultima IV, and the D&D "gold box" games.
The "Platinum Age" from 1996-2001, which saw what Barton believes (and I agree) to be the best CRPGs yet designed, including the two Baldur's Gate games and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
The "Modern Age," with an emphasis on high-resolution graphics and a shift to more online multiplayer games.
Barton is occasionally dry in his methodical progression through the chronology of games. He describes them fully but rarely stops to consider broader themes and tropes. Except for some skimming and selective jumping around to my favorite games, I decided to stop reading once I caught up to the games I've played so far as part of this blog. I'll probably refer to Barton's book occasionally in future postings as I read his comments on those games.
King and Borland's book is in some ways more interesting to read but extremely selective in its material. It's basically a biography of Richard Garriott (the real-life "Lord British") with a few stories from other games thrown in. If someone knew nothing about computer gaming and simply read this book, he would think that the history of computer gaming progressed from nothing to the Ultima series to Doom to Quake and then the world was awash in multi-player games. The beginning of the book talks about the development of the paper Dungeons & Dragons RPG but says nothing about CRPGs based directly on D&D. Hundreds of games vital to the development of the genre (Wizardry, Baldur's Gate, the Elder Scrolls series, Fallout), not to mention hundreds of non-CRPGs (the book presumes to cover every type of game, really) are not mentioned at all. What they do cover, however, is meticulously researched, specific, and valuable.
While neither of my brief reviews is exactly a ringing endorsement, I am grateful to both of these books for filling a lot of holes regarding the games I'm playing. Here are some nuggets from them that explain some mysteries of CRPGs I've already reviewed:
Barton makes a useful distinction about the difference between CRPGs and regular RPGs: "It is easy to get carried away and assume that CRPGs are little more than computerized adaptations of D&D. This claim disregards one of the most critical aspects of conventional D&D--namely, the playacting...though it's certainly possible for a CRPG fan to pretend to be his character, even going so far as to dress the part, it is doubtful indeed whether his computer is capable of appreciating these antics" (p. 23).
Given the amount of material he gave to King and Borland, Richard Garriott seems like an honestly cool guy. He comes across that way in his biography, too. This is a man who combined his love for programming and RPGs into a fantastic series of games and got rich enough doing so that he could afford to visit the International Space Station as a tourist. It's too bad his latest endeavors haven't turned out so well.
Garriott in his flight suit [source].
Lord British got his nickname at computer camp when some boys knocked on his door and he greeted them with a formal "hello" instead of a less formal "hi." Coincidentally, he was born in England but had lived in the U.S. since he was a baby (King & Borland, 12).
Great quote about the development of an early game called Spacewar! at MIT: "Tens of millions of dollars in U.S. Department of Defense funding poured into computer research labs at MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and Stanford, earmarked for serious research, while recipients of the funding spend hundreds of hours figuring out better ways to model space battles" (King & Borland, 26).
There was a game called Avatar kicking about university PLATO systems in the 1970s (King & Borland, 29). While the authors don't say this game directly influenced Garriott, it's hard to see how it didn't.
An enigmatic character named "Dr. Cat" who makes an appearance in a couple of Ultima games is based on a real programmer--just as enigmatic--named David Shapiro (King & Borland, p. 28). Similarly, Dupre, your erstwhile paladin companion from Ultima IV onward, is the Society for Creative Anachronisms nickname for one of Garriott's friends, Greg Dykes (p. 49); Chuckles the jester is based on Origin Systems programmer Chuck Bueche (p. 68).
Ultima was originally titled Ultimatum but was changed because a board game carried the same title (King & Borland, p. 47). The first Ultima, published by California Pacific Computing, was barely released before the company went bankrupt (p. 50).
Garriott had difficulty finding a publisher for Ultima II because he insisted that the game be sold with a cloth map similar to the one that appeared in the film Time Bandits (Barton, p. 66).
Garriott was influenced by the success of Wizardry in making sure that Ultima III was a multi-character game. Barton calls Ultima III "one of the most important CRPGs ever made and the pinnacle of the Silver Age" (p. 68).
The Bard's Tale was the first game series to generate a series of fantasy novels (Barton, p. 93). [Edit from 03/05/2012: I was wrong about this. Barton mentions a successful series of eight novels but does not say that BT was "the first".]
Garriott conceived Ultima IV after getting a lot of angry letters from Christian groups and concerned parents saying his games were corrupting America's youth. While he didn't really take these seriously, it did get him thinking about adding morality to games, as in previous Ultimas, "players came into the world, killed virtually everything they saw, stole money from anyone or anything that had it, and walked off with smiles on their faces. Who was really the evil one, after all?" (King & Borland, p. 73). The principles of virtue--truth, love, and courage--are based on the characters from The Wizard of Oz.
The subgenre of "Rogue-like" computer games split off from regular CRPGs early, when efforts to sell the game commercially failed due to widespread piracy. To this day, most "Roguelike" games are noncommercial (Barton, p. 35).
The books have a curious view of the utility and pervasiveness of CRPGs. Consider this quote from Barton:
"CRPGs are not only the most fun and addictive type of computer game, but possibly the best learning tool ever designed. They are truly grand adventures with real rewards for dedicated players" (p. 3).
Despite Barton's attempt to back up this bold statement with quotes from other authors and psychologists, I don't buy it. "Fun and addictive," sure, but not the rest. Look, as I've said before, I'm investing hundreds of hours into this blog and this project, and I more than anyone have a vested interest in believing that what I'm doing isn't just a grand waste of time. But aside from the interesting virtue system of Ultima IV, I can't honestly say that I've "learned" much from my time spent in CRPGs--however, this is a topic that I will explore in some detail (and solicit your comments on) later. Similarly, after I finish a marathon night of CRPG gaming, all I have to show for it is bleary eyes and eight undone tasks that I could have done in that time frame. If there are "real rewards," they've yet to show up at my door.
