text:
Q: Java mutator method on something that was constructed with a loop So I have a class that I constructed with a loop. In the constructor I have two while loops which make "grid" of circles. It's supposed to be a scarf for class but I'm calling it chainmail because that sounds cooler. Anyways we're supposed to be able to change the color of the scarf with a different (client) class. I obviously need to add a mutator method to change the color. Luckily there is a mutator for this in objectdraw called setColor(). It works just fine, except when I try to add it to this class it only changes the last circle in the grid. I know why this happens, but I don't know how to fix it. I've commented out the "typical" mutator we've been using in class.
EDIT: Sorry for the confusion guys... this is just the class, I have a client that calls a new ChainMail() and then does a .setColor() on it but it only changes the last framedoval instead of all of them. That's the problem
import objectdraw.*;
import java.awt.*;

public class ChainMail {

  private FramedOval link;

  public ChainMail(int rows,int links,
                   Location p,Color rgb,
                   DrawingCanvas c) {

    double numRows = 0;

    // create the number of rows specified
    while (numRows < rows) {

      double numLinks = 0;

      // create the number of links specified
      while (numLinks < links) {
        link = new FramedOval(p,12,12,c);
        link.setColor(rgb);

        // update the position
        p.translate(8,0);
        numLinks++;
      }

      // move position back to front col and down one row
      p.translate(-8*links,8);
      numRows++;

    }

  }

  public ChainMail(int rows,int links,Location p,DrawingCanvas c) {
    this(rows,links,p,Color.BLACK,c);
  }

  /* this doesn't work, only changes last circle
   * public void setColor(Color c) {
   *   link.setColor(c);
   * }
   */

}

A: If you move it to class (as shown in commented code) then from where do you call this function ? I think this is what making the difference. Suppose you are doing following :

*

*remove "link.setColor(rgb);" from inside the while loop

*Uncomment public void setColor(Color c) function

*Create instance of ChainMail (say myChainMail)

*Call myChainMail.setColor(c)

This scenario will give the result which you have reported i.e. only last circled gets colored.
There are 2 ways to solve the issue :

*

*First is what you are already doing

*Instead of "private FramedOval link;" create "private ArrayList  linkList = new ArrayList;   Now before while create link variable of type FramedOval. Then after  you do link = new FramedOval(p,12,12,c); in while loop add this to above created ArrayList.
       Now in setColor method of your class iterate over all the items in arraylist and set color on those items

A: I say you're throwing them away because you do this:
  while (numLinks < links) {
    link = new FramedOval(p,12,12,c);
    link.setColor(rgb);

    // update the position
    p.translate(8,0);
    numLinks++;
  }

But where do you do anything with the FramedOval that you've created? Every time you create a new FramedOval object and have link refer to it, the previous reference gets lost and is likely garbage collected; it's discarded, which doesn't make sense.
Usually you'd do something like:
  List<FramedOval> framedOvalList = new LinkedList<FramedOval>(); // or ArrayList
  while (numLinks < links) {
    link = new FramedOval(p,12,12,c);
    link.setColor(rgb);

    // *** here add the created object to some collection
    framedOvalList.add(link);

    // update the position
    p.translate(8,0);
    numLinks++;
  }

But I don't see you doing anything of the kind.


Disney Pumpkin Coach Cinderella and Prince Charming Horses Coach box pin. Chain horse rein accent and double pin in one (horses and coach have their own pin backs and connected by the chain). Great condition on blue velvet box.
The item "Disney Coach Cinderella and Prince Charming Horses Coach box pin" is in sale since Sunday, March 24, 2019. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Disneyana\Contemporary (1968-Now)\Pins, Patches & Buttons\Other Disney Pins & Patches". The seller is "disneyqueenpins" and is located in Thousand Oaks, California. This item can be shipped worldwide.


text:
Gaming Technomancy, Our Own Experiences With Gaming Technology
TheCheshireKhajiit
From: Sheogorath's shrine talking to myselves!
QUOTE(SubRosa @ Apr 17 2018, 05:26 AM)
An FPS limiter puts a hard cap on the frames per second a game will run at. It is a necessary alternative to V-Sync because going over 60 fps literally breaks Bethesda's games. Time in their games is measured by frames per second. Go over 60, and you literally speed up the passage of game time. That breaks the physics engine, and causes all sorts of bugs.
Normally the game's V-Sync takes care of that by fixing the game's frame rate at 60. But G-Sync won't work with V-Sync on. The whole purpose of G-Sync is to dynamically link the monitor and video card's frame rates, so they each match one another as the fps goes up and down.
With the frame rate capped instead, the game won't go over 60 fps and break the game. But it can still dip below that just fine, and the video card and monitor will remain G-Synced. That eliminates stuttering and lag.
Hmm, interesting. This was a big problem in Skyrim, but Fallout4 seems to be much improved in this area.
"Family is an odd thing, is it not? Defined by blood, separated by blood, joined by blood. In the end, it's all just blood."
-Dhaunayne Aundae
May you walk on warm sands!
Dark Reaper
From: On Recon...ICU.
I guess I need to talk about the Nintendo Labo the worlds most expensive cardboard cutouts. I guess for kids its interesting but for Pete sakes 70.00 for cardboard cutouts! Sorry but not worth it.
Extremis Malis Extrema Remedia (Extreme Evil, Extreme Remedy)
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures.
QUOTE(Dark Reaper @ Apr 19 2018, 09:45 PM)
Wha?!! Khajiit has never heard of this. People actually buy these things?!
QUOTE(TheCheshireKhajiit @ Apr 19 2018, 11:10 PM)
Someone's going to.
QUOTE(Dark Reaper @ Apr 20 2018, 12:15 AM)
And people say Khajiit is crazy.
I discovered a way to make G-Sync work with Skyrim. I have been testing it for the last few days, and so far so good. It runs much better than using a frame rate limiter like I was before. Hopefully it will keep the physics engine from going insane due to the higher frame rates. Like I said, so far it has been fine.
Turn off Vsync in your video card options.
In Skyrim.ini add the appropriate line for your video card's refresh rate:
[HAVOK]
fMaxTime=0.0333 is for 30fps
fMaxTime=0.0083 is for 120fps
fMaxTime=0.0042 is for 240fps+
Also in Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini add or edit the appropriate line to turn off V-Sync:
[Display]
iVSyncPresentInterval=0 for Special Edition
iPresentInterval=0 for Original edition
Since this works on Skyrim, there is every reason to believe it will work on Oblivion, Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Fallout 4 as well. I have not tried it with them yet, but they all use the same game engine, just evolved with each generation of game.
I sold my New 2DSXL and bought a Vita to replace it. I don't know what happened to the DS unit but as soon as I changed routers it refused to connect to it but the Vita and PS4 connected right away. Besides I have pretty much every Ys game on the Vita.
This post has been edited by Dark Reaper: Jun 3 2018, 06:24 AM
Sep 3 2018, 11:20 PM
QUOTE(SubRosa @ Jun 2 2018, 10:29 PM)
I can now confirm that this does work on Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Oblivion. I just tried it on all three, and I get a steady fps of 62 in each game. The fMaxTime is not necessary for them. Just turn off V-Sync in the .ini files, and force it in the Nvidia Control Panel.
I tried out an Oculus Rift at Best Buy today. I was concerned that it might not fit because of my glasses. But by pulling back the head band all they way I was able to get it on ok, without my glasses hitting the lenses.
I played a game called The Climb. It is basically rock climbing, pretty simply stuff. It was fun, and very neat how turning your head shows you different views. You have to reach out a lot as well, which took a while to get used to, but really makes the whole thing feel like an experience. It is very different from sitting in front of a regular computer screen with a keyboard and mouse.
However, I did find the two disembodied hands you see (your hands in the game) to be kind of creepy and disconcerting. All VR games seem to do that, just hands floating in the air with no arms or torso. The two hand controllers were a little difficult for me to use, because you cannot see any of the buttons on them. You have to do it all by feel.
It also took a lot of space. I had to stand back from the computer it was running on, probably so the sensors could detect all my head and hand movements. Plus you reach out a lot. Though I was standing still. I think some games have you actually walk around. I could never fit it in my apartment.
It also felt really gimmicky. It was fun, sure. But it did not feel like something I could do for hours on end without the initial thrill wearing off. It does not seem like something you could play a real game with. In short, it felt like a neat fad, like 3D movies. But not a long-term kind of thing.
Also, when I was done and took off the googles, my head had gotten really hot and sweaty. That was only after about 10 minutes of playing.
So fun to try, but I won't be buying one.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
AG Shapiro: Faulkner Honda to pay restitution to those who were sold 'valueless' dealership warranties
Posted 3:34 PM, April 9, 2019, by FOX43 Newsroom, Updated at 03:39PM, April 9, 2019
HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced a settlement that includes restitution for consumers who were victimized by deceptive and unfair sales of a valueless warranty product by a Harrisburg motor vehicle dealership, Paxton Associates, Inc. d/b/a Faulkner Honda.
An investigation by the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection revealed the dealership, for a certain period of time, deceptively marketed, negotiated, and sold valueless dealership warranties to customers. Consumers paid about $1,000 on average for these warranties, which catered to consumers entering into short-term lease agreements for new vehicles and had no meaningful value beyond the manufacturer's warranty that was already included in the advertised purchase price. This was in violation of the Automotive Industry Trade Practices regulations and the Pennsylvania Consumer Protection law.
"This dealership took its customers for a ride by encouraging them to purchase an additional warranty that had no value," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. "My office is fighting to ensure that consumers are able to make informed purchases and protect against deceptive sales tactics, which bilk customers out of their hard earned money. If you were a customer of the Faulkner Honda dealership and believe you have been a victim of this deceptive sales tactic, you may be eligible for restitution and should contact my Office."
Faulkner sells new American Honda Motor Company manufactured vehicles, which come with a standard, 36 month, 6,000 mile Honda manufacturer's warranty. During the later stages of the sales transaction, the dealership offered and sold an additional dealership warranty, the New Vehicle Coverage Warranty, for new, Honda vehicles purchased or leased at Faulkner's dealerships. This is a practice that is commonly referred to as an "upsell," "back end" or "add on."
Consumers paid a substantial amount of money beyond the advertised purchase price for the additional dealership warranty, which excluded any warranty coverage claims covered by the manufacturer's warranty. The manufacturer's warranty provided the same term of coverage, 36 months and 36,000 miles, and was more comprehensive than the Faulkner warranty. The Bureau found for new, Honda vehicles leased for a term of 36 months, the Faulkner warranty failed to provide any meaningful value particularly considering the amount of money paid by the customer. The investigation also revealed that Faulkner failed to disclose this information on occasion, impairing the customers' ability to make an informed decision regarding a valueless add on warranty product during the back end of a sales transaction.
As part of the Assurance of Voluntary Compliance settlement, Paxton Associates, Inc. d/b/a Faulkner Honda has agreed to pay restitution for eligible consumers who were affected.
"There is a 90 day window for consumers who believe they have been a victim of this deceptive sales tactic to file a complaint with my Bureau of Consumer Protection at http://www.attorneygeneral.gov," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. "Contact my Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555 or scams@attorneygeneral.gov so your complaint can be evaluated."
Source: Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office
Topics: Faulkner Honda, Paxton Associates, warranties
Victims of Mechanicsburg car dealer can seek restitution
AG Shapiro announces lawsuit against former Mercer County timeshare reseller and its officers
Restitution window established for former students of American Beauty Academy
AG Shapiro announces lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, the creator of OxyContin
State attorney general takes legal action against 35 home improvement contractors, including 4 from Central PA
Lower Paxton Township Police Department warns residents of new fireworks ordinance
Berks County construction company owner accused of falsifying water sample reports in Berks, Lancaster counties
Tracy Morgan gets in a crash right after buying a $2 million Bugatti
Car dealership offers free bible, shotgun, American flag with purchase of vehicle
Swatara Township passes new ordinance banning use of fireworks after midnight
Susquehanna Township Police seek suspect in theft of Chevy Astro Van
PennDOT reminds customers to be sure they're on the official PennDOT site to renew licenses or vehicle registration
Arctic Cat recalls 1,700 Havoc off-road recreational vehicles due to suspension problem


