THE MIND'S EYE® : GAMES : Why do games cost so much money?
Is your favorite game company ripping you off?
are you getting a fair deal or are you getting ripped off?
This constant question and controversy has dogged gaming from Space Invaders on Atari 2600 to Turok on Nintendo 64. At the heart of the issue is the concept of value; is a game worth the money you pay for it? The question is heavily loaded with all sorts of objective criteria, and consumers give different answers in relation to different games. To come to any sort of conclusion, we must ask specific questions with definite answers. Questions such as: How much do games sell for at retail? How much does it cost a publisher to bring a game to market (and therefore, how much profit does it make)? And how many units can a publisher expect to sell?
The average price of a new PC release is around $40. At the bottom end of the market, most major publishers have budget software, typically featuring products more than a year old which sell for between $15 and $25. PC software prices have risen by about $10 in the last five years, but there's a good reason for this. Because the PC is an open format, and the market is not controlled by any one manufacturer, publishers have invested an enormous amount of development time and money. Chip manufacturers such as Intel and 3D acceleration and sound card manufacturers have driven hardware technology at such a pace it seems you can buy a PC in the morning only to find it's out of date by the afternoon. Because of this phenomenon, software publishers have had to commit more time and money to products just to keep up with the pace of technological advances, and these investments are almost always passed on to the consumer.
Compared to the rise in games' retail price, the average development budget of a new title on any format has sky-rocketed in the last five years because of increasing consumer demands for big production titles. In the early '90s, a publisher would spend around $300,000 to develop a game for the PC, Super NES, or Genesis. Now the average budget is around $1 million — and it can be a lot higher. A few games have even passed the $ 10 million mark, Origin's Wing Commander IV being one of the more high profile examples of recent times. But, as WC IV proved, big bucks don't guarantee a good game. When budgets start spiraling towards eight figures, the publisher has usually made the decision to "go Hollywood," incorporating lots of Full Motion Video (FMV) or other non-essential special effects into a game. This presents two different problems. First, if you want it to look good on-screen you have to use good writers, good directors, good actors, good artists, and a good technical crew. You also have to allocate a decent amount of time to a shooting schedule. This all costs serious money.
The second problem is that if a publisher does it cheaply, it shows. And the FMV can actually detract from, rather than enhance, a game. In fact, a growing feeling among consumers is that even well-done FMV can be little more than an intrusion on a game. And a game is what they want — if they want to see a movie, they'll rent a video. There have even been a handful of companies over the past few years such as Digital Pictures that were forced out of business because of their heavy reliance on expensive, but unpopular, FMV titles.
Publishers have woken up to this and are generally shying away from the $10 million mark these days. But, while the ceiling has, for the time being, been lowered, the average cost of game development continues to rise. On top of the actual cost of development, royalty payments have to be given to the developers themselves. This is rarely the biggest expenditure, and few would disagree that the team that actually created the game deserves a piece of the pie. An independent third-party developer might get a non-refundable advance against royalties of, say, $2 million. It would then get different royalty rates for different formats. On the PC, a developer might receive anything from 15% to 30% of the profits depending on its experience and brand value. On a cartridge format it would get 6% to 10%, while on PlayStation the going rate is 10% to 15%. All figures generally apply to the wholesale rather than retail price.
The reason for the variations across the formats is, quite simply, that a publisher can afford to offer more to developers for PC titles than it can for any console title — and it has to offer more if it wants to attract the best talent.
No manufacturing premium exists on the PC and no royalty payment is owed to a format owner (more on that contentious little nugget later). A publisher working on a PC title can also use the funds saved on royalty rates to increase marketing or general productions costs. On any console format, a publisher has already paid anything from 40% to 60% of its wholesale price to Sony, Nintendo, or Sega just to get finished goods ready to roll out to retail and so has less percentage points left to offer developers. This is why, for instance, Sony, which doesn't have to pay the manufacturing premium and royalty rate, can offer developers 30% on PlayStation — but then the developer must balance this offer against the fact that Sony will insist the game isn't published on any other formats (in other words an independent publisher's offer of 10% of PlayStation sales plus 25% of PC sales might add up to more than Sony's offer of 30% of just PlayStation sales). Despite the potential hazards of single console publishing, titles such as Resident Evil from Capcom proved that this method is very capable of producing huge profits and that porting a game to multiple systems is not always the best option.