King and Borland don't have any quotes quite as provocative, but the subtitle of their book is interesting: "the rise of computer game culture from geek to chic." Again, as much as I'd like to believe that all this gaming is making me hip and stylish, I really don't see this "rise." Speaking about RPGs, King and Borland note that among a culture at computer camp, "They shared an implicit understanding that computers, programming, technology, fantasy, and role-playing games were okay. They weren't nerdy, dorky, or strange" (p. 14). That's great for this subculture, but I think for 75% of the world, gaming--and especially CRPGs--are still nerdy, dorky, and strange.
It is partly due to this fact that I have kept myself anonymous on this blog. It's not so much that I care that you know who I am (frankly, I've said enough about my life that a dedicated sleuth could figure it out from my postings) as that I don't want people from my profession stumbling upon this blog and asking how I could possibly have time to play all these games, and write about them, when I'm three months behind on half a dozen projects. If, in contrast, I announced to my boss that I planned to spend all weekend watching sports, or kayaking, or attending a rock concert, I would not get the same comment because these activities are "normal." First-person shooters and console games are slightly more respectable in the real world than CRPGs, but not a lot.
I'm not trying to dis CRPGs. I'm addicted to them, I play them a lot, and I love writing about them, but I just can't agree with these authors' contentions that they are teaching me anything, providing any real rewards, or socially acceptable. If I could force myself to give them up and spend as much time practicing the piano, I would.
Well...if I could force myself to give up half the time, maybe.
Labels: Special Topics
Bodach June 6, 2010 at 6:21 PM
Excellent post! You eloquently put forward the dilemma of CRPG lovers who also desire social and professional success outside of the gaming industry.
I myself am a High School teacher and when staff (and students) ask me what my hobbies are I certainly do not tell them 'I like to play Computer Role Playing games for hours on end'. To do so would be professional suicide. Students would lose all respect for me and I would likely be ostracized by fellow teachers.
Again, great post!
Great story, Quip. I could bemoan this state of affairs, but as hypocritical as it is, even *I* tend to make fun of people who spend most of their free time playing computer games. In this, of course, computer gaming joins a long list of things that we all do but still look down on/make fun of others for also doing.
First, I'd like to apologize for threadomancy.
Second, I'd like to apologize for possibly inappropriate post.
You said "things that we all do, but still look down on others for also doing it". It inevitably reminds me that anytime my father saw me playing computer games (of course mostly crpg), he never forgot to sneer and say "masturbating again, huh?".
Either he was a bit of a jerk or you have a very weird way of playing games.
waretaringo June 15, 2015 at 4:59 PM
I totally forgot this comment thread, but I finally have something to contribute. I started at college last fall and one of the classes I had was an Intro to Psych course. Our professor in that class is a total unadulterated gamer nerd and makes no bones about it - though he's primarily a console player. A good ten minutes of most classes would be spent discussing his latest forays into digital worlds.
He'd probably tend to agree with Barton about the *potential* of cRPGS as teaching tools, but they're not often utilized that way by designers whose primary motivations are to make a living doing what they love. On the other side of the spectrum, the makers of edutainment games are often severely hamstrung by what they are and aren't allowed to showcase in the name of knowledge.
I think there's definitely a conversation to be had about bringing the one group's ability and creative resources together with the other's motivation and throwing money at them to see what they come up with. The Extra Credits youtube channel has done a video or two on the topic.
Rusty June 6, 2010 at 11:47 PM
That was a great post! Since I am "the reader" who recommended the "Dungeons & Dreamers" book to you I was very happy and a little bit surprised to see that you so readily bought and read it. Wow!
Anyway, I was (and am) a huge fan of the Ultima games, so I very much enjoyed the Richard Garriott parts of the book. I agree with a lot of your concerns about it, but overall I thought it was a fun and enjoyable read. I would be interested in the opinions of anyone else who has also read it.
And finally, not openly admitting to playing role playing games (computer or paper) is only one item on my hush-hush list - the others being science fiction stories and comic books! Oh well, I certainly enjoy all those things and I am not about to stop now! :-)
I get it. My other items are watching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" repeatedly and having imaginary conversations with Ben Franklin.
Bodach June 8, 2010 at 2:00 AM
I agree with you that most commercial CRPGs are generally devoid of educational merit. However, I agree with Matt Barton in thinking that the *medium* of role playing (both socially and on the computer) is one of the most powerful teaching tools an educator has at their disposal, especially when teaching humanities subjects.
In order to pull off a convincing role-play, a student truly has to own their character, and if you can base that character on a text that you are studying, or on a particular historical setting, then you've got yourself a fun and engaging learning activity that will keep kids captivated and motivated.
I'm actually thinking of leaving the teaching profession and studying I.T. I then want to design educational role playing games tailored specifically for classroom use, developed in close adherence to the (New Zealand) curriculum.
Jared September 4, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Wow, I was thinking about this exact idea. That somehow the "addictive" nature of gaining experience might be applied to teaching. There's a video game that teaches programming with a FRP front end that does it. I was thinking more LARP'ing for the fresh air benefit.
marshalsea September 5, 2012 at 8:34 AM
I'm sure many teachers have wanted to shoot their students.