In 2011, Fireball sold $1.9 million worth of whisky in gas stations, convenience stores, and supermarkets, writes Devin Leonard at Bloomberg Businessweek. By 2013, sales had leapt to $61 million, putting Fireball ahead of Jameson Irish Whiskey and Patrón tequila.
Leonard highlights a few ways that Fireball's marketing campaign helped it skyrocket to success.


text:
\section{Why Pfaffian?}
Pfaffian functions were introduced in \cite{hovanskii1980class} where Khovanskii showed that the class has strong finiteness properties. For instance, Khovanskii exhibits an effective bound on the number of zeros in a system of equations involving Pfaffian functions. Later, the strong finiteness properties of this class of functions played an important role in model completeness results for o-minimal expansions of the real field \cite{wilkie1996model,MR1435773}. Any algebraic function is Pfaffian on a suitable domain, but there are two well-known ways to see that a transcendental function is \emph{not Pfaffian}:
\begin{itemize}
\item The function is differentially transcendental.\footnote{Sometimes this property is also called being hypertranscendental or transcendentally transcendental \cite{doi:10.1080/00029890.1989.11972282}. The Gamma-function is differentially transcendental by a classical theorem of H\"older \cite{holder1886ueber} and its restriction to $(0,\infty)$ is definable in an o-minimal expansion of the reals \cite{dries2000field}.}
\item The function violates the strong finiteness properties of the class.\footnote{A popular example is provided by $\sin (x)$ with domain the real line. The violation of the finiteness principles of Khovanskii in this case also yields a violation of o-minimality. In fact, in any example known to the author, examples shown to be violating the finiteness principles of Khovanskii's theorem are strong enough violations to also yield a violation of o-minimality. Because of this, it is not surprising that there is no currently known function which is differentially algebraic, definable in an o-minimal expansion of the real field, and not Pfaffian.}
\end{itemize}

This manuscript introduces a third way of showing a function is not Pfaffian. Our work is based on a very simple idea - Pfaffian functions are built using solutions to certain order one differential equations, while solutions to higher order strongly minimal differential equations can not satisfy order one differential equations. For the notion of $\mathbb  C$-Pfaffian, this summary gives nearly a complete indication of the proof that a solution to a higher order strongly minimal equation is not $\mathbb  C$-Pfaffian. There are only slightly more complications to describe when considering if the real and imaginary parts of the function are Pfaffian. These complications can already be seen in the work of Macintyre \cite{macintyre2008some}, who shows that meromorphic functions whose derivatives are algebraic have real and imaginary parts which are Pfaffian. Our main result shows that no analog of Macintyre's theorem exists for higher order differential equations.

Throughout, we will use Klein's $j$-function as a motivating example, often stating and explaining our results for the $j$-function before giving the more general result. Besides being a non-misleading example, the $j$-function was the original motivation for this manuscript. Restricted to its standard fundamental domain in the upper half plane, the real and imaginary parts of the $j$-function are definable in the o-minimal expansion of the real field given by the exponential and restricted analytic functions, $\mathbb  R_{an, exp}$. As such, the point counting methods of Pila and Wilkie have been applied to certain definable sets associated with the $j$-function. Applying these methods has been a major part of the proof of various open conjectures in diophantine geometry and transcendence theory \cite{PilaAO}. There are several potential sources of ineffectivity in this general approach to the special points problems, but one important source comes from the Pila-Wilkie theorem itself. In general, it is known that the asymptotic bounds of the Pila-Wilkie theorem can not in general be improved (see e.g. page 2 of \cite{pila2006rational} and the discussion in the introduction of \cite{jones2015improving}). In the general o-minimal case, it isn't even entirely clear what sort of effectivity one has in mind\footnote{i.e. On what quantities associated with the definable set are the constants allowed to depend?} without some additional measure of complexity of the sets or functions involved.

There are, however, improvements to the Pila-Wilkie theorem in important special cases. For instance, \cite[Conjecture 1.11]{pila2006rational} conjectures that for sets definable in $\mathbb  R_{exp}$, the bound from the Pila-Wilkie theorem can be improved from $\mathcal  O (h^{\epsilon})$ to $\mathcal  O ( (\log h )^c )$ where the constant $c$ depends on the definable set. Numerous recent works have concentrated, in special cases, on these improved bounds or making the constants of the Pila-Wilkie theorem effective \cite{binyamini2020point, binyamini2017wilkie, binyamini2019complex, butler2012some, jones2012density, jones2020effective, pila2010counting, pila2006note}; each of these works uses the certain powerful finiteness results for Pfaffian functions (sometimes more or less restrictive cases) to obtain effectiveness where the constants depend on the \emph{complexity} of the Pfaffian chain for the functions defining the set. At the same time, attempts have been made to show that effective results from the Pfaffian setting apply to motivational examples coming from number theory \cite{jones2021pfaffian}.

In the last section of \cite{binyamini2017wilkie}, Binyamini and Novikov isolate two classes of particular interest in diophantine applications, which may be amenable to their approach: elliptic functions and modular functions. The former is known to be amenable to Pfaffian techniques \cite{jones2021pfaffian, macintyre2008some} and is connected to special points conjectures around the Manin-Mumford conjecture, where the effectiveness results have concrete number theoretic consequences. The latter is connected to various number theoretic problems, e.g. the Andr\'e-Oort conjecture. Of it, Binyamini and Novikov write,
\begin{displayquote}
The modular category currently appears to be more challenging: we have no reason to believe that the j-function is Pfaffian (or definable from Pfaffian functions).
\end{displayquote}

In recent work, Binyamini gives an effective Pila-Wilkie result for \emph{Noetherian functions} \cite{binyamini2019density} in the o-minimal context, a setting which does include the j-function. The results in the Noetherian setting require a relatively compact domain and yield fewer uniformities than the Pfaffian setting. See \cite{jones2020effective} for some discussion of this point. See also \cite{binyamini2020point} for discussion of the difficulties when leaving the Pfaffian setting; this manuscript shows that for the desired applications to certain diophantine problems, the work was truly necessary as theorems from the Pfaffian setting can not apply.

In the recent work of Armitage \cite{armitage2020pfaffian}, significant effort is required to obtain effective bounds for the zeros of polynomials involving the j-function on its natural (noncompact) domain. As Armitage mentions, it was previously unknown whether the real and imaginary parts of the j-function are Pfaffian. Our results in this manuscript confirm the suspicions of Binyamini and Novikov; the real and imaginary parts of the $j$-function can not be put into a Pfaffian chain. The main theorem of \cite{freitag2017strong} is the essential input to showing this result:

\begin{thm} \label{strongj} As a definable set in a differentially closed field, the differential equation satisfied by the $j$-function:
$$
\left(\frac{y''}{y'}\right)' -\frac{1}{2}\left(\frac{y''}{y'}\right)^2 + (y')^2 \cdot \frac{y^2-1968y+2654208}{y^2(y-1728)^2} = 0
 $$
is strongly minimal.
\end{thm}

\begin{rem}
The equivalent form of the previous theorem that we will use is stated purely in terms of transcendence: a the zero set of a differential equation, $X$, with coefficients in a differential field $K$ is strongly minimal if and only if (1) the equation is irreducible over $K^{alg}$ (as a polynomial in several variables) and (2) given any solution $f$ of $X$ and \emph{any differential field extension\footnote{In proofs, the robustness of this condition is often extremely useful, but we note that there has been significant recent work in showing that this condition follows from the considering only a very particular class of such extensions $F/K$ \cite{freitag2021bounding}.} $F$ of $K$}, $$\text{trdeg}_F \left( F\langle f \rangle \right) =  \text{trdeg}_K \left( K \langle f \rangle \right) \text{ or } 0.$$
Here $K \langle f \rangle $ denotes the differential field extension of $K$ generated by $f$.
\end{rem}

Our main results show that functions which satisfy higher order strongly minimal differential equations can not have real and imaginary parts which algebraic over the elements of any Pfaffian chain. These results are especially pertinent because many of the number theoretic functions to which the Pila-Wilkie theorem has been applied have been shown to be strongly minimal in recent years. For these as well as various other strong minimality results on nonlinear higher order differential equations, see \cite{blazquez2020some, brestovski1989algebraic, casale2020ax, devilbiss2021generic, freitag2017strong, jaoui2019generic, nagloo2017algebraic, poizat1980c}. Besides results for specific equations, as \cite{devilbiss2021generic, jaoui2019generic} indicate, strong minimality is a pervasive condition for nonlinear differential equations of order at least two - it holds \emph{generically} both in the space of constant coefficient equations as well as the space of nonconstant equations.