One way to avoid royalty payments to third parties is to develop products in-house. There are two ways a publisher can do this. The first is to grow an in-house team organically, paying high salaries to attract staff from rival companies and letting a department grow gradually. However, this approach can turn out to be as expensive as paying a third party and sometimes carries with it an even greater risk. One high profile publisher set up a 55-strong, in-house team two-and-a-half years ago. At its inception, four products were in the pipeline, and all were scheduled to be released within 12 to 18 months. So far, not one game has made it to market. If that development team has an annual wage bill of $1,650,000 (that's an average of $30,000 per person), the publisher has already spent at least $4,125,000 maintaining a facility which has yet to yield any return. It amounts to a substantial investment — and while the team may go on to deliver classic after classic, the initial outlay is still a huge risk, and the publisher will look to reflect that in its retail prices.
Another way to have an in-house team is to buy one. But again, a tremendous risk is involved. In 1995, Acclaim Entertainment spent $100 million acquiring the services of Sculptured and Iguana as well as leading European team Probe. Other publishers such as Electronic Arts and, more recently, GT Interactive and Eidos have spent similarly large amounts buying talent. No one's saying the teams involved aren't worth the money spent, but it's a gamble that will be reflected in the retail price of the products. Publishers who take big risks want big rewards — as soon as possible.
Narrowing the discussion to console formats only for a moment, the manufacturing premium and royalty payments charged by the format owners come into play. It is this "software surcharge'' that keeps the price of console games so high — and is at the heart of the issue of value for money. It is a business model that was firmly established by Nintendo with the NES in the mid '80s, and all the console companies, including Nintendo, still adhere to it today.
Here's how it works: When a third-party publisher has developed a game, it must hand the code over to the hardware manufacturer who then charges to manufacture the finished discs and charges a royalty for every unit sold. On the Sony PlayStation, this charge amounts to around $15 per unit. On the Nintendo 64, it is more like $30 to $35. Part of this money helps the hardware company cover the R & D and marketing expenses involved in creating a console market. A hardware manufacturer spends millions of dollars developing, designing, and advertising its format around the world and could never hope to recoup its investment through hardware sales alone. This is because console manufacturers sell their hardware for the lowest price possible, leaving no room for profitmaking margins for either itself or retail. The hardware is almost like a loss leader, tempting the consumer into a market. This is why establishing a healthy installed base is so key to hardware manufacturers. Then, once a company has its machine in enough homes, the focus becomes maintaining control over the software market.
So Sony, Nintendo, or Sega gets a consumer to spend $100 to $300 on a machine and doesn't make any profit on the sale. But the machine needs feeding — and that's where the console companies make money. They do this by insisting that all software is manufactured by them (or by "approved" companies via them). They then charge publishers a fixed price for finished goods and a royalty rate on unit sales. So, every time Electronic Arts,Virgin, Acclaim, or any other independent software publisher sells a game for PlayStation, Sony makes money. Sega makes money on all Saturn sales, and Nintendo makes money on all Nintendo 64 sales — whether it has produced the game or not.
On top of this, the system also gives the in-house lineup of software a huge advantage. Because they don't subject themselves to the manufacturing and royalty rate (they only have to pay what it really costs to make the software), Sega, Sony, or Nintendo can either charge less for their games or charge the same but spend more in the development and marketing stages. That's why a third party could never produce a game like Mario 64 and sell it for $70. It simply couldn't afford to. And that's why Nintendo will continue to take a huge slice of the software market for its own machines.
The question of value for money in the console arena comes down to how much it really costs to manufacture software. Publishers we spoke to estimated that in an open market (one more resembling that of the PC), they could produce PlayStation software for around $3 per unit (20% of the $ 15 charged by Sony). The consensus on Nintendo 64 cartridges was that publishers could do the manufacturing job themselves for around 25% to 30% of the price charged by Nintendo. That would bring the cost of goods down from $30 or $35 to around $10. So, on consoles, the truth is that third-party publishers can't afford to cut the price of their software independently. The only way they could move is if the console companies themselves charged them a more realistic price for manufacturing and duplicating. In other words the high prices of games on the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, and Saturn are down to Nintendo, Sony, and Sega respectively — and the power to change things is in their hands.