Quip, I'm with you as far as regular RPGs go, but I don't see how what you're saying applies to CRPGs, because in a CRPG you emphatically DON'T have to "pull off a convincing role-play." That's why I agree with the Barton quote above (first bullet point above LB's picture). Nonetheless, I congratulate you on your idea. I've been to management training sessions in which role playing is used to reinforce management techniques or philosophies, but one of the weaknesses is that they're over too quickly. Perhaps a longer "game" would better internalize certain key lessons.
That's a good point and an important distinction to make. The social aspects of role playing are certainly the key to their being effective educational tools.
I think though that the technology we have now is at a point that educational institutions can effectively and dramatically incorporate CRPGs into the curriculum, provided there is sufficient investment in educational software.
When I was a kid at primary school (elementary school in the states) my class undertook a computer role playing exercise that spanned several weeks. The topic was Captain Cook's voyages in the Pacific. Each child was given the character of a particular member of Cook's crew (I was a private in the marines, I still remember that!). The computer software (on old Apple IIes no less: green screens and all :)) plotted out our voyages and gave us scenarios that we had to play out. We had to make logistical and tactical decisions, but the computer ultimately acted as 'dungeon master', mercilessly killing half of us off when we made a bad decision to resupply in a malarial zone... Now, all these years later, that computer role playing experience is probably the most vivid and powerful thing I remember from my primary school days (aside from the school play, which was another RPG of a sort :)). If that sort of learning experience was possible with late eighties hardware, imagine what we could make now with today's technology.
So I agree with you that it's the social aspects of role playing that make for the truly valuable learning experiences, but I think computers can play a significant role in facilitating those experiences too.
AD June 9, 2010 at 8:10 AM
Quip: I truly wish you the best of luck/skill. That sounds brilliant. Computers are great arbitrators. How can a computer show "Favouritisim"? (yes. Kind of a silly question, but in todays mindset it's kind of valid for the majority of the population).
Addict: THANK YOU! Whilst reading your blog, a memory returned.... Temple of Apshai... I *LOVED* playing this on the C64. It wasn't til I saw that brief screen shot that I started thinking. Now I had a search phrase I confirmed that it was my childhood love. Another sleepless night averted.
rizla croix June 14, 2010 at 5:42 AM
i'm quite surprised some of you guys should feel ashamed for playing crpgs. never thought about it that way, at least. people around me either don't give a damn or they play games too and don't really differentiate crpgs vs fps/other all that much.
as far as i remember, when i was a kid and my friend's dad turned out to be an avid Lands of Lore player, he inevitably became my hero too ;).
RPG Phan addict July 9, 2010 at 4:49 AM
I love the site!! I recently started replaying some of my favorite old school CPRG's namely Bard's Tale... Anyways I stumbled... err should I say googled upon your site. Well so far the work you have done is great. I wish I could find a DOS version of ShadowKeep but unfortunately I could only find APPLE II versions which is beyond your RULES!!, Since you are into books a great book to read on this game is a novel by Alan Dean Foster (Warning the Book contains spoilers if you plan on playing the game!!). This can be had on ebay for a few bucks with shipping. This game was released around the Bard's Tale I era in the early 80's its a shame there isn't any dos copy's around, another interesting game released around that time was Xyphus although it wasn't released for PC.
CRPG Addict July 9, 2010 at 3:33 PM
Thanks, fellow addict! I appreciate the recommendation. I was thinking about buying a couple of the CRPG-based books and seeing how good (or awful) they are and doing a post on it. I'll give it a try.
I think the "geek to chic" transformation is a generational one. I'm your age, apparently, Addict, but my profession, as an actor, keeps me in constant contact with people 10 to 20 years my junior. And even the 10 year gap reveals a COMPLETELY different mindset towards computer games. Women my own age were always baffled by my love of computer games, and RPGs. Women in their late 20s, on the other hand (and yes, I appreciate how broad a generalization this is, but it's what I've observed) completely embrace gaming because they grew up with it. I dated a girl a few years back who completely lamented that I had Civ IV installed, and she had to keep playing Civ III. The girl I'm with now, who I intend to marry, was demonstrably "The One" when, one day, in the afterglow, when I assumed I was now obligated to "snuggle", she rolled over and suggested, "Hey, you wanna play Halo?" For many/most born in the 80s, in North America, computer games have surpassed all other forms of entertainment to become the prime way to spend leisure time. From what I've seen, that encompasses both sexes.
CRPG Addict September 19, 2010 at 2:18 AM
You certainly found a keeper, Anon. I agree that part of the problem is a generation gap. I'm almost 40. But knowing it's a generational thing doesn't help because most of the women I'd go for are my age.
Like I said, I'm your age... truth be told, in my adult life I've always tended to date 10 to 15 years younger, though. Maybe the gaming thing explains why.
CRPGs most definitely can be used as teaching tools. While it in no way compares to modern commercial CRPGs, we built a role-playing game to help troubled teens (depressed/suicidal) deal with :
http://reachoutcentral.com.au/
It's essentially one big conversation engine, so it doesn't compare to traditional fantasy CRPGs, but it does track your mood (similar to standard STR/DEX/INT stats) and has an inventory.
The site was a big success - players became quite engaged with it, we received some great feedback from people who said it genuinely helped them through tough times.
CRPG Addict October 13, 2010 at 1:14 AM
Good argument, RM. Just because most games are derivative high-fantasy slogs doesn't mean that the genre CAN'T be used as a teaching tool. However, I think Barton's argument was that commercial CRPG games already ARE teaching tools, which I just can't agree with.
I'll give your game a try when I have a chance. Didn't feel like going through the registration process tonight.
Captain Rufus October 18, 2010 at 6:06 AM
Its funny to see the various comments.