The general form of our results is given in Theorem \ref{mainthm}. Following this result we formulate the general problem of determining when a complex analytic function has Pfaffian real and imaginary part using notions from geometric stability theory interpreted in the theory of differentially closed fields.

\section{Pfaffian}
\begin{defn} Let $f_1, \ldots , f_l $ be real analytic functions on some domain $U \subseteq \mathbb  R^n$. We will call $(f_1, \ldots , f_l)$ a \emph{Pfaffian chain} if there are polynomials $p_{ij}(u_1, \ldots , u_n , v_1, \ldots, v_i )$ with coefficients in $\mathbb  R$ such that $$\pd{f_i}{x_j}= p_{ij} \left( \bar x, f_1 ( \bar x), \ldots , f_i (\bar x ) \right)$$
for $1 \leq i \leq l$ and $1 \leq j \leq n.$ \emph{We call a function Pfaffian} if it can be written as a $\mathbb  R$-polynomial with real coefficients in the functions of some Pfaffian chain.
\end{defn}
We are interested mainly in the connection of the previous notion to certain differential algebraic properties, but the following complex version of the previous notion is more easily connected with our differential algebraic notions:

\begin{defn} Let $f_1, \ldots , f_l $ be complex analytic functions on some domain $U \subseteq \mathbb  C^n$. We will call $(f_1, \ldots , f_l)$ a \emph{$\mathbb  C $-Pfaffian chain} if there are polynomials $p_{ij}(u_1, \ldots , u_n , v_1, \ldots, v_i )$ with coefficients in $\mathbb  C$ such that $$\pd{f_i}{x_j}= p_{ij} \left( \bar x, f_1 ( \bar x), \ldots , f_i (\bar x ) \right)$$
for $1 \leq i \leq l$ and $1 \leq j \leq n.$
We call a function \emph{$\mathbb  C$-Pfaffian} if it can be written as a polynomial with $\mathbb  C$-polynomial in the functions of some $\mathbb  C$-Pfaffian chain.

\end{defn}
 Our results are insensitive to replacing functions which appear in Pfaffian chains to polynomial (or even algebraic) functions of elements in a Pfaffian chain.

\section{Not Pfaffian}

\subsection{The $j$-function isn't $\mathbb  C$-Pfaffian} We begin by giving a quick and elementary argument for why the the $j$-function can not satisfy a differential equation of the form $j'(z) = f( z, j (z))$ where $f$ is a rational function with coefficients in $\mathbb  C.$ Following this, we will show that the $j$-function is not $\mathbb  C$-Pfaffian, which generalizes this fact.

By $SL_2(\mathbb  Z)$-invariance, $j(z)=j(z+1).$ It follows also that $j'(z)=j'(z+1)$. Suppose for a moment that there is a rational function with coefficients in $\mathbb  C$ so that $j'(z) = f( z, j (z)).$ Now note that $f( z, j (z))=f( z+1, j (z+1)) = f( z+1, j (z)).$ But now since the $j$-function is not algebraic, this equality holds for a generic point $(x,y)$ in affine 2-space, and thus everywhere, so the rational function has the property that $f(x,y)=f(x+1,y)$. This implies that $f$ is only a function of $y$. So, now we have that $$j'(z)=f( j (z) ).$$ But we have that $f(j(z))$ is $SL_2(\mathbb  Z)$-invariant, while $j'(z)$ is a quasi-modular form of weight $2.$ That is, $j'(z)$ has the property that if $$\alpha = \begin{pmatrix}
a & b \\
c & d
\end{pmatrix} \in SL_2 (\mathbb  Z)$$
then $j'(\alpha z) = (cz+d)^2 j'(z).$ Thus, it is impossible that $j'(z)=f( j (z) )$.

Next we argue more generally that the $j$-function can not be $\mathbb  C$-Pfaffian using Theorem \ref{strongj}. Let $U \subseteq \mathbb  H$ be the standard fundamental domain for the $j$-function: $$U = \left\{ z \in \mathbb  H \, : \, |z| \geq 1, -\frac{1}{2}<Re(z) \leq \frac{1}{2}, \text{ and if } Re(z)<0, \text{ then } |z|>1 \right\}$$
\begin{thm}
The $j$-function is not algebraic over any $\mathbb  C$-Pfaffian chain $(f_1, \ldots , f_l )$ on an open $V \subset U.$
\end{thm}

\begin{proof}
Let $(f_1, \ldots , f_l)$ be a Pfaffian chain on $V \subset V$ of minimal length such that $j(z)$ is algebraic over $\mathbb  C ( z, f_1, \ldots , f_l ).$ If $j$ is algebraic over $(f_1, \ldots , f_{l-1}),$ we may shorten the chain contradicting the minimality of $l$. So, we can assume that $j(z)$ is transcendental and interalgebraic with $f_l$ over $\mathbb  C ( z, f_1, \ldots , f_{l-1} ).$ By the Pfaffian condition, the field $F=\mathbb  C (z, f_1, \ldots , f_{k-1})$ is a $\frac{d}{dz}$-differential field. Again, by the Pfaffian condition, $F(f_l)$ is a $\frac{d}{dz}$-differential field and is a transcendence degree one extension of $F$. Since $f_l$ is interalgebraic with $j$, $\text{tr.deg.} _F (F \langle j \rangle )=1.$ This is impossible by Theorem \ref{strongj}.
\end{proof}

One can see that there isn't anything special about the $j$-function in the above argument except that it satisfies a higher order strongly minimal differential equation. So, by the same argument as the previous proof:

\begin{thm} Let $U \subseteq \mathbb  C$ be a connected domain and let $f$ be analytic on $U$. If $f(z)$ is not algebraic and satisfies a strongly minimal differential equation of order two or more, then $f(z)$ is not $\mathbb  C$-Pfaffian.
\end{thm}

\subsection{The real and imaginary parts can't be Pfaffian either}
\begin{thm}
The real and imaginary parts of the $j$-function are not algebraic over any Pfaffian chain $(f_1, \ldots , f_l )$ on an open $V \subset U.$
\end{thm}
\begin{proof}
Let $z=(x,y)$ denote the real and imaginary coordinates of the complex number $z$, and let $U$ be the domain as above. Suppose there is a Pfaffian chain of shortest length over which both $Re(j(x+iy))$ and $Im(j(x+iy))$ are algebraic. By the same reduction as in the previous subsection, we assume without loss of generality that the final element of the chain $(f_1, \ldots , f_l )$ is transcendental and interalgebraic with one of $Re(j(x+iy))$ or $Im(j(x+iy))$ over the earlier elements. Assume $f_l$ is interalgebraic with $Re(j(x+iy))$ (a similar argument will apply to the case of $Im(j(x+iy))$). To ease notation, we will simply assume that $f_l = Re(j(x+iy))$ and that $Im(j(x+iy))$ appears earlier in the chain. Again, our argument is not at all sensitive to interalgebraicity.

Now view the $j$-function as a map $j: U \rightarrow \mathbb  R^2.$ We have that $Re(j(x+iy))$ is interdefinable (even in the empty language) with $j(z)$ over $\mathbb  R (x, y, f_1, \ldots , f_{l-1})$. Note that the reason for this is very simple - we have that $Im(j(x+iy))$ appears in the chain and $j(z) = \left(Re(j(x+iy)), Im(j(x+iy)) \right).$ By the Pfaffian condition, the field $F= \mathbb  R (x, y, f_1, \ldots , f_{l-1})$ is a $\frac{d}{dx}$ and a $\frac{d}{dy}$-field. By the Pfaffian condition, with respect to the derivation\footnote{Note that there is nothing special about the $\frac{d}{dx}$ derivation here - one could equally well use $\frac{d}{dy}$.} $\frac{d}{dx}$,
$$F \langle  Re(j(x+iy)) \rangle = F \left(  Re(j(x+iy)) \right)$$ and as previously, we can assume without loss of generality that this extension is not algebraic. That is: $$\text{tr.deg.} _F (F \langle  Re(j(x+iy)) \rangle )=1.$$

By the interdefinability of $Re(j(x+iy))$ and $j(z)$, we have that the transcendence degree of the $\frac{d}{dx}$-field $F \langle j(z) \rangle$ over $F$ is one. By the $\mathbb  C$-analyticity of $j(z)$, we have that $j(z)$ satisfies the same differential equation with respect to $\frac{d}{dx}$ as with respect to $\frac{d}{dz}$. Though we are regarding $j(z)$ as a function $\mathbb  R^2 \rightarrow \mathbb  R^2$, the differential equation is algebraic, and can be expressed by polynomial functions of the real and imaginary parts and their derivatives with respect to $x$ (the derivatives with respect to $y$ are definable from this by the Cauchy-Riemann equations). So, in the $\frac{d}{dx}$-field generated by $Re(j(x+iy))$ or equivalently $j(z)$, we have the functions $\frac{dj}{dz}$ and $\frac{d^2j}{dz^2}$ as functions $\mathbb  R^2 \rightarrow \mathbb  R^2$. The differential equation, being algebraic, is expressible by polynomial equalities in the real and imaginary parts of these functions.