The success of PlayStation has put Sony in a unique position. Having recently announced price drops in hardware and first-party software, a break may soon be coming for third-party PlayStation publishers. Sony reportedly told publishers that the R & D and launch marketing costs of PlayStation had now been "expensed out." This could mean a reduction in the royalty charged to publishers which could then be passed on to retailers and, subsequently, consumers. Economies of scale are also coming into the equation for PlayStation as the machine's global installed base is now well past 10 million (and will probably be at least double that by Jan I, 1998). The company might also want to accentuate its one true advantage over Nintendo 64 — software price. Some pundits predict that the average price of a new release on PlayStation could drop to as low as $35 or even $29 over the next year or so. Certainly the recent announcement to put a $49 cap on first-party titles and create a line of budget software points to Sony's desire to take advantage of this strength.
One of the regular fall-back arguments that publishers use to defend high prices is that when you compare the amount of time spent playing a game to the amount of time spent playing a CD or watching a film, you're actually getting good value. A Nintendo spokesman commented recently: "Nintendo 64 games can take over 100 hours to complete. You'd expect to pay more for a festival lasting two days than for a concert lasting two hours. Longer train journeys cost more than short train journeys." But this is chillingly cold logic. If we carry on the comparisons with other entertainment industries (discounting railway travel for a moment), there are people whose views, personalities, and lives have been shaped by Catcher in the Rye, Exile on Main Street, or Citizen Cane — each one a "product," for want of a better word, that can be returned to again and again over decades.
These outstanding works of 20th Century art have been literally invaluable to people, but it still doesn't mean anyone should pay much more than $20 for a book, $15 for a CD, or $7.50 to see a movie. It's a question of what feels right. We are talking about games. Games are little things, fun things, and relatively inexpensive things. A $70 price tag just doesn't sit right on something called a game. Perhaps that's why those operating within the game market now refer to it as "the interactive entertainment industry." Bottom line: they can call it neuro-bio-astro-cybertronics or they can call it Brad, the only thing players care about are good games — and very few people feel comfortable spending over $50 on a game.
However, gamers may have to. By now, the economics of game development, while not set in stone, aren't very flexible. Are game companies ripping you off? No, not really. Not as long as "interactive entertainment" remains outside the mass market. While it may not feel right to spend over $50 for a game, in most cases it's the consumers who are making things rough on the game companies. With each new generation of software, gamers are demanding more and more "magic," and that magic costs money to produce. Are game companies making a profit? Yes, some of them are, but there's a difference between making a profit and gouging consumers. Considering the enormous financial risk required to join the game market, it hardly seems unreasonable for them to expect a healthy return on their product.
From your pocket to the developer, who takes a slice of the money on the way?
Let's take a new PC game selling for $45 as an example.lt was developed by a third-party team but has no license attached. lt was backed by a worldwide marketing budget of $2 million.
• The consumer buys it from the retailer for $45.
• The retailer buys it from a distributor for $33.
• The distributor buys it from the publisher for $30 (this is the wholesale price).This means that 66.6% of the consumer's money finds its way back to the publisher, but that doesn't mean that this is all profit.
• The development team gets a royalty rate of 30% of the wholesale price. This equals $9 per unit.
• The cost of goods (including disc, packaging, instruction manuals, and so on) is about $4.50 per unit.
• The worldwide marketing spend also works out at around $4.50 per unit.
So, the development, manufacturing, and marketing costs take $18 dollars from the publisher's $30, leaving $12 as profit. But there are still bills to be paid.The publisher might have spent $1 million over 18 months in order to complete the production of the game. That figure has to be subtracted from the nominal profit figure of $12 x Total Sales. Publishers also have operating costs. The biggest publishers such as Electronic Arts and Virgin employ thousands of people in dozens of offices around the world which equals a serious amount of overhead. And then finally there are corporate taxes to be paid.
The publisher is left with about $3.50 to $4 per unit of pure profit.
How much money it makes is then down to how well the game sells. Only one or two games per year sell as many as 1 to 2 million units. A dozen or so very good titles sell 300,000 to 500,000 units. Then 500 or so sell 100,000 to 200,000. But this ridiculously overcrowded market still leaves room for literally thousands of PC titles to sell much less than 100,000 worldwide, which means, because of up-front expenses and non-refundable advances, games probably create a loss rather than a profit for the publisher. If the model is moved into the console market, the significance of the manufacturing premium and royalty payments becomes obvious.
On PC, a wholesale price of $30 led to a retail price of $45, but on Nintendo 64, a publisher could be charged as much as $35 for the manufacturing and packaging process.The wholesale price still has to account for factors such as marketing and development costs, so the publisher can easily end up selling the game to distributors for over $50. Reasonable margins added on by distributors and retailers then result in a $70 price tag for the consumer. If this is a rip-off, the trail of culpability leads back to the manufacturing premium and royalty rate imposed by the format owner.