Most people I know play some form of electronic game these days outside of the 40 and up crowd who mostly just seem to care about watching sports. (With larger percentages the younger the age. There are guys I work with who were watching Pokemon on TV. Which is the first year I began my current job type!)
I can't say I hide most of my nerdiness from anyone though. I'm 36 and love RPGs and almost everything dorky.
Heck, I bring D&D rulebooks to read on break, or have my face stuck in a DS, PSP, or Ipod Touch!
Nobody cares and in a few cases its gotten some conversation.
I dunno. I just don't get how anyone should care if someone is doing a harmless pass time or not.
Life is too short and sucky to just do stuff to fit in.
If some people don't like my horde of nerd stuff they can piss off. I do a damned good job at work (to the point of getting citations and having many floor supervisors sigh in relief knowing I am in their pit), and don't hose anyone over.
Its how I gotta be and always will.
Though all the RPG stuff IS good for education. I sucked at math as a kid. RPGs made my math skills improve. I wouldn't have been able to deal at a casino without the initial boosts all those digital numbers and dice rolls had me dealing with.
Add in all the reading it requires and it does have some enriching characteristics.
(Well these older CRPGs did. The newer ones not so much.)
Equla October 19, 2010 at 8:33 AM
First off, I found this blog a few days ago (possibly via a link on the gog.com forums) and like it very much. It's a great read :)
Now I wouldn't agree with the idea that CRPGs are great learning tools as such (the commercial games). I also agree with the arguments that the view of games is a generational thing.
However, being 22, I have to say that it is rarely one of the first things I tell about myself. While I have experienced gradually less ridicule or judgemental attitudes since leaving elementary and even high school, it is still very much in my mind when meeting new people.
I don't advertise my geeky/nerdy sides until I know people fairly well!
One thing about learning and speaking as a non-native user of English - I feel very confident that if I hadn't played so many games, CRPGs among them, my English would not have been nearly as good as early as it was. Granted, I read a lot of pageturner fantasy novels and stuff as well. But the games played a fairly large part as well I think. So regarding language-acquisition I think they can be very useful :)
Any day now I will install a game in German and train that language! Any day now.... any day...
I'll answer this 7 yo thread just to say that CRPG (and games ingeneral) have been instrumental in giving me a good command of English at an early age.
Growing up in Italy, translated games were more the exception than the norm, and playing text heavy games like Ultima VI/VII in my early teens helped me way more in learning the language than English classes at school (for which I had always good grades with zero effort).
By my later teens I was able to basically understand fully games like BG2 and Torment, and that knowledge allowed me later in life to have a internship in the US,finding a professional job in the UK, and today I use it daily when dealing with international customers.
Also, being able to appreciate great blogs like this is a nice perk!
CRPG Addict October 20, 2010 at 12:41 AM
Equla, you and Rizla have really opened my eyes to the language-learning possibilities of CRPGs. Maybe when I get to some of the more familiar games, I'll set the language to Spanish and see if I can't improve a bit. I don't know exactly how much "Atacas a los ojos, Boo, Atacas a los ojos!" will help in Buenos Aires, but I'll be ready.
Zanji January 21, 2011 at 8:16 AM
i recently stumbled across your little project and it's relly interesting to see how gaming looked liked when i was born.
since i was born in the '85s my first gaming experience was the Atari 2600 and then the NES so i missed the whole classic RPGs like Wizadry, M&M and Ultima (but after I started Wizardry 8 i will play 6 and 7 and also the M&M games)
I have to admit that i improved my english really through replaying old console RPGs (Final Fantasy I - VI, Dragon Quest) which are only available in english so i had to sit there with a dictionary just to know what the hell the NPCs try to tell me :) was kinda fun
So Matt Barton was right after all; CRPG _are_ educational. ;-)
Thanks for visiting, Zanji. I'm glad you like the blog and you're discovering some historic gems.
Stories like yours make me feel bad I didn't give Le Maitre des Ames a better try.
cavalier973 March 23, 2011 at 3:45 PM
www.watchtheguild.com
marshalsea June 22, 2011 at 9:25 AM
Sorry, I'm playing catch up still, on one of the best blogs I've read. I love the "asides", like this one, but the comments from everyone and interaction are just making a great blog greater.
I think the younger generation are getting away with it a lot more. Us 30+'ers were the pioneers of Gaming, often ostricised cause we'd rather spend time playing a game than watching a game of football.
I still see watching football matches as only slightly above smashing my face in with a hammer, but you know each to their own... oh but hold on, we weren't afforded that when we were young. But I digress... as always...
I remember back in the mists of 80s, on a BBC B Micro, playing a text adventure/interactive fiction (A new crap name, seemingly devised to attempt to raise it's cultural value.), in which you had to answer various Maths problems to progress. It was an awesome educational tool, it made me go and investigate various maths things that I've remembered ever since. If you want to investigate it was "L An Adventure" and there was also "Granny's Garden", which might have been the follow up.
A new crap name, seemingly devised to attempt to raise its cultural value
Sorry; I know this has very little to do with the actual post, but it was so refreshing to find someone else who shared my feelings about that horrible, sterile, pretentious term "interactive fiction" that I just felt I had to acknowledge it... even if the person in question posted his comment over two years ago and is unlikely ever to see my reply.
marshalsea March 23, 2019 at 7:04 AM
Ha! Glad it touched someone!
Jeez, I made that comment 8 years ago!
THREADMANCY!!!