We now obtain a contradiction to Theorem \ref{strongj}, since the transcendence degree of the differential field generated by any solution to the differential equation satisfied by the $j$-function must be $0$ or $3$.
\end{proof}

\subsection{The general strongly minimal case} The analysis of the $j$-function in the previous two subsections used only two properties:
\begin{itemize}
\item The function is complex analytic on some open connected $U \subseteq \mathbb  C$.
\item The function satisfies an algebraic differential equation\footnote{One can actually assume that the function satisfies an equation and finitely many inequations so that the resulting definable set is strongly minimal. For instance, the system $x\cdot x'' - x' =0, \, x' \neq 0$ is one such system, see \cite{MMP} or \cite{poizat1980c} for a proof.} which is strongly minimal and of order $>1.$
\end{itemize}
The argument of the previous subsection then gives:

\begin{thm} Let $f(z)$ be an analytic function on some open connected $U \subseteq \mathbb  C$. Let $f(z)$ be a non-algebraic solution to an order $h>1$ algebraic differential equation with coefficients in $\mathbb  C(z)$ which is strongly minimal. Then one can not build a Pfaffian chain $(f_1, \ldots , f_l)$ with both $Re(f(z))$ and $Im(f(z))$ algebraic over $\mathbb  C (z, f_1, \ldots , f_l ).$
\end{thm}

In the theory of differentially closed fields, the definable closure of $a$ over a differential field $F$ is given by $\operatorname{dcl} (a/F) = F \langle a \rangle$, the differential field generated by $a$ over $F$. The algebraic closure, $\operatorname{acl} (a/F) = F \langle a \rangle ^{alg}$ consists of the algebraic closure (in the sense of fields) of the differential field generated by $a$ over $F.$ The next result generalizes the previous theorem in several ways:

\begin{thm} \label{mainthm}
Let $f(z)$ be a complex analytic function on some open connected subset $U \subset \mathbb  C$ and $g(z), h(z) \in \operatorname{acl} (f(z) / \mathbb  C (z) )$ such that $g(z)$ satisfies a strongly minimal differential equation over $\mathbb  C (z) \langle h(z) \rangle $  with respect to $\frac{d}{dz}$ of order larger than one. Then one can not build a Pfaffian chain with both $Re(f(z))$ and $Im(f(z))$ algebraic over the elements in the chain.
\end{thm}

\begin{proof}
The previous result is insensitive to replacing $f(z)$ with some function which is algebraic over $\mathbb  C (z, f(z))$, because if $f(z)$ is algebraic over $\mathbb  C (z, f_1, \ldots , f_l ),$ then so is any element of $\operatorname{acl} (f(z) /\mathbb  C(z)).$ Similarly, if $h(z) \in \operatorname{acl} (f(z) / \mathbb  C(z) )$, then if $h(z)$ is not Pfaffian, then $f(z)$ can not be Pfaffian. Since $h(z)$ is Pfaffian, we can assume that $h(z)$ appears earlier in the chain. Then the previous arguments apply with $\mathbb  C(z) $ replaced by $\mathbb  C(z) \langle h(z) \rangle$.
\end{proof}

\begin{rem}
The previous theorem resolves negatively Question 1 of \cite{Bianconi2016Some}. For instance, the real and imaginary parts of the $j$-function are Noetherian, but on any open domain in $\mathbb  C$, these functions can not appear in a Pfaffian chain, by the previous result.
\end{rem}

\subsection{Minimal analysis} \label{gst}
Even the condition of strong minimality can be slightly weakened - for instance we could instead demand that $g(z)$ is a generic solution of a differential equation $X$ over $\mathbb  C (z) \langle h(z) \rangle $ which has Lascar rank one and order larger than one. It is also sufficient to merely demand that $g(z)$ is almost internal to a Lascar rank\footnote{Lascar rank is notion also coming from model theory which has a concrete interpretation in differential fields in terms of transcendence (see e.g. \cite{MMP}). Lascar rank is bounded by Morley rank (in general), but the two can differ \cite{hrushovski1999lascar}.} one type of order greater than one.

Theorem \ref{mainthm} might appear as an extremely special case not likely to be close to contributing to a general characterization of when a function which satisfies an algebraic differential equation has real and imaginary parts which are Pfaffian (similarly $\mathbb  C$-Pfaffian). But in this subsection, we will explain why the result is perhaps closer than one might expect.

We begin by giving some definitions from geometric stability theory \cite{GST}, and note that as before we are working in the theory of differentially closed fields of characteristic zero. Throughout the subsection, $p = \operatorname{tp}(a/A)$ will be assumed to be a stationary type. We say that a type is \emph{semiminimal} if it is \emph{almost internal} to a type of Lascar rank $1$. Recall that a stationary type $p = \operatorname{tp} (a/ A)$ is \emph{almost internal} to a minimal type $q$ over $B \supset A$ such that $a \mathop{\mathpalette\Ind{}} _A B$ and there is a sequence $(d_1, \ldots , d_n )$ of $B$-independent realizations of $q$ such that $\operatorname{acl} (Ba) = \operatorname{acl} (B d_1 \ldots d_n )$. The following is a well-known notion from geometric stability theory \cite{moosa2014some}.

\begin{defn}
An \emph{semiminimal analysis of $p = \operatorname{tp}(a/A)$} is a sequence $(a_0, \ldots , a_n)$ such that
\begin{itemize}
\item $a$ is interdefinable with $a_n$ over $A$,
\item for each $i$, $a_i \in \operatorname{dcl} (A, a_{i+1} )$,
\item for each $i$, $\operatorname{tp} (a_{i+1} /A a_i)$ is \emph{semiminimal}.
\end{itemize}
\end{defn}

Every finite rank type has a semiminimal analysis, and it easily follows from Theorem \ref{mainthm} that if in some analysis of $p=\operatorname{tp} (a/ \mathbb  C(z) )$, $(a_0, \ldots, a_n )$, we have a type $tp(a_{i+1} / \mathbb  C(z) \langle a_i \rangle )$ which is internal to a strongly minimal type which has order greater than one, then the real and imaginary parts of $a$ are not Pfaffian. Due to the inductive nature of the definition of Pfaffian functions, the following problem can be seen to reduce to the special case of semiminimal types almost internal to types satisfying order one differential equations over differential fields generated by Pfaffian functions.

\begin{problem} \label{open}
Formulate in differential algebraic terms, necessary and sufficient conditions for the real and imaginary parts of a complex analytic function $f(z)$ to be Pfaffian in terms of the semiminimal analysis of $f(z)$.
\end{problem}

One can see that the problem must involve in some essential way the differential algebraic equations satisfied by the real and imaginary parts on the given domain, or directly on the domain of complex analytic function. After all, a nontrivial solution to $f'=f$ (a $\mathbb  C$-multiple of $e^z$) can not have Pfaffian real and imaginary part on all of $\mathbb  C$ (see e.g. \cite{macintyre2008some}). Restricting the domain to those imaginary values in $(-\pi , \pi)$, the complex exponential has real and imaginary parts which are polynomial over the real exponential and restricted trignometric functions, all of which are Pfaffian. The higher order strongly minimal case analyzed above is of a much different nature. For instance, it is robust under domain changes - one can see that the $j$-function can not have its real and imaginary parts in a Pfaffian chain even when restricting to any open subset of the upper half plane.

\begin{defn}
The type $\operatorname{tp} (a /A)$ \emph{admits no proper fibrations} if whenever $c \in \operatorname{dcl} (Aa) \setminus \operatorname{acl} (A)$, we must have $a \in \operatorname{acl} (Ac )$. Minimal types admit no proper fibrations, but there are other (semiminimal) examples, e.g. \cite[example 2.2]{moosa2014some}.
\end{defn}

\begin{prop} \label{moose} \cite[Proposition 2.3]{moosa2014some} Suppose that the stationary type $p = \operatorname{tp} (a/A)$ admits no proper fibrations. Then $p$ is semiminimal and one of two options occurs:
\begin{enumerate}
    \item $p$ is almost internal to a non locally modular minimal type.
    \item $a$ is interalgebraic over $A$ with a finite tuple of independent realizations of a locally modular minimal type over $A$.
\end{enumerate}
\end{prop}

By refining via fibrations, any finite rank type has a semiminimal analysis $a_0, \ldots , a_n$ in the above sense which is also \emph{reduced} in the sense that for each $i$, $\operatorname{tp} (a_{i+1} /A a_i)$ admits no proper fibrations. Then Problem \ref{open} reduces to the following question with two distinct subcases:

\begin{question}
Let $f(z)$ be a realization of a type $p$ which is $\mathbb  C$-analytic on some domain $U \subset \mathbb  C.$\footnote{There is always such a realization, by Seidenberg's embedding theorem \cite{seidenberg1958abstract}.} Suppose that $p$ satisfies one of the following:

\begin{enumerate}
    \item Let $p$ be the generic type of some order one differential equation which is internal to the constants.
    \item Suppose that $p$ does not admit proper fibrations and is interalgebraic with a number of realizations of a locally modular type of order one. The order one type is known to be trivial and $\aleph _0$-categorical \cite{freitag2017finiteness}.
\end{enumerate}
When is $f(z)$ Pfaffian on $U$? When is $f(z)$ Pfaffian on some open $V \subset U$?
\end{question}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Ask for many bids from valued Burnham, Maine car insurance organizations for the most savings.
500 people attended Harvest on the Square on November 10th and was a huge success in downtown Waterville. Guest speakers include City of Waterville Mayor, Nick Isgro, Chairman of the Harold Alfond Foundation, Greg Powell, Thomas College President Laurie Lachance, Colby College President, David Greene, and Senator George J.
We would like to thank all our clients, business leaders and community members that came to the GHM open house yesterday and delivered some amazing gifts for the Home for Little Wanderers. We hope you all enjoyed the homemade goodies !.
I hope you plan to join us at the Festival of Trees ! Here is a sneak peak at the tree presented by GHM Insurance ! https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sukeforthfamilyfestivaloftrees\/.


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A native of Spain, Antonio joined the FPDS faculty in 2016. He received a bachelor's degree in sports and physical activity sciences followed by a post-graduate certificate of education from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. In addition, Antonio holds a Spanish Teaching Certificate with the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools. Prior to joining the FPDS faculty, Antonio taught Spanish and was the soccer coach at Hillcrest Christian School in Jackson. Antonio attends Redeemer Presbyterian Church and loves sports, especially soccer. "It is a privilege to work here, and I see the Lord's hand in the way He led me here," he says. "It's a blessing to be a part of the FPDS family and be part of every student's spiritual and academic growth." Although Antonio's family lives in Spain, he says that FPDS "feels like home."
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Let's compare the language that is used and the themes that are foregrounded in various local, national, and international news sources, as well as literature by de Waal.
Can you guess whether the following quotes came from news sources or de Waal? Support your choice!