The game market is most commonly compared to the film business. Obviously, a great deal of crossover exists between the two art forms. Both are largely visual, plot-driven, character-based, and reliant on technology and special effects. There are also many shared skill-sets such as those of directors, writers, and animators.
Initial comparisons between the financial models of each market would seem to back up the argument that games are a rip-off. After all, movies cost far more to make, but the biggest blockbuster can still be seen for around $7. The average development budget for a studio picture is probably around $20 million, nearly 20 times that of an average-sized game. And major movie studios continue to push production costs higher.
One of the most expensive movies ever made is WaterWorld with a total cost of $ 175 million. Game publishers point out, however, that the film industry's audience is virtually limitless and truly global, with very few countries remaining untouched by the hand of Hollywood. Software can only be bought by consumers with the relevant hardware. This immediately puts a very definite ceiling on sales. Games also tend to be bought mostly by 12- to 24-year-old males, and movies appeal to a much larger audience. These parameters aren't fixed, but they have been truisms of gaming for over a decade and even now are only showing small signs of shifting. Certainly, no single format can be called a worldwide standard. The PC comes close, but many still use it strictly for business and not for games.
One global hardware standard would help enormously (and would be welcomed warmly by publishers and developers). It would reduce risk, reduce cost and, eventually, reduce prices. But it just isn't going to happen. There's too much money to be made by deeply entrenched rival manufacturers.
While game companies may complain about the comparison of movie prices and game prices, the game industry has pushed the comparison whenever possible in an effort to legitimize itself. If this has lead to unfair comparisons in the pricing models — then the industry has no one to blame but itself.
Hollywood can afford to spend over $100 million on a movie because of the worldwide marketplace.
From a publisher's point of view, the "dream game" is a PC title with relatively low production costs and no added extras (license, royalty fee, and so on). It nevertheless sells in blockbuster numbers. Ideally, the development team would be in-house and, therefore, salaried with no expectations of large royalty payments. The problem is that the best software often comes from independent teams earning royalty rates on sales.
An alternative dream game comes from a relatively unknown team with no cache (and therefore no high price tag) attached to its name. Populous from Bullfrog is a good example. The team has become one of the most respected (and well-rewarded) in the business, but they were once the new kids on the block, willing to accept a smaller advance and lower royalty than an established team would. So in a case like this, the publisher gets the rights to an AAA title for a relatively small amount up-front and a royalty deal as low as 10% (or less) of the wholesale price. The game then gets developed for a reasonable sum such as $600,000. It is then published on the PC, with the cost of finished goods working out to about $4.50 rather than the $ 15 to $35 it would cost on a console.
With expectations low, the publisher isn't likely to commit to a global marketing budget of more than $1 million. If the game takes off this could amortize out to about 4% of the wholesale price of each unit compared to the 30% that some publishers have spent in the past.
The key is the quality of the game. If the press hail it as a breakthrough title and word of mouth creates momentum, then a publisher can have a million-seller for initial expenses of less than $2 million and around 40% of the $30 wholesale price as profit (compared to an average of less than 10%). This means $12 profit for every unit sold. If the game sells a million, that's $ 12 million profit for very little original outlay.
The Nightmare Flop usually starts with an expensive license from a major new movie like, say, WaterHawk co-directed and produced by Bruce Willis and Kevin Costner. The film studios are often reluctant to sell off their properties in pieces, so publishers have to buy the worldwide electronic entertainment rights across all formats. This could involve a non-refundable down payment of up to $5 million and royalties of 5% to 10%. The initial payment and the royalty rate demanded by studios have come close to doubling over the last few years.
To produce a strong game that won't ruin the publisher's relationship with the studio, a big-name, third-party developer is retained to write the game. The developer demands a royalty rate of 30%. The game goes on to cost $5 million to develop. The publisher also green-lights a massive marketing campaign with a worldwide budget of $10 million.
It decides to release the game first on a cartridge-based console. The console manufacturer needs six months to turn the code into finished product and so the publisher has to estimate how many units it needs for the launch long before the game is ready. Lacking enough stock to fulfill demand is a major fear (if the publisher doesn't have enough product it will take the console company another six months to turnaround reorders, by which time the demand will have disappeared), so the publisher orders big, 500,000 units at $30 a pop. The payment is due up-front and is non-returnable. Before it's even released, the company has now spent $35 million on the game.