CRPG Addict June 24, 2011 at 11:02 PM
I'm glad you like the blog, marshalsea. I can't imagine interesting myself in math-oriented text adventures, but I wouldn't mind if someone wrote an application that forced me to complete at least ONE item on my "to do" list before I could play a game that day.
Manolis 13 MnEmp July 10, 2011 at 7:36 PM
"I have to admit that i improved my english really through replaying old console RPGs (Final Fantasy I - VI, Dragon Quest) "
^^^ quote from another comment
Hehe, funny thing that console rpgs are infamous for the exact opposite reason, the bad translation from japanese to english :D :P
On topic, I;ve also bookmarked the amazon links to both books, but I will wait a bit since I have a full "to read" list with computer related books (atm reading Commodork)..
Justin Alexander October 25, 2011 at 6:44 AM
Quick fact check: I just referenced pg. 93 in Barton and he doesn't say Bard's Tale was the first game series to generate a series of fantasy novels.
If he had, he would be incorrect. The first Bard's Tale novels wouldn't be published until 1992. Lynn Abbey's first two Ultima books beat it to market in 1991 and early 1992.
There were also six novels published by Avon and based on the Infocom games in 1989-1991. Four of these were based on Zork.
The Pool of Radiance novels (based on the CRPG) might also count. They were published starting in 1989.
Re: Games as educational experiences. Math and reading skills are obviously improved by early CRPGs, but this is no longer true (since modern games hide the math and rarely require you to read). They certainly have great potential as educational tools, but are probably only slightly more intellectually stimulating than your average television show.
Re: Social acceptability. As others have said, if you're 35 or under at this point there's really no social stigma attached to playing video games.
CRPG Addict March 5, 2012 at 10:29 AM
Justin, I somehow overlooked your comment when you first posted it. I went back and looked at the book, and you're right: he mentions the books but doesn't say they were the first. I edited the text above.
Niceman February 23, 2012 at 9:05 AM
Hmm, well, I'm 30 so I guess I'm on the fence a little. In fact, I sometimes think I'm the so called 'lost generation' stuck between X and Y. As a result though, I think I can empathise with both.
When I grew up, the first games I remember were The Hobbit and Transylvania on my father's Apple Macintosh. Oh, that and also I remember him playing Dark Castle. It was way too hard for me. :)
My first real RPG was Ultima VIII: Pagan when we acquired a PC in 1994, my introduction to both CRPGs and Ultima.
I then discovered Fallout, Ultima Online and later sank God knows how long into Morrowind etc...
And I think it's really by the time Oblivion came out that a shift in the atmosphere occurred. The LoTR films were hugely successful with the average peon, WoW was in full swing and the younger generation were legion enough now for it to just about register in the public "extelligence" (thanks to Terry for that one).
Mass Effect gave it a nudge, I then like to think that by the time games like Deus Ex 3 and Skyrim arrived last year (the latter's particular impact registering almost on a Call of Duty scale), CRPGs have finally started to become accepted as entertainment.
Unless you're 40, then you're fucked.
I did very much feel afraid to admit my interests as a teen. The stigma was far too much, I would never have dreamed of reading a magazine such as PCZone on the bus (my favourite PC publication growing up) or playing a handheld.
Now a lot of that was probably teenage paranoia but these days I can do both with impunity and have a girlfriend who's addicted to Mario games, Bejeweled and Plants Vs. Zombies and who is extremely successful socially.
In fact, I have met a great deal of people in last couple of years who I would *never* have guessed played and enjoyed CRPGs.
There's hope for us yet. :)
Side Note: Ironically; a recurring theme in CRPGs (to me anyway) seems to be around the concept of social acceptability.
Nah, we're the first wavers hitting 40+ now (6 years after this post) and still gaming!
Hell, I don't get a lot of time, but still dive in, and yes, I still prefer the story driven ones. Currently on Vane.
Need to have a trawl of this site haven't read it in ages.
Regarding the things to be learned from these games, while I don't for a second believe they're the "best learning tool ever", I do believe that they:
A.) Taught me an appreciation for tactics, leveraging the right tool(s)/skills for the job at hand.
B.) Taught me the importance of strategy and how to manage resources for a series of probable events.
C.) Taught me, through interesting quests and dialog with NPCs (more-so in later games as story techniques improved), the art of paradigm busting and a study on objectivity vs. the player's personal beliefs.
D.) In some cases, taught me good narrative and story arc.
E.) Taught me to never trust an Elvish Assassin ever again.
I'm sure there are more but seen as I'm at work, I should probably browse to Technet now or look busy or something.
Kenny McCormick March 26, 2012 at 9:16 PM
I am not a native speaker of the English language. But I do believe I'm relatively proficient enough to even teach it as a subject, at least to 3rd graders and below.
And this ability stems from my hours of playing CRPGs. And of course, most of what Niceman pointed out.
Finally, "From Geek to Chic"... To a certain extent, I do agree. Anyone remember Final Fantasy VII (FF7), the console RPG which went cross-platform to the PC? Supposedly, it was during this time that RPGs became cool. Chicks were digging the romance and music of that game. So much so that a music video for the theme song of FF8 was released with much fanfare a whole year before the actual RPG was available on Playstation 2.
On the topic of learning languages from CRPGs, there's at least one CRPG specifically designed to teach Japanese... and which does so, at least in my experience, with considerable success (in the language-teaching part; that aside it's admittedly not the most enthralling CRPG ever produced). Since it's at least marginally a commercial product, in that the creator does charge a little money for registration of the full game, in accordance with the blog rules I won't link to it, but you can find it easily by googling "Slime Forest Adventure".
This are interesting observations, and I will give also my Impression to this 7 years old thread, but I stumbled onto this great blog also recently.