text:
Dutch research team involved in first landing on the far side of the moon
by Radboud University
Launch of the Chang'e 4 relay-satelliet QueQuiao on 21 May 2018 from China. Credit: Albert-Jan Boonstra (ASTRON)
The Chinese space agency will be launching the Chang'e 4 moon lander on Friday 7 December, hoping to make China the first country to land on the far side of the moon. Dutch astronomers are also looking forward to the launch as they are collaborating with Chinese scientists on this mission. A satellite containing a Dutch radio instrument has already been launched to the far side of the moon, ready to be switched on once the moon lander touches down.
How is the Chang'e4 satellite doing?
China's Chang'e 4 relay satellite was launched on 21 May this year, following the launch of the moon lander. The satellite is now in place behind the moon to provide communication between the moon lander and the earth, and is equipped with a radio instrument made in the Netherlands.
First Dutch team involved in a moon landing
The Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer (NCLE) was developed by a team from Radboud University, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) and the company ISIS. The instrument is expected to start making scientific observations early next year. The whole Dutch team is keenly anticipating the launch on 7 December, not only because it will be the first ever landing on the far side of the moon, but especially because scientists from the Radboud Radio Lab in Nijmegen and ASTRON are also part of the Chang'e 4 mission's scientific team – the first time they have been involved in a moon landing.
Astrophysicist and Managing Director of the Radboud Radio Lab, Marc Klein Wolt, explains, "With our instrument installed on the relay satellite, we have become the first Dutch team ever to be part of a mission to the moon. That was special enough, but this makes it even more special." While no instruments from the Netherlands will be on board the Chinese lunar lander itself, the Dutch radio instrument on the satellite and the Chinese radio instrument on board the moon lander will carry out observations together.
Albert-Jan Boonstra, program manager at ASTRON, adds: "We are particularly interested in how well our sensor is doing under the extreme conditions in space, in relation to the design and the sensitivity of the radio instrument on the moon lander. Both instruments are not only designed to collect scientific results, but they also provide us with technical information needed to design a future flock of small astronomical radio satellites."
A new window to the universe
Radio astronomers typically use one of the many radio telescopes on earth to make observations, but with the NCLE instrument, the Dutch team is opening a new window to the universe. They are seeking to tune in to radio signals with wavelengths that cannot be detected on earth due to our planet's atmosphere. "The NCLE is paving the way for a future large-scale radio experiment on the surface of the moon to observe the weak signal emitted just after the Big Bang, before the first stars were formed. That's why this moon landing is so interesting, because for the first time, we have the chance to study the conditions for radio astronomy on the moon," Heino Falcke explains, Professor of Astroparticle Physics and Radio Astronomy, and scientific leader for the NCLE instrument. Moreover, the Chinese lunar lander will only be operational for a month or two, whereas the NCLE is expected to be in service over the next five years. The hope is that the NCLE will be rolled out and switched on a few weeks after a successful landing.
Dutch radio antenna launched from Chinese base to position behind the Moon
Provided by Radboud University
Citation: Dutch research team involved in first landing on the far side of the moon (2018, December 6) retrieved 19 July 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2018-12-dutch-team-involved-side-moon.html
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text:
Tag Archives: Japan
Crowdsourcing: Kagai! Design Assistance.
So Kagai! (which is my game of gory, Japanese B-Movie, ero-guro action) is just about done – it's only a mini game – but I'd like to solicit some help.
I need to know what people would like to know about the setting and the game elements, if they were going to play or run it. What guidelines and assistance they would like to have. Here's some basic info on the game, tell me the kinds of things you'd like/need to know so I can wrap this puppy up!
The world has been invaded by monsters straight out of people's nightmares and most of the world population is dead, or at war. One place is a little bit safer, a hyper-consumerist, high-tech Japanese arcology. Most of the remaining population is women and you're a class of schoolgirls from the arcology who do a bit of vigilante monster hunting on the side, in a game styled after the hyper-kinetic, b-movie gorefests of Japanese B-list cinema. The system emphasises team tactics and differs from many games in that you roll first and then describe what you do from what you've rolled, rather than vice versa. You can also save dice for following turns, or push them into a pool for everyone to use.
Example Character
Ima Hasegawa – Age 18
Heterosexual.
Factory worker family.
Mother was killed by monsters, Father died in the war. Twin sister, Imako. Younger sister Ami – 16
She fights for kicks, getting a perverse excitement from it.
She fights with a baseball bat, Power +2, Accuracy -1.
Punk style.
Agility: 3
Coordination: 3
Fitness: 3
Social: 2
Beauty: 3
Awareness: 3
Smarts: 3
Health: OOOOOO
Defence: 2
Initiative: 6
Genki: OOOOO
Design & Technology: 1
English Language: 1
Geography: 1
Gym: 3
History: 1
Japanese Language: 1
Mathematics: 1
Science: 1
Social Studies: 1
Computing: 1
Home Economics: 3
Music: 4
Religious Studies: 0
Baseball: 4
Jiu-Jitsu: 2
Hand to hand attack: 5D, Power 3D.
Baseball bat attack: 6D, Power 5D.
Example Combat (Minion)
Ima is exploring a blood-stained contraception clinic in the lower levels when a pantsless zombie falls out of a cupboard and lurches at her, groaning 'Booooobs…'
Ima only manages to roll one success for initiative, while the pantsless zombie she's fighting manages to get 2.
It lunges forward, but it's not pantsless exactly, they're around its ankles, so with zero successes it fails to grab hold of her.
Backing away, Ima swings her bat and gets one success. That's enough to hit a zombie (defence 1) but leaves her no extra dice. Rolling damage she gets two successes and decides to do that as damage, to make it easier to kill later on, if need be. It's not a special hit, just a Health hit, a solid smash in the chest, fracturing a couple of ribs.
This time the zombie grabs hold of her, practically tripping over its own pants and tumbling into her, all stinking hands and foul, drooling mouth. The zombie barely hit and did one damage – rolling a 5. Rather than do any damage though, the Games Master pulls the zombie's dice, saving it for another action.
Ima tries to get it off her, struggling using her jiu-jitsu. Neither her, nor the zombie, roll any successes but since she's already grappled she remains grappled.
Pressing the attack the zombie gets two successes – enough to hit – and bites at her for 3D damage, getting one success. The Games Master decides to hold onto that two, giving the zombie two extra dice in his pool of pulled dice.
Ima strives to struggle free, getting one success – matched by the zombie. Spending Genki gets her an extra dice and a success. The zombie tries to use his own pool but fails to get any more successes and is thrown off, landing with a thump and immeditely scrabbling back at her but failing to get hold.
Ima throws everything into her next attack and gets two successes, one more than she needed, which she throws into damage. With the bonus she rolls four successes for damage, but wants to get five so she can take out the zombie with a single stroke. Spending more Genki she fails – sadly – to get the success she needs and so banks the four successes with a pull action. The swing lashes out, over the head of the zombie, stalling it and giving her a great wind-up for her next attack.
Desperately the hunched over zombie makes a grab for her legs, but only gets one success – where it needed two. Its hands slip of her legs.
Ima swings down, dumping her previously banked dice into the attack. She gets four successes and banks three of them for damage after the one to hit. On the damage roll she finally gets five successes! Enough to damage the zombie's smarts (1) and crush its skull.
"My bat strikes the top of the zombies head and smashes its skull open like a rotten gourd. Brains splash in all directions, staining my legs. A fragment of brain hits my cheek. I lick it up with my tongue and spit it out onto the zombie's corpse."
"Gross, regain one Genki."
Sword-Fodder and Big Bads
Zombies aren't the real point of the game, 'big bads' are. Tough and very dangerous monsters that require luck and friends to destroy. Being able to push dice means that characters can work together, help each other out and be good at things – like causing distractions – that aren't directly combat, but which help everyone else.
So what would you want to know about the setting, the rules, the background? What tools would you like to help you run games? A random monster generator? Some example monsters? How in depth would the background need to be? What could I do to make it cool and to sell you on the idea?
2 Comments Posted in Uncategorized Tagged ero-guro, eroguro, gore, guro, Japan, Japanese, Japanese cinema, Kagai!, zombie
Review: HuniePop
(Disclosure: I got a copy in order to support the producers and show willing against fuss, censorship and wild and crazy missing-the-point that was going on. I am absolutely biased in favour of supporting adult material being available and against prudery).
Ladies, ladies, one at a time!
HuniePop (Hunie to rhyme with Honey) is a strange hybrid of a game, part 'Dating Simulator' and part 'Puzzle Game'. It combines a cast of characters that you are trying to seduce by giving them gifts, learning about them and taking them on dates with a match-three game in the style of Bejewelled. Its a peculiar sort of mix and given that there are plenty of free, pirated or dubbed dating sims and erotic games out there (courtesy of Japan and teams of dedicated western perverts) why would you buy one?
In one of a great many knowing winks to the audience and the stereotypes of the genre, HuniePop starts you out as a hopeless loser with all the sexual charisma of a dugong in a blue rave wig. You have the lucky stroke of haphazardly hitting on what turns out to be a Love Fairy from the magical land of Sky Garden and she sets out to straighten you up and unleash your inner stud.
This consists of teaching you how to tell women what they want to hear, to give them gifts, to remember details about them when they 'test' you, and to play the match-three game as an abstract representation of your conduct and capability on dates. Play the games well, say the right things and you'll impress them. Eventually you'll impress them enough to get them into bed and with persistence and skill you can bed every character in the game and unlock new characters to seduce in turn.
All your panties are belong to me.
The game does lack an 'ending'. Some of these sorts of games have you choosing a particular girl at the end to settle down with and to end your 'playa' days. That might have been a good cap to the game story, even though story in these games is most often just a veneer to supply a reason for sexyfuntimes, and that's fine. When you're paying for a game like this you might want a little more.
Talking to the girls is mostly a matter of figuring out their stereotype and understanding what answer is best to give them. The game has taken a bit of flak for its stereotyping, especially when it is playing up to national stereotypes, but it is done with a nod and a wink and in terms of gameplay it gives the player a decent 'in' into figuring out what to say to them.
Gifts cost money and you get money for completing dates. You can also up your skill in things like 'sexuality' or 'romance' by earning points in conversation with the girls and giving them gifts. The more gifts you can give, the more points you can get to make your skill better and that, in turn, makes the match-three game easier to complete.
Beli is my waifu.
Outfit and hair customisation is a nice touch.
You'll also get gifts in return, special items that you can use during the match-three game for special effects like extra turns, removing bobbles of different types (they're thematic and different characters are more impressed by different types) and so forth.
You can also buy food and drink which lets you talk to your date longer or get her tipsy, which lets you be more charming and earn more points. After you've finished talking you can invite the girl onto a date and once you've succeeded on a date four or five times you can angle for a night date, which if you succeed on lets you take the girl to bed.
In the bedroom you play a different version of the match-three game where it's really all about speed. You get a bar that constantly decreases and you're trying to match bobbles as fast as you can to push the bar all the way up to the top – at which point you're rewarded with the 'pay off'. A bare booby shot in the censored version, a money-shot in the uncensored version. There's no fail-state on this game and that makes it more frustrating than rewarding, a separate mini-game with a fail-state might have made this part more interesting and given the game greater longevity.
Gifts and dating success also unlock other, more innocent, images which the girls text to you – a nod to modern dating – as well as unlocking customisation options for the girls – hairstyle and clothing.
The dating screen.
The art is done in an anime-ish style, part of the weird circle of influence from the US to Japan and back. It's pretty good and well executed. The girls have a distinctive look and the voice acting is a nice touch, making the game more charming and fun (even when you're being sworn at by the megabitch) than its free alternatives.
The sexy fun-times screen.
The writing isn't fantastic, but you do get a sense of the personalities of the different girls. Much of the reason for the writing issues, such as they are, is as a result of playing up to the expectations of the genre. What girl would really be impressed at you asking her bust size, let alone remembering it? (Unless you were buying her lingerie as a gift).
Beats the hell out of unsolicited dick pics.
The game's well done, it runs on linux as well as PC and Mac, which is nice. The lock-out of the adult content on Steam is annoying, but fairly easily fixed. It's just a pointless, needless, roundabout way of doing things and you really might as well just have the full-on adult version available on the platform.
There's barely any animation, something that would have been nice to see and would have helped the characterisation some more.
All in all you don't need great presentation for these kinds of games, but by the standards of these games this is very nicely done.
Please note that typical magazine/site scores are biased upwards. On my scale 3 is truly average – and that's not to say anything bad. A 3 is a perfectly worthwhile and fun game, it's just not outstanding.
Style: 4 (Nicely presented, fun, charming characterisation).
Substance: 3 (There could easily have been more depth, more options in conversation and some more spins on the game. A decent end to the storyline and a bit more writing and ambition could have improved this massively).
Overall: 3.5 (Worth buying in order to stick-it-to-the-man and to see if the studio can do even better).
There's the review. Here's the opinion:
Dating Sims Vs Bioware
The dating sim is a weird subgenre of games and one I'd likely not have heard of if it hadn't been for being an early-adopter on the anime front back in the 80s and 90s or my fascination with sexuality in media and games. HuniePop definitely plays up to the expectations of the genre and they're not particularly flattering to men or women (lie and buy your way into people's pants and be shallow enough to be fooled by that, respectively).
Dating sims, especially the erotic ones, get a lot of flak. Partially because any and all pornography and erotica does but also because of the reasons I gave above. There's an element of taking it too seriously when you're talking about a wank-game, but there's also an element of truth. I give HuniePop props for understanding the ridiculousness of the genre and making fun of itself (one of the characters even calls you racist – with a laugh – for giving stereotyped gifts) but the next step is probably to go beyond parody and to try and improve the genre.
People who criticise games like HuniePop as being shallow, but praise Bioware's games such as Mass Effect or Dragon Age for their romantic and sexual components are, frankly, being hypocrites. To bed a Bioware hottie you do exactly the same things that you do in HuniePop. You tell them what they want to hear and you give them gifts (sometimes in the form of quests). Indeed, you could see Dragon Age Inquisition is simply being a really, really over-bloated dating sim.
The success of both Bioware and HuniePop dating sims definitely shows there's an audience for romantic and sexual material, beyond the bounds of the ring-fenced niche of the porno-game.
Steam & Censorship
Steam – in the form of Dread Lord Gaben himself no less – recently stepped in to reverse a decision to censor the game Hatred. A rather graphic game of mass murder. This was the right decision, absolutely to make. However, in order to unlock HuniePop's truly adult version you have to dick around with adding a small file to your install to remove the restrictions.
This is pointless.
This is especially pointless when there's a thread on the Steam forum itself, with Steam's blessing, telling everyone how to get around it.
What may be going on here may be a problem relating to payment processing, advertisers and some of the other companies selling via steam. Some of these services are weirdly touchy about adult material, don't want to be associated with it or use the shaming that adult material encounters as an excuse to add surcharges.
HuniePop's fix to this issue might be a pointless and needless workaround, but it also might be a way for Steam itself to hold up the middle finger to censors. There's no real way of knowing, but it's a frustrating situation. Adult material should have access to the same markets and points of sale as anyone else.
Ambitions for Adult Games
The idea of treating adult material in a mature and integrated manner is one I'm somewhat obsessive over. HuniePop and others make me want to work on adult material more and make me want to move forward on erotica versions of Choose Your Own Adventure books. The form needs to be more ambitious though, to go beyond eye-candy to engage the mind in the way that the best written erotica, a very few films and experiments with erotic ASMR have been going. Equally, it would be nice to see the big development studios truly commit to the half-hearted efforts in Bioware games or The Witcher.
The rise of the indie is an opportunity to do it right and to aim a little bit higher.
Leave a comment Posted in Reviews Tagged adult game, adult material, dating sim, dating sims, Japan, Puzzle game, the game, the game story
Tentacles? I'm Getting Deja Vu
So… THIS popped up on my stream today.
I was, shall we say, nonplussed.
I was also nonplussed, but not surprised, to see the RAAAAAGE going on HERE and HERE about it.
From what I can see this game is really, tame as anything. There's no graphic depictions here, it's pretty much suggestive and there's certainly no 'Carrots' cards amongst this lot, and yet RAGE.
Personally? Well, I suppose I'm a little upset that someone else is taking my idea commercial. Over it's lifespan the rights to Hentacle have been negotiated with three separate companies, all of whom chickened out at one hurdle or another. Now, not only have Soda Pop made tens of thousands of dollars from a crowdsourcing, but they're going to make a shitpile more money from a much tamer execution of a game idea that's so damn close to mine it's painful.
Do I begrudge 'em? No. Not really. I'm just annoyed at seeing another success story go past with ideas stemming from or similar to mine. It's happened before (Munchkin) and I'm sure it'll happen again. I'm just one unlucky motherfucker apparently.
I've backed 'em and best of luck to 'em.
They're still idea-stealing bastards though.
Give a washed up old game designer a break and BUY Hentacle or Cthentacle while you're at it, eh?
1 Comment Posted in Articles, News Tagged Anime, cthentacle, gaming, hentacle, Hentai, Japan, Kickstarter, munchkin, Porn, Sodapop, Tentacle Bento, Tentacle Monster