Then, the sure-fire hit movie misses and misses big. The license is now more of a stigma than a benefit. And the big-name developer who made its name while lean and hungry has grown flabby and complacent and delivers a dog of a game which then receives the reviews it deserves.
The aftermath is that the publisher's warehouse is full of copies of a game it wants to sell to retail for about $50, but that retail knows it won't sell at half that price.This is the risk a publisher faces every time it commits to a big game. It makes the game market a dangerous place and creates a climate of fear in which taking a risk on pricing is far from the top of publishers' agendas. And this threat of financial ruin is what keeps the games market in a constant state of cannibalization.
Mario 64 is said to have cost Nintendo $30 million to develop. This makes it the costliest game ever produced. Yet, for many different reasons, the game isn't such a significant landmark in the budgets or prices of videogames. To start, Mario 64 was developed at the same time as the Nintendo 64 hardware, so it's not clear how much extra R & D cost was incurred by writing to a machine that didn't actually exist. Secondly, Mario 64 doesn't have to make money	for Nintendo. It just has	to be good. It's primary job is to show just how fantastic the N64 experience can be, providing consumers with a reason to buy and other developers/publishers with a standard to aim for.
Undeniably, it's done its job brilliantly and if $30 million could kick-start a market that could be worth billions of dollars to Nintendo within two years, it's money well spent. Also, Nintendo can afford to commit such funds to a software project because, unlike third-party publishers, it doesn't have to pay a premium price for manufacturing and duplication once the code is complete.
If an independent software house presented Nintendo with a game as big as Mario for N64, it would probably sell for around $100 just to break even, let alone make any sort of profit in order to recoup the $30 million development budget.
One argument that defends publishers in the face of "rip-off" allegations is that very few of them are making serious money at the moment. In fact, some of the biggest and best known are losing an awful lot of money.
Acclaim, for instance, posted staggering losses of $221 million for the year ending September 30, 1996. MicroProse lost $40 million for the year ending March 31, 1996, and Mindscape lost around $50 million during the 1996 calendar year. Viacom recently announced it is putting Virgin Interactive Entertainment up for sale. VIE lost $14 million in 1995 and is expected to announce similar losses for 1996 shortly. Time Warner has also divested itself of the majority of its game market interests over the last 18 months.
Some of the world's largest media companies were tempted into the market partly by the high retail prices charged for software. Many are now exiting the industry in a big hurry after finding that, despite price tags of $45 to $75, it's actually very difficult to make money from games.
Conversely, the only company to regularly make good money from computer and videogames over the past five years is Electronic Arts, a publisher with a critical track record second to none and possibly the last company any consumer would accuse of ripping people off.
In the end. it may seem that game companies are faced with no greater problem than counting their money, but reality suggests a much more dismal picture. Making money in this business is tough, and no gamer should begrudge the money you spend — as long as you believe its worth it.


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Bridgewater Women's Basketball Handles Emory & Henry, 78-56, Saturday Afternoon
Emory & Henry (7-11, 4-6 ODAC) 28 28 56
Bridgewater (9-8, 6-4 ODAC) 41 37 78
Pts: 2 Players (#13, #24) - 9
Reb: Haley Gilbert - 6
Ast: Tenesha Connor - 3
Pts: Jessica Mullen - 20
Reb: Katelynn Hottinger - 10
Ast: Holly Morgan - 5
BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The Bridgewater College Women's Basketball Team (9-8, 6-4 ODAC) built a 41-28 halftime lead en route to defeating Emory & Henry College (7-11, 4-6 ODAC) by a 78-56 score in Old Dominion Athletic Conference action at Nininger Hall Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles got out to a 13-3 lead at the 16:36 mark of the first half but the Wasps would fight their way back into the contest with a 10-4 run, cutting the margin to 17-13. Up by four with 8:40 on the clock, Bridgewater went on a 22-11 run pushing the lead to 41-26 with 19 seconds to go. A layup by E&H freshman guard Tenesha Connor (Greensboro, N.C.) made the halftime margin, 41-28.
In the second half, BC picked up where it left off with an 11-4 run to start the period. The Eagles would lead by as much as 26 (60-34) as the Wasps would get no closer than 21 for the rest of the game. Emory & Henry however, outscored Bridgewater, 22-18, over the last 13:34 of the contest.
The Eagles were led offensively by Jessica Mullen, who tallied 20 points in the contest while Katelynn Hottinger registered a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, adding four assists. Holly Morgan also had 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals.