As a kid, I was very interested in history ready, especially about the romans. When I grew older, as a teenager, not unlike many others, I lost all my interest in any things but gaming and partying sometimes.
This is about the "learning" aspect of games. In 1996 I stumbled not onto a CRPG (which I also played a lot), but over Panzer General. This and his successors are my favorite games since 21 years now. By playing the various Scenarios back then, I began to wonder: why was one set in Norway, and were there really battles in the middle east in WW II and so on. The game influenced me on buying and reading new history books. First only WW II, but then I started to renew my interest in archaeology and so on. And now I am actually working as a historian. So, I think you could learn something from gaming...
On the other hand, I am totally with the CRPG addict on the acceptance topic.
It was not a totally straight way and there are much more aspects to it, but I do think without Panzer General I would never got the job I love to have.
This is not something I could ever tell my co-workers - becoming motivated for a job by pushing units over the screen in a wargame. Time is not ripe for such a story, though I think of the younger guys in my Profession are 75 % nerds.
Ragnaroek February 28, 2019 at 1:52 AM
I agree here, you don't learn anything from playing games. But I wouldn't consider it a waste of time because I'm having so much fun (hedonism is a very good thing)
Thanks for the THREADMANCY on the site!
Hell, learnt so much from games - and still do.
Definitely down to which games you play tho.
I think the main thing I've learnt is hoarding tho.
My house is a bag of holding the likes that Guybrush Threepwoods pants would be proud of!
Ultima IV and Magic
Ultima IV: Shrines, Meditation, and Avatarhood
Ultima IV: Dungeons
Ultima IV: Getting Ready for the End
Ultima IV: Won!
Ultima IV: Final Ranking
Game 17: Wizard's Crown (1985)
Wizard's Crown: Ultra-Tactical Combat
Wizard's Crown: Packing It In
Game 18: The Bard's Tale II (1986)
Bard's Tale II: Waiting for It to Get Difficult
Game Economies
Bard's Tale II: Not Feelin' It
Bard's Tale II: Hiatus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
About Butterflies and Wheels
Does God Hate Women?
Extracts: Does God Hate Women?
Reviews: Does God Hate Women?
The Dictionary of Fashionable Nonsense
Why Truth Matters
Extracts: Why Truth Matters
Reviews: Why Truth Matters
« Adults in the room, doing jack shit
Actually, we're the real heroes of the story »
No YOU'RE putting your ego first
Sep 5th, 2018 | By Ophelia Benson
Category: Notes and Comment Blog
Tags: Trump
Sarah Sanders has issued a press release that was obviously dictated by Trump and cleaned up a little. Jake Tapper shares it:
Nearly 62 million people voted for President Donald J. Trump in 2016, earning him 306 Electoral College votes – versus 232 for his opponent. None of them voted for a gutless, anonymous source to the failing New York Times.
You see why I say it's obvious. Even his piggiest people don't talk that childishly for public consumption.
We are disappointed, but not surprised, that the paper chose to publish this pathetic, reckless, and selfish op-ed. This is a new low for the so-called 'paper of record, and it should issue an apology, just as it did after the election for its disastrous coverage of the Trump campaign.
No it didn't. That's one of Trump's pet lies.
President Trump has laid out a bold and ambitious agenda. Every day since taking office, he has fulfilled the promises he made. His accomplishments in less than two years have been astounding.
The individual behind this piece has chosen to deceive, rather than support, the duly elected President of the United States. He is not putting country first, but putting himself and his ego ahead of the will of the American people. This coward should do the right thing and resign.
Trump breathes in every word.
Sarah Sanders gave us a picture of it.
Response to anonymous @nytimes op-ed. pic.twitter.com/RIOaXhyg1N
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) September 5, 2018
Defending the tweet during her daily press briefing
He's busy
THE THREAT IS REAL
He said the staff is a little concerned
Citing "erratic" behavior
5 Responses to "No YOU'RE putting your ego first"
As I recall,t one of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's titles is Defender of the Faith.
To match that, Trump should be Defender of the Tweet.
Omar:
Prince Charles deems that to be insufficiently inclusive and has expressed a desire to be known as "Defender of Faiths". We UK atheists are starting to worry.
Acolyte of Sagan
David, I wouldn't be overly concerned just yet; old Charley-boy might not even make it to the throne. The Windsor women (Mags notwithstanding) seem to have remarkable longevity, the men not so much.
tiggerthewing
AoS, Charles' father is 97 – I have a horrible feeling that, even if she outlives her mother by a couple of years, Elizabeth's death will condemn us to a couple of decades of homœopathy and talking to plants.
tiggerthewing, I was referring more to Queenie's side of the family; Edward VII died at 68; George V, 70; Edward VIII, 77; George VI, 56. Even Phil the Greek's dad died at 62 (his grandfather, at 67, doesn't count as he was assassinated).
Don't get me wrong, I don't wish Charles dead, I'd just rather nature intervenes before his mother pops off.
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Chickamauga, Georgia is the 6,071st largest city in the United States as of 2017.
Chickamauga, Georgia is a city.
Chickamauga, Georgia is as large as it has ever been. In 2017 Chickamauga had its largest population ever.
Chickamauga, Georgia is growing moderately quickly. It is growing faster than 83% of similarly sized cities since 2000.


text:
The Arthur Monroe Free House in San Jose, California is a Craftsman-style how which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.  It is located at 66 South 14th Street, which previously was 66 South Priest Street.

The house was listed on the National Register for its association with Arthur Monroe Free, a United States Congressman.  Free lived at the house from 1919 until his death in 1953.