CNN knew Piers Morgan had a colorful past as a London tabloid editor when the network installed him as Larry King�s replacement this year, but surely didn�t anticipate how that personal history would ensnare him months into his new job.
Morgan issued another statement Wednesday denying any involvement or knowledge of journalists at Britain�s Daily Mirror newspaper illegally hacking into phone messages while he was editor there, despite the resurfacing of an old interview that brought what he knew into question.
CNN said it remains satisfied with Morgan�s explanations of what happened while he was a London editor.
The Daily Mirror has come under suspicion following revelations that rival newspaper News of the World � recently shut down by its publisher � routinely intercepted voicemails left for public figures.
To Americans, Morgan is best known as a judge on NBC�s top summer show �America�s Got Talent� and, since January, as a celebrity interviewer on CNN�s prime-time lineup. His show�s ratings aren�t robust, but his viewership is up 12 percent over the last year of �Larry King Live,� and more among younger viewers.
Morgan edited the now-defunct News of the World briefly in the 1990s, the newspaper at the center of the phone hacking scandal. He spent most of his editing career at the Daily Mirror, where he was boss from 1995 to 2004.
A blogger in Britain brought forth this week an audio recording of a BBC radio interview Morgan gave in 2009, where his questioner asked how a �nice middle class boy� felt about associating with people who rake through garbage cans, tap people�s phones and take secret photographs.
Morgan replied that the activity had to be put in perspective.
�Not a lot of that went on,� he said. �A lot of it was done by third parties rather than the staffs themselves. That�s not to defend it, because obviously you were running the results of their work.
The remarks were interpreted by some as an admission that Morgan�s Daily Mirror engaged in the same practices that got the News of the World shut down. Morgan vigorously disputes that.
Morgan also took to Twitter to attack those who were spreading stories about him.
CNN has invested a lot of time and money into the launch of Morgan�s show and isn�t likely to give that up on the basis of what�s been heard so far, said Kim Bondy, a former CNN producer who now teaches journalism at the University of New Orleans.


text:
Zobrist homers twice, Cubs top Nationals for best MLB start since 2003
CHICAGO -- Joe Maddon loves what Ben Zobrist brings to the Chicago Cubs' locker room.
"He's this thing that spreads," the manager said.
Maddon can't complain about what Zobrist is doing on the field lately, either.
Zobrist homered for the third straight game, connecting twice Friday as the streaking Chicago Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals 8-6 for their fifth win in a row.
Five straight Ws and 22 of our last 28. #LetsGo pic.twitter.com/YywztaX9Bu
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 6, 2016
"Anytime you start feeling good at the plate, it makes the game a lot more fun, especially with a nice warm day and the wind blowing out," Zobrist said. "I think probably a week ago both of those balls I hit would have been caught."
Zobrist drove in four runs for the second consecutive day against the Nationals as the Cubs won for the ninth time in 10 games and improved to a major league-leading 22-6.
That's the best 28-game start in the National League since the 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers also were 22-6.
Anthony Rizzo added a towering solo homer and Tommy La Stella hit a two-run shot as the Cubs took advantage of the wind blowing out at Wrigley Field.
#FridayFeeling pic.twitter.com/JApsgoUX1l
John Lackey (4-1) struck out 11, one shy of his career high, in seven innings. Hector Rondon pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save in as many chances.
Washington began the day 19-9, second-best in baseball. Max Scherzer (3-2) was tagged for seven runs and seven hits in five innings.
"The damage came today from Rizzo and Zobrist," Scherzer said. "I wasn't able to contain the lefties in their lineup. When you look at it like that, they do a great job of putting in a good approach against right-handed pitching."
Anthony Rendon and Wilson Ramos homered for Washington.
Ok now you're just showing off. ??????????????????? #BOOMmyman
— Julianna Zobrist (@JuliannaZobrist) May 6, 2016
Lackey became the fifth active pitcher with 2,000 strikeouts when he fanned Jayson Werth in the fourth, joining CC Sabathia, Bartolo Colon, Felix Hernandez and Jake Peavy and earning a standing ovation from the Wrigley Field crowd of 39,206.
"I guess it means I'm old and been around awhile, done a few things," said Lackey, 37.
HIT HARD
Scherzer hadn't given up seven runs in a game since joining the Nationals last year. He surrendered 10 in 2014 when he pitched for Detroit against Kansas City.
Scherzer hit an RBI single in the second to give Washington a 2-0 lead.
La Stella tied it with a two-run shot in the second. Rizzo and Zobrist hit back-to-back homers in the fourth for a 4-2 lead.
Chicago Cubs' Ben Zobrist runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run.
Rizzo's 10th homer up toward the flags atop the foul pole in right field was reviewed and upheld.
"I saw it fair, said Rizzo, who teased injured Cubs teammate Kyle Schwarber that it was one of his "Schwarbombs."
Zobrist connected again for his fifth homer, a three-run shot with two outs in the fifth that made it 7-2.
Nationals: CF/leadoff hitter Ben Revere was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list and went 0 for 5. He had been sidelined since the season opener because of a strained right oblique. To make room, OF Matt den Dekker was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.
Chicago Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist (18) and shortstop Javier Baez celebrate their win over the Washington Nationals.
Cubs: C Miguel Montero (lower back tightness), would rather not go on a rehab assignment when he returns from the 15-day disabled list.
"I've only lost eight games, so it's not really that much, but it's not up to me," said Montero, sidelined since April 24. "If they ask me, I don't think I really need a rehab, but like I say, it's not my decision."
Cubs RHP Jason Hammel (4-0, 1.24 ERA) will face Nationals LHP Gio Gonzales (2-1, 1.15) in a matchup of two of the NL's top four pitchers in ERA entering the weekend.
In 11 career starts against the Nationals, Hammel is 9-0 with a 3.01 ERA. No other active pitcher has as many wins without a loss against one opponent.
Ben Verlander's MLB tiers: Who are the best first basemen?
Yankees offseason primer: Aaron Judge is the top priority. Who could join him?
Anthony Rizzo re-signs with Yankees; several others reject QO
MLB free-agent hitter rankings: Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa lead top 20
2022 MLB free agent rankings, team fits: Aaron Judge leads top 30