For the game, Bridgewater shot 43.5 percent (27-for-72) for the contest and hit 20-of-27 (74.1%) of their free throw attempts. The Eagles also held a 40-36 rebounding advantage and forced 35 turnovers in the contest.
Emory & Henry sophomore guard Michelle Williams (Stokesdale, N.C.) and freshman forward Karina Farr (Graham, Wash.) each had nine points while Connor, sophomore guard Jalan McPherson (Jonesville, Va.) and sophomore center Carlyta Hamm (Wytheville, Va.) pitched in seven points apiece.
As a team, the Wasps were 23-for-57 (40.4%) from the field and posted 17 steals and 11 assists. E&H had 30 points come from the bench and scored 30 points in the paint.
Emory & Henry will return home to the John Rutledge King Center on Wednesday evening for an ODAC showdown with Hollins University. The contest will be the nightcap of a doubleheader with the men's team and is set for an 8:00 p.m., tipoff.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Bertram Allen Claims Podium Finish in Las Vegas
Wexford teenager Bertram Allen became only the fourth Irish rider in history to finish on the podium at the FEI World Cup™ Jumping finals, after ending three days of fiercely competitive action in Las Vegas USA, in third place overall with his mare Molly Malone.
Switzerland's Steve Guerdat claimed the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2015 title at the Thomas & Mack arena. "I've been waiting a long time for this moment!", said the 32-year-old Olympic champion whose last-to-go ride was an absolute thriller.
He came into today's drama-filled final competition sharing the lead with America's Rich Fellers, but it was French rider Penelope Leprevost who lined up second at the end of the day, while 19-year-old Connolly's RED MILLS Ambassador Bertram Allen finished third after another superb display.
Speaking afterwards the Enniscorthy native said, "In the first round I made a mistake but felt she (Molly Malone) jumped quite good, but the second round was a bad round – I got much too close to fence two. But I'm very happy to be here. I've had a great week and feel honoured to be sitting up here with these riders at this young age."
Steve Guerdat meanwhile was a relieved man after finally lifting the trophy saying, "I've been trying a long time to win this and I've come close many times. It's the third time I was in the lead going into the final competition, and today I nearly messed it up again! Coming to the last I was riding more like a cow-horse rider", Guerdat said afterwards. "I'm so happy, I feel blessed!"
Six clear rounds
With riders going in reverse order of merit, there were only six clears from a start-list of 29 over another tough course from Anthony D'Ambrosio in the first round today. The vertical at fence nine claimed a number of victims but there were also plenty of faults posted later on the track, with horses beginning to fade after three days of demanding jumping.
One of the features of the 2015 Final has been the remarkable performances of the younger generation, and it was 24-year-old Douglas Lindelow from Sweden, lying 12th with Casello, who was first to leave all the poles in place. The Netherlands' Maikel van der Vleuten and VDL Groep Verdi immediately followed suit and when America's Beezie Madden (Simon) and Belgium's Jos Verlooy (Domino), who each carried six penalty points into the last day, were also fault-free, they shot up the leaderboard, while Penelope Leprevost (Vagabond de la Pomme) carrying five penalties, put the pressure on the top three when also foot-perfect .
Bertram Allen and Molly Malone were just one penalty point behind the leaders as the day began, but they began to look vulnerable when the massive 1.75m-wide oxer at fence five hit the floor. And when Guerdat jumped clear, but joint-leader Fellers had two fences down, the Swiss star went into the second round still on a clean sheet. With Leprevost and Allen now lying joint-second with five faults apiece, he had a fence in hand as the second round began. But things didn't go quite to plan for the eventual champion this time out.
Faulted once more
Both Leprevost and Allen faulted once more to put them on a nine-fault final total, and it seemed the Longines 2015 title must surely already be in Guerdat's grasp. But the crowd gripped their seats and gasped when his chestnut mare, Albfuehren's Paille, hit the first element of the double at five. And then it almost completely unravelled for the Swiss star on the turn to the last.
"I don't really want to think about it!" he said afterwards. "I didn't expect the first mistake, those four strides (from fence 4 to 5a) turned out to be very, very long, and that triple combination wasn't good for me at all, but once we were past that I thought now stay calm. But coming to the last I knew the time was tight. I could hear Martin Fuchs outside the arena saying "go, go!" and I don't know what I did. I just went as fast as I could to the finish line, but unfortunately there was a big fence in the way!" he said with a laugh.