However, Donald and Annie Palmer had commissioned the house in 1905 from  residential designer, Emily Williams, their "adopted" daughter and partner of their daughter, Lillian McNeill Palmer. The Palmers lived there until they moved to San Francisco around 1909. Lillian Palmer had a workshop in the basement where she practiced her metal art. Emily and Lillian lived in this house on and off.

References

National Register of Historic Places in Santa Clara County, California
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Over the last month, I've been traveling in support of my new cookbook. I've taught classes, led canning demos and answered a whole lot of questions. One thing I'm asked at nearly every event is to name my favorite recipes in the book. While the diplomatic thing would be to say that I love them all equally, there is one recipe that stands out for me above all others. The dilly bean.
They are often considered a regional pickle and are most often found in Vermont and down South. Some commercial manufacturers do make them, but they tend to be outrageously expensive compared to the cost of making them at home. Truly, you can make four pints for what it costs to buy a single jar at a specialty grocery store.
I tend to make two versions of dilly beans. The first is a basic, not-too-spicy pickled bean. This is the one I serve to kids and add to the condiment table at cookouts. The second is an intensely fiery take, best suited for stirring cocktails (try it in a Bloody Mary) or giving to heat-fiends. Today's recipe is the spicy version, but feel free to omit the red chili flakes for a tamer take.
Start with fresh beans. The more recently they were picked, the crisper the finished pickle will be.
Use regular mouth jars. The shoulders of the jar will keep the pickles positioned firmly below the brine line.
Trim the beans to fit your jars. This means that you may end up with a pile of orphaned, one-inch pieces. I like to gather those up and dedicate a jar to them.
Place all the spices in the bottom of the jar. This prevents spice loss during the addition of the pickling liquid and bubble removal.
Pack the beans tightly. Save a few beans and squeeze them in once the liquid has been added to the jar.
Tap jars firmly to remove any trapped air bubbles.
Make sure to give them at least a week on the shelf after processing, so that you get their full flavor (though I will say, even a young dilly bean is a good dilly bean).


Robeks fresh juices and smoothies franchise recently rolled out three new menu items in August that feature the compelling flavors of fresh melon and mint. The company's 10 Connecticut restaurants are offering two raw smoothies and many markets locally-grown fruits and produce will be used.
Connecticut Robeks locations can be found in West Hartford, Fairfield, Westport, Norwalk, Darien, Stamford, and Cos Cob.
When we visited Robeks in West Hartford we were immediately impressed. We had never been to any Robeks before this visit. It is a small place but it was bustling with visitors and everyone was happy to be drinking one of their smoothies. I tried the Cantaloupe Smoothie (see seen below). It was love at first sip. I can't wait to go back and try their Coffee smoothies and Cucumber and Spinach smoothies. They offer quite a large variety for every taste bud.
Cantaloupe Cooler: which features fresh cantaloupe and fresh mint with pineapple chunks, 100% natural orange and pineapple sherbet, and a splash of apple juice and Wailea Watermelon, which is made with fresh watermelon and fresh mint, ripe strawberries, pineapple chunks, 100% natural raspberry and pineapple sherbet, and a splash of apple juice.
Mojito Melon: Robeks' newest fresh juice creation, is made with three raw fruits — seedless watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumber and chopped fresh mint leaves.
The Wailea Watermelon: smoothie was a runaway hit with Robeks customers during a multi-store sampling of the product last year, becoming the most popular and most talked about smoothie at Robeks' test locations.
Robeks fresh juices and smoothies franchise is a trailblazer in the smoothie and juice industry, widely-known as a best-in-class brand. Its restaurants use whole, raw, unprocessed fruits and vegetables without artificial flavors or preservatives. The 19-year-old company has over 200 stores in development worldwide.


Art of the body: health, beauty and desire, an exhibition at Inveresk's Academic Gallery, explores how the human body has inspired artists and scientists to invent, create and discover throughout the ages.
Including human specimens, objects, artworks and teaching materials, designed to stimulate debate exhibiting the benefits of nutrition, regular physical exercise, and well-being.
The exhibition is a partnership with MONA FOMA, Launceston College, the Launceston Big Picture School, and the University of Tasmania's School of Medicine, College of Health and Medicine and the University College.
"The prestige of MONA FOMA in Launceston this year and the strength of our partnerships have allowed us the opportunity to promote the exhibition on a domestic and international level," exhibition curator Dr Malcom Bywaters said.
Artists include Robert Boldkald, Michael Brown, Kathryn Camm, Peta Cook, Scott Cunningham, Christopher J. Edwards, Paul Eggins, Joanna Gair, Neil Haddon, Wayne Hudson, Eleanor Ivery, Liam James, Michael Kay, Sebastian Knevett, Kim Lehman, Sara Lindsay, Abbey MacDonald, Ben Miller, Danny Moynihan, Peter Powditch, Susan Rankine, Gary Shead, Anna van Stralen, and students from Launceston College and Launceston Big Picture School.
Art of the body: health, beauty and desire features loans from the University of Tasmania's R.A. Rodda Museum, Special and Rare Collections, Fine Arts Collection, John Elliott Classics Museum, School of Physical Sciences Collection, the Rock Library and Geological Museum.
The exhibition will run until Friday 8 February 2018.


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'We have to go for it' – Williams
Wednesday, February 10th 2021
Joe Williams says City are looking forward to testing themselves against Premier League opposition, when they take on Sheffield United in the Emirates FA Cup this Wednesday (February 10th, 7.30pm).
It's a chance for City to reach the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 1974.