TheEye is having to pinch herself. After months of planning, seeking advice and ingesting numerous guide books, here she finally is, in TOKYO.
Not one to take things at a slow pace, it was up and running straight away.
Everything works and is fastidiously well ordered and spotless. No mess or chewing gum pock marks on the pavements, no smokers puffing away outside office buildings (there are designated 'smoking pens'). Some spectacular architecture – Herzog and De Meuron's amazing Prada building, Benjamin Warner's futuristic seven story glass structure and the weird but wonderful "Sunny Hills' constructed in latticed wood.
The Subway system runs, not surprisingly, like clockwork – once you fathom it out! And people are incredibly friendly. They see us struggling with a map and don't just stop to help but often go out of their way to take us. Best of all (well sort of), heated loo seats!! Divine.
Tokyo is retail paradise. Everything looks so good, assistants polite and helpful and the packaging —works of art themselves. Whether it's clothes or a cake or just a card.
It seems every brand ever invented has an outlet in Tokyo and frankly if you don't you probably shouldn't be in business!
TheEye is almost hyperventilating with excitement and sadly has to now face the sad reality that she is deep down a shopaholic. In remission, but Tokyo is proving several temptations too many. It's the small niche Japanese labels – Arts&Science, Plain People, 45RPM and so many more she is discovering on a daily basis. Oh dear. It's SO unfair!!
Japanese love to shop and they dress up for this national past time. No scruffiness here.
Tokyo's famous daily fish market is an experience no visitor should miss.
If you can face a VERY early start the tuna auction which starts at 5 a.m. (TheEye wimped out on this one!) is apparently an amazing experience. This is BIG business and things can get very heated. Large sums of money are involved. Tuna is a very expensive and quality is everything. Competition for the finest is fierce.
After the the auction, the market closes and re-opens at 9 AM. Although it might lack the drama, it is still incredible. Pure theatre. Fish you don't recognise and the variety is mind blowing. The Japanese take fish seriously.
After an hour or so wandering round gawping at fish, it's time to EAT some.
There are tiny holes in the wall of sushi, noodle and tempura stands and kiosks full of market workers, tourists and passers by, enjoying huge portions at cheap prices.
TheEye has had some memorable meals already. Extraordinary really. It's so much more than food. Visual, special and so exciting.
Master chef TAKAZAWA. More than a chef – a poet!
After four action packed days, it's time to catch our train to HAKONE and a very different experience.
Keep your eyes out for TheEye.
What a trip. Your excitement and enjoyment is palpable.
What a joy – just want to see more pictures!!! Tokyo really is the most wonderful city!
You make it so exciting. Can't wait to go.


text:
Kikagaku Moyo
KIKAGAKU MOYO "Kumoyo Island" VINYL LP BLACK
"Kumoyo Island" is the fifth studio album & the last euphoric mind-trip to Kikagaku Moyo's imagined island."
1. Monaka
2. Dancing Blue
3. Effe
4. Meu Mar
5. Cardboard Pile
6. Gomugomu
7. Daydream Soda
8. Field of Tiger Lillies
9. Yayoi Iyayoi
10. Nap Song
11. Maison Silk Road
In many ways 'Kumoyo Island' represents the culmination of a journey for Kikagaku Moyo. While their decade-long career can be summarized as a series of kaleidoscopic explorations through lands and dimensions far and near, there's a strong intention in each of their works to take the listener to a particular place, however real or abstract they may be. In that sense, the title and cover art for the band's fifth and final album draws you into a magical mass of land surrounded by water—but the couch suggests that 'Kumoyo Island'may not be a fleeting stop, but rather a place of respite, where one could pause and take it all in.
Reconvening at Tsubame Studios in Asakusabashi, Tokyo, where their earliest material had been recorded, the five members of Kikagaku Moyo found new inspiration in a familiar and comfortable environment. With their adopted homebase of Amsterdam under lockdown and their touring activities halted due to the pandemic, the band felt a renewed sense of freedom being back in shitamachi, or the old downtown area of their hometown. With unrestricted time in the studio, they began to build upon the demos and song fragments they'd amassed since their last tour. In the 1.5 months spent in Tokyo, everything started to come together.
"Monaka", its name taken from a type of Japanese wafer sweets, takes melodic inspiration from traditional minyofolk styles, while "Yayoi Iyayoi" is a rare instance of the band singing in their native tongue, its evocative lyrics utilizing archaic words taken from old poetry and nature books found in one of the many second-hand bookstores of Tokyo. For "Meu Mar", an Erasmos Carlos cover, the original Portuguese lyrics were translated into English, then to Japanese. Strangely enough, the words seem to conjure an image of the protagonist floating among the clouds, looking down upon Tokyo Bay.
In fact, it may be possible to draw a parallel between the topography of the band's home country—an island nation, surrounded by bodies of water—and the mysterious isle of Kumoyo. Are they one and the same? Has the band finally made it back home? It's up to the listener to decide.


Planetary Herbals Full Spectrum Jiaogulan is specially extracted to yield a broad spectrum of jiaogulan's constituents. Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) originates from Southern China where much of traditional Chinese herbalism evolved. It has been traditionally used as a strengthening tonic to increase physical and mental stamina. Jiaogulan contains 82 saponins called gypenosides, some of which are directly related to the ginsenosides found in ginseng root.
Dibasic calcium phosphate, stearic acid, modified cellulose gum, silica, and magnesium stearate.


text:
Heatwave Harry? As temperatures soar, naming the threat may save lives
by Laurie Goering | @lauriegoering | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Tuesday, 4 August 2020 18:06 GMT
Alberto Gogu wipes sweat off his forehead after clearing debris in his courtyard in Calmautiu, Romania, July 6, 2020. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via REUTERS
About our Humanitarian Crises coverage
From major disaster, conflicts and under-reported stories, we shine a light on the world's hotspots
Giving heatwaves names and ratings - much like hurricanes - could help people understand the growing threat, heat experts say
By Laurie Goering
LONDON, Aug 4 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Giving heatwaves names and strength ratings, as for hurricanes, could drive home the spiking danger from a threat that kills more people in the United States each year than storms and floods but rarely hits headlines, heat experts said on Tuesday.
"People do not understand this risk and we need to change that," said Kathy Baughman McLeod, director of the Washington-based Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, which works to cut climate change, migration and security risks.
With 2020 set to be one of the hottest years on record, in a long string of them, "extreme heat is or will be felt by everyone, everywhere, at some point. We have to build awareness to this invisible threat," she told an online event.
The push to name heatwaves is backed by the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance (EHRA), a new coalition of 30 big-city mayors and insurance officials, as well as health, climate change and policy experts from around the globe.
Unlike floods or storms, heatwaves are largely an unseen risk, with many deaths occurring inside homes and losses apparent only when "excess deaths" above normal rates of mortality are examined, public health researchers say.
Heat deaths can occur from dehydration, heat stroke, kidney failure or as existing health problems are aggravated, the World Health Organization says.
Assigning heatwaves names and risk ratings could help people better understand the scale of the threat as climate change brings more extreme heat, EHRA members said.
A full moon rises behind the Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion, near Athens, Greece, August 3, 2020. REUTERS/Costas Baltas
A report published on Monday by the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research found that by the end of the century, heat deaths globally could nearly equal those from all infectious diseases combined today, if the planet continues to warm at its present pace.
The research, done by the Climate Impact Lab and based on data from 40 countries, found the problem will be most severe in the already hot tropics, in countries from Bangladesh to Sudan, where people may struggle to afford adequate cooling.
Large parts of the world - from the Middle East to Siberia and Australia - have seen fast-worsening heatwaves in recent years.
SWELTERING CITIES
At Tuesday's event, Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis said his city was one of those most at risk from extreme heat in Europe, and was likely to see the tourism it depends on slashed as summer heatwaves grow.
He described rising heat as "one of our city's greatest challenges".
Mayor Francis Suarez of Miami similarly said his city could see the number of 40-degree Celsius (104F) days each year more than double to 100 by 2050, bringing stronger hurricanes from warmer seas and more mosquito-driven disease threats.
In cities like India's Chennai, where the seasons are already "hot, hotter and hottest", soaring temperatures could undermine food and water security for the poor, said Krishna Mohan, Chennai's chief resilience officer.
Finding ways to counter heatwave risks, from providing heat insurance to expanding access to affordable cooling, will be crucial to protect the 3.5 billion people expected to be hit by deadly heatwaves by mid-century, the new alliance noted.
Almost half of those at risk - 1.6 billion people - are in cities, EHRA members said.
A woman lies in the shade on a rocky beach as a heatwave hits Europe, in Sliema, Malta, June 26, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi
Ricardo Lara, California's insurance commissioner, said heat was a particular problem for the poor who lack air-conditioning and access to green spaces.
He remembers growing up in East Los Angeles and sleeping out on his home's porch on hot nights, in an effort to stay cool. Now he worries job losses due to COVID-19 could leave many people unable to pay for cooling as summer temperatures spike.
"Heatwaves are a risk that has never been fully recognised but one we are currently living with," he said.
Julie Arrighi, a heat specialist based in Uganda for the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, said efforts to deal with heat often faced "woeful under-funding" because the issue was not widely acknowledged.
Author Jeff Goodell, a senior fellow at the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, which is based at the Atlantic Council, said the lack of broad public concern about increasingly deadly heat was remarkable.
Extreme heat is "going to cause death and migration", he warned. "What strikes me is how little we understand this, and how large the implications of this are."
Eat or stay cool? Cities test ways to protect poor from rising heat
As workers sweat, pressure grows on employers to cool the heat
'A sly thief': Rising heat steals jobs and lives in eastern India
Climate change set to make extreme heat more common - and costly
(Reporting by Laurie Goering @lauriegoering; editing by Megan Rowling. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate)
Climate Politics
Climate Change General
Climate (air pollution, green transport, zero carbon initiatives etc)
EXPLORE MORE Humanitarian Crises NEWS
OBITUARY-E.O. Wilson, naturalist dubbed a modern-day Darwin, dies at 92
Philippines grapples with typhoon aftermath as death toll tops 300
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IMF head says faster emissions cuts can curb 'dramatic' adaptation needs