The last fence indeed hit the floor with crash, and it was only his ferocious gallop to get through the beam inside the 68 seconds time-allowed that saved the day. If he had added a single time fault to the eight fence penalties he had just collected, would have been forced into a three-way jump-off against Leprevost and Allen. And he has endured too many unsuccessful FEI World Cup™ Final jump-offs before to make that an enticing prospect.
Leprevost's faster time of 65.30 with Vagabond de la Pomme secured runner-up spot while Allen had to settle for third when a half-second slower.
A real fighter
Guerdat described his winning ride, Albfuehren's Paille, as "a real fighter, today a lot of horses were really struggling but every time she sees a fence she wants to jump it, no matter what."
Today's victory is particularly sweet for the new champion. "I've been three-times on the podium, twice in the jump-off and always finished in the top 10. I always wanted to win this", Guerdat said. Talking about his determination to eventually succeed, having competed at 10 finals, he said, "I have good people around me who keep me calm and confident and keep me going. You need a little bit of luck, you have to keep believing in yourself and your horse and if you come so close so many times you deserve to win it one time!"
Result: 1, Steve Guerdat SUI 8; 2, Penelope Leprevost FRA 9/65.30; 3, Bertram Allen IRL 9/65.87; 4, Beezie Madden USA 10/65.78; 5, Jos Verlooy BEL 10/67.34; 6, Maikel van der Vleuten NED 12; 7, Rich Fellers USA 16/67.70; 8, Douglas Lindelow SWE 18; 9, Lucy Davis USA 19; 10, Jur Vrieling NED 20.
Check out the full results from Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2015 (PDF).
Facts and Figures:
Olympic champion, Switzerland's Steve Guerdat, won the 37th Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 in Las Vegas, USA today.
29 horse-and-rider combinations started the final class which consisted of two rounds over two different courses.
20 went through to the second round.
Time-allowed in round 1 was 71 seconds, in round 2 it was 68 seconds
6 clears in the opening round, no clears in the second round today.
Riders competed in reverse order of merit in both rounds.
The new Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping champion, Steve Guerdat, stood on the podium three times previously – he was third with Tresor at the 2007 Final in Las Vegas, second in 2012 with Nino des Buissonnets in Den Bosch (NED) and second again in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2013 with Nino des Buissonnets.
74,390 spectators attended the FEI World Cup™ Finals at the Thomas & Mack arena in Las Vegas, USA this week.
Ireland has never won the World Cup, with Jessica Kurten coming second in Kuala Lumpur in 2006 on board Castle Forbes Libertina, and Trevor Coyle also taking the runner-up spot in the final at Gothenburg in Sweden in 1999 with the legendary Irish Sport Horse Cruising. Eddie Macken achieved third place at the inaugural World Cup Final in 1979 with Carrolls of Dundalk, also in Gothenburg.
FEI First Vice-President and Chair Jumping Committee, John Madden – "my impression of this event is wow! It's been a fantastic week of fantastic sport. The drama in the final, such close competition and such movement on the leaderboard. The horses jumped really well and almost anything could have happened in that last round!"
Beezie Madden USA, who finished fourth – "I have a fantastic team behind me and I'm so happy with the way my horse went. One rail down today cost me a lot but it's been a fantastic week. I want to thank Las Vegas and Longines because we've all had a great time."
Steve Guerdat SUI, talking about his choice of horse for this year's Final – "Paille has always had very good results. We had a great winter season, every 5-Star Grand Prix but Bordeaux was clear rounds and so I decided she should make the trip to Vegas, saving Nino (his Olympic ride) for the European Championships."
Penelope Leprevost FRA – "Mine is a nice horse with a good mind, and it was all easy for her this week."
Bertram Allen IRL – "I knew I was in with a reasonable chance this week, thankfully it went really well to plan and it's great to be on the podium today."
Steve Guerdat SUI – "My horse belongs to Albfuehrens Stud, they have a hotel and restaurant in Germany but it's only 40 minutes from my place, over the border in Switzerland. They bought the horse three years ago and someone else rode her. I was very lucky when they asked me to take over the ride."
Bertram Allen IRL – "In the first round I made a mistake but felt she (Molly Malone) jumped quite good, but the second round was a bad round – I got much too close to fence two. But I'm very happy to be here. I've had a great week and feel honoured to be sitting up her with these riders at this young age."
Irish show jumping manager Robert Splaine, "This was a remarkable achievement in a world championship for a 19 year-old. Taking this third place was an incredible performance and is great for our sport . Bertram himself is a wonderful ambassador for Ireland."
Steve Guerdat SUI – "I want Thomas Fuchs to come and have a drink with me, he is the most important man in my life and I love him to bits."
Irish 'Dream Team' score second Nations Cup win in the space of a week
Showing Ireland Launches 2019 Connolly's RED MILLS Supreme Champion of Champions
Shane Breen claims win on final day at Royal Windsor
Impressive results for Irish trio at Chatsworth International Horse Trials


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Freddie Mercury: The Story of Queen's Most Infamous Party Ever
Matthew Trzcinski
Freddie Mercury is famous for a multitude of reasons. He had few peers as a vocalist and rock frontman. On top of that, he had a wild personal life.
Part of that personal life was his love of partying. While he enjoyed his fair share of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, one party outshines them all. Here's the story behind Queen's launch party for their album Jazz.
Freddie Mercury wearing a white and yellow suit | Pete Still/Redferns
The most discussed party in rock history?
Mercury was known for partying like there was no tomorrow. His good friend Elton John has said as much. In an interview for a Mercury biography, John said "[Mercury] could out-party me which is saying something. We'd be up for nights, sitting there at 11 in the morning, still flying high."
In 1978, Queen released their misleadingly-titled album Jazz. Jazz is perhaps most famous for including the song "Don't Stop Me Now," one of the greatest odes to debauchery ever written. The album was launched with a party that lived up to that track.
The video for Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now"
The band held a party in honor of the album's release in New Orleans' Fairmont Hotel on Halloween. In keeping with the aesthetics of the holiday, the place looked rather spooky. The ballroom had 50 skeletal dead trees in it. Bob Hart of record label EMI said the party had a "witchcraft theme."
The entertainment at the party
In the book Rock Bottom: Dark Moments in Music Babylon, Pamela Des Barres says that the party's entertainment included cross-dressers, strippers, snake charmers, and little people. NME adds a few other elements to the list: "nude waiters and waitresses, a fellow biting heads off live chickens, naked models wrestling in a liver pit." Mercury drank lots of the finest champagne that night. Mercury's bill for the party allegedly totaled $200,000.
Things got very risque in the back room. Music executives could go there to get intimate. Mercury joked about the practice with one of his trademark witticisms. "Most hotels offer their guests room service. This one offers them lip service."
Freddie Mercury, little people, and a persistent rumor
Freddie Mercury sitting on a couch wearing a cinzano vest and red short shorts | Ian Dickson/Redferns
According to a persistent rumor about the party, Mercury had little people attend the party with plates of cocaine strapped to their heads. Is the rumor true? NME says it is. Interview Magazine reports the rumor is uncorroborated albeit plausible.
Mercury's assistant, Peter Freestone, tells a different story. It was Freestone's job to make sure Mercury had cocaine when he wanted it. Freestone said, "It's rock 'n' roll legend, but there were never [little people] walking 'round parties with bowls of cocaine on their heads."
Regardless of the rumor's veracity, it's a popular story. If Sacha Baron Cohen had his way, the anecdote would have been dramatized in Bohemian Rhapsody. However, the surviving members of Queen wanted Bohemian Rhapsody to be a family film and Cohen left the project. Perhaps this was a missed opportunity!
Also see: Why No One Heard This Freddie Mercury/Michael Jackson Duet for Years


In this jam-packed episode, Photoshop Guy Dave Cross gives a special presentation on Photoshop CS5 techniques, guest host Trey Ratcliff is in the TWiT studio, and we make a surprise call to the Guest Quest contest winner!
In this jam-packed episode, Photoshop Guy Dave Cross gives a special hands-on presentation of Photoshop CS5 techniques, guest host Trey Ratcliff is in the studio with Leo and Catherine, and we make a surprise call to the winner of the Guest Quest contest! Don't miss Trey's Google+ tips and Dave's exclusive Photoshop demos. Guest: Dave Cross TWiT Photo Guest Quest Winner: : Robby Cavanaugh Don't miss a chance to watch or listen to your favorite photographers – download and subscribe to TWiT Photo podcast on iTunes for free. Dave's Photoshop Tips/Demo 1) Adding sky. 2) Creating a pattern. 3) Making a collage. 4) Adding text to an image. LINKS Dave's Twitter Dave's Workshop Trey's website Backlit Box Next episode's guest Tania Niwa Follow Catherine on Twitter. You can also check out her blog here. Download or subscribe to