With that in mind and focusing the shift away from the league, midfielder Williams says "we have to believe we can go far" as they get set to take on the Blades at Bramall Lane.
He told Robins TV: "It's a brilliant competition with loads of tradition, I've grown up watching it and I'm looking forward to playing in it.
"We have to take each game at a time but with the cup game there we have to go for it. We have to believe we can go far in it. Each game is competitive and on Wednesday night I'm sure we'll be looking for a result to go on a cup run for the fans.
"They (Sheffield United) are a top team, they've only lost by the odd-goal. They're in every game and against Chelsea [on Sunday] they competed all night. It's a massive test for us but for everyone it's a big test against Premier League opposition."
City have beaten Portsmouth and Millwall to reach the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, amid a heavy Sky Bet Championship schedule. Form has been indifferent and Williams, who has recently re-joined the squad after long-term injury, knows there is room for improvement.
He says now is the time to put words into action.
Williams added: "We've had a few weeks now where we've not been as good as we should have so there needs to be a point now where we need to put a stop to it and put words into actions, go out there and do it. There's no point me standing here saying do this and do that, we have to go out and show it."
Williams suffered thigh and hamstring injuries in the months since he joined the club meaning he wouldn't make his Robins debut until Saturday's Severnside derby.
Williams completed an hour against Cardiff City and he's now looking to get better and better with more football back under his belt.
"It was a long time coming for me after those frustrating few months," he said. "The result wasn't what we wanted and it wasn't how I planned it. Personally, it was my match sharpness, my timings were a bit off, but that will come in the following games. Physically and fitness-wise I'm feeling good. I'm just looking to get that match sharpness back as quick as possible to help the team."
Wednesday's match is available on BBC iPlayer for supporters inside the UK only, rather than Robins TV. For those overseas, a channel guide is available here. The match will also be accessible via the red button.
sheffield united v bristol city
MansionBet Match Preview: Sheffield United (A) FA Cup
Posted: Wednesday, February 10th 2021
'Now it's about action' – Holden
Press conferences: Holden and Williams preview Blades Cup tie
Posted: Monday, February 8th 2021


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September 13, 2019 September 14, 2019 EnlaceLeave a Comment on Harvard Students Rally for Abolish ICE Movement
Harvard Students Rally for Abolish ICE Movement
Via Harvard Crimson | Elizabeth X. Guo and Amanda Y. Su
At the "Abolish ICE" rally, roughly 100 attendees hoisted signs and chanted in unison. Photo: Amanda Y. Su
Roughly 100 Harvard affiliates protested in front of Memorial Church on Thursday night, calling for the abolition of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Act on a Dream, a student-led immigration advocacy group at the College, hosted the rally immediately before their first general meeting of the semester and a few days after Temporary Protected Status ended for individuals from El Salvador.
"We thought it would be a great crescendo just to start the energy rolling, first of all for a new semester with Act on a Dream, and to start talking about a new issue, but it's definitely an issue that needs to be put into conversation here at Harvard and connected nationwide," Act on a Dream Advocacy Co-Chair Mariana L. De Leon Dominguez '21 said.
The rally featured speeches from various campus organizations, including the Temporary Protected Status Coalition and Divest Harvard. De Leon Dominguez, along with her fellow Advocacy Co-Chair Daniela J. Castro '22, led rally attendees in chants between each speech.
Immigration advocacy group Act on a Dream sponsored a rally Thursday calling for the federal government to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Photo: Amanda Y. Su
"The main thing we were hoping people would take away was the contextualization of the Abolish ICE movement," Act on a Dream Co-Director Diego Navarrete '21, a former Crimson editorial editor, said.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night.
During his speech at Thursday's rally, Christian B. Tabash '21, co-president of the Harvard College Palestine Solidarity Committee, affirmed that the PSC stands "in unwavering solidarity with Act on a Dream."
"It is about time that we hold our government accountable towards the suffering of the immigrants domestically here as well as halfway around the globe in Palestine," Tabash said.
Speakers from the Student Labor Action Movement and the Prison Divestment Campaign also criticized the Harvard University Police Department's response to an anti-ICE rally at Amazon's Kendall Square office last week, where protesters condemned the company's business ties with ICE. At that event, HUPD helped Cambridge police officers arrest 12 of the protesters on trespassing charges.
Mariana L. De Leon Dominguez '21 speaks at an Act on a Dream-sponsored rally Thursday. Photo: Amanda Y. Su
HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano said Harvard assisted the Cambridge Police Department because they were dealing with an "extraordinarily large protest" of approximately 300 people.
"[Cambridge PD] requested our assistance, and we provided that assistance as we have done in the past at different incidents that represent a public safety concern over the years," Catalano said.
Liren Ma '19, who attended the rally, said he was heartened by the protest's turnout, particularly the large number of freshmen.
"I think I've been a little dismayed by the general inactivity of Harvard students around a lot of things, but I'm hopeful that we're trending upwards with the new class," he said.
Ph.D. student Xitlalli Alvarez spoke in favor of divesting from private prisons at the rally Thursday. Photo: Amanda Y. Su
Act on a Dream plans to hold a future symposium that will bring together University affiliates and other activists for a conversation about immigration reform. They also intend to organize a letter-writing campaign to people in detention centers.
Act on a Dream Co-Director Emily A. Romero '21, a Crimson editorial executive, said she hopes to dispute the idea that "a rally leads to a point and doesn't really go anywhere from there."
"We felt like this is the beginning of just building more coalition with different organizations to show how intersectional all these movements are and the power that we have in all coming together to advocate for one thing," Romero said.
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