The fuel pump on a lawn mower is responsible for sending the fuel from the gas tank into the carburetor where it is needed to run the engine of the mower. When the fuel pump gets clogged or damaged, it will not allow fuel to get to the carburetor, preventing the engine from starting. Fixing the fuel pump is not difficult and can be done by inspecting the parts and repairing any damaged pieces of the pump. Often, just cleaning the pump is enough to get it operating again. It should only take you an hour or two to repair the fuel pump and have it running again.
Locate the fuel pump on the lawn mower. (It sits beside the fuel tank and has a rubber gas line from the tank to the pump and another fuel line from the pump into the carburetor.) If it is an electrical fuel pump, check the power supply to the fuel pump to verify that it is getting power from your power source.
Disconnect the fuel line to the carburetor and turn the power supply on to verify whether or not fuel is being pumped out of the fuel pump. If not, the problem is in the fuel pump. Detach the fuel pump from the mower with a pair of pliers and a screwdriver.
Inspect the fuel pump by removing the screws with a screwdriver and examining the parts for any signs of wear or damage. Check for any sand or debris in the pump and clean it out.
Replace any gaskets, seals or diaphragms in the fuel pump that are damaged and put the pump back together. Reattach the fuel pump to the mower by connecting the hoses and securing the pump to the mower.
Verify that the fuel pump is working by testing the pump with the carburetor hose detached to see if the pump is pumping out any fuel. Once you have verified that the pump is working, reattach the hose leading to the carburetor.
To prevent any injury, keep your hands and feet away from the lawn mower blade when it is running. Never turn the mower on its side while running.


Edinburgh Monarchs are aiming to reclaim the Premier League speedway Pairs Championship at Somerset's Oaktree Arena tonight following a nightmare defence of their title last season.
After skipper Sam Masters and Max Fricke swept to glory two years ago, Masters and new partner Kevin Wolbert were hot favourites to repeat that success in 2015. But when two of Wolbert's engines went missing prior to the event their chances hit the skids.
Wolbert was forced to ride Masters' second bike but did not pick up a point until his last ride which proved too little too late.
Fisher is certainly motoring at the moment after finding double-figure returns hard to come by of late. He was back to his top scoring best in the SkySports televised derby clash against Glasgow Tigers at Ashfield last week.
Fisher who was pumped up for the clash which Monarchs lost 51-39, stormed to a brilliant 14 points and was beaten just once by Tigers Argentinian reserve Fernando Garcia.
And two days later at Armadale Fisher was on the money once more with 11 points against Berwick Bandits. Fisher revealed: "I haven't been that happy lately with how my engines have been doing and it's been costing me points which hasn't been great for myself or the team.
Monarchs team manager Alex Harkess said: "Kevin will be fine for next week his withdrawal is only a precaution. He was having to come back to the UK just for the Pairs and whilst he was happy to do that, he's not that unhappy now that he's not!
Masters signed for Swedish top-tier (Elitserien) team Lejonen Lions on Tuesday.
Group A: Glasgow, Workington, Somerset, Newcastle, Peterborough.
Group B: Sheffield, Ipswich (holders), Edinburgh, Rye House, Plymouth.


text:
FOUNDATION_EXPORT double TickerVersionNumber;

//! Project version string for Ticker.
FOUNDATION_EXPORT const unsigned char TickerVersionString[];

// In this header, you should import all the public headers of your framework using statements like #import <Ticker/PublicHeader.h>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Training A Gamer
An old (ish) boardgamer plus an 8-year-old. What to do?
Posts Tagged 'Klaus Teuber'
It would be good if we really had a parrot called Coco
October 1, 2012 Rob	Comments off
Catan Junior is pretty much what you'd imagine from the title: a version of Settlers of Catan, reworked with a younger audience in mind. I was a little wary of this, having heard less than stellar reports of an earlier attempt to shift the Catan franchise towards a younger audience (Kids of Catan), but over the last few months a steadily expanding body of positive reviews have built up. Then, while I was off at the highly enjoyable TringCon, I stumbled across a copy at a very reasonably price, so I laid my cash down…
Pirates everywhere! (Though here we're forgetting to keep hold of our parrots.)
I mean, there are pirates in this version of the game. Surely that's enough?
Actually, my early impressions of the game are great. The basic mechanics of the game are almost identical to the original Settlers, but trading has been tweaked (so you trade with a non-player market or the bank), resource cards have been replaced by gorgeous tokens (though the design of the gold counters leaves something to be desired) and the development cards are now "Coco the parrot" tiles which do something good for you when you buy them.
We've played this a couple of times so far, with three and two players, and both worked well. Actually, during our first play I rushed reading the rules and we ended up playing with unlimited trading and no bonus for collecting parrots. This actually worked out quite fun, mind, but we have shifted to the proper rules now. The game zips along quite quickly, even with Miss B getting distracted and singing a song or chatting about the fact she doesn't think there should be as much wood as it isn't as interesting as goats.
In some ways I think this is actually better than the original Settlers. It is certainly less likely that someone makes a poor or unlucky start and never recovers. This could really turn into a very good gateway game which I'd be more than happy to play with an adult group. I think the "Junior" label is a bit unfortunate as it makes the game sound like more of a kids' game rather than the great little family game it actually is.
The verdict from Miss B (aged 5¾): "Catan junior was 10 out of 10 when you could get a lair onto Spooky Island because you had the most Cocos. I liked it because it was still part of the points because lairs score points when they're on the board."
The game: Catan Junior (Mayfair Games), 2 to 4 players, aged 6+.
Categories: Games Tags: board game, Catan Junior, Klaus Teuber, Mayfair Games, pirates
Desparately Seeking Settlers
August 10, 2012 Rob	1 comment
Miss B game me a bit of paper. It was actually partially used a sheet of stickers, on the back of which were a load of letters and squiggly symbols, some of which were next to boxes. "I made you a code because I didn't want Mummy to see what it said," she explained.
Bletchley Park, eat your heart out!
I was just about to go out for the evening so I promised to read it the next day and she said she would help me in case I found it tricky.
The next day we sat down to decipher the message, which was actually a perfectly good substitution cipher, even though a few of the symbols looked like the same squiggle. There was a key provided and the boxes were for me to write the deciphered plaintext. A few minutes later (with Miss B helping in the cryptanalysis process) we had the deciphered message:
"TO DADDY ID LIKE TO PLAY THE SETLER GAME"
I am so proud, and on so many levels.
And when such a cool message is delivered in such an awesom way, what could we do? Well, that afternoon we cracked out Settlers of Catan and had our first game with the proper rules. This is quite a bit of extra complexity over the "KinderCatan" rules we had used before, but probably no more tricky than some of the other games we have played. After having fun building the board from the hex tiles, Miss B learnt the game from a bit of advanced briefing and then getting the rest over the first few turns. In play she fixated a bit on getting the longest road rather than building settlements, but it all worked out pretty well for her.
Settlers has never been great with two players, but the additional space available did make for fewer problems in play as we effectively each had half of the board to build on without interference. A potential problem in the game is that it is very easy for old hands to take advantage of younger and less experienced players in trades. Aware of this, we didn't do much trading and on the times that we did, I always asked "are you sure this will be good for you?" before going ahead — and in many cases Miss B decided to not go ahead.
Overall this went really well and we're hoping to drag Mummy in for a three player game in the not-too-distant future.
The updated verdict from Miss B (aged 5½): "I really liked building the roads and the settlements."
The game: Settlers of Catan (Mayfair Games), 3 to 4 players aged 10+.
Categories: Games Tags: board game, Klaus Teuber, Mayfair Games, Settlers of Catan, trading
Yay! More bricks!
April 22, 2012 Rob	Comments off
It's time for one of the biggies: the Settlers of Catan. Actually, I think Miss B would struggle greatly with the full game, so a simplified version is in order, so enter Kindercatan, a variant aimed at providing the bones of the full game with not-completely-trivial gameplay that a four-year-old could enjoy.
Well, I can't speak for a four-year-old, but the five-year-old and I thoroughly enjoyed the game. We were actually using a brand new set, so had all the tiles and counters to pop out, which was fun but meant we took a long time setting up, alongside a lot of questions about what all the bits were for. I made a minor mistake with the setup (due to having only printed out a black and white version of the rules), but that didn't seem to cause any problems.
Kindercatan definitely introduces some of the core concepts of the game in an easy way and Miss B was soon completely comfortable with resource production, trading with the bank (there isn't really much room for trading between players) and building stuff, and in a very close finish she won the game. We'll definitely be playing this again and I don't think it will be far down the line before we play the full game.
The verdict from Miss B (age 5¼): "I liked it but I don't know why I liked it."
The game: "Kindercatan" variant of Settlers of Catan (Mayfair Games), normally 3 to 4 players aged 10+.
Categories: Games Tags: board game, Klaus Teuber, Mayfair Games, Settlers of Catan, trading, variant rules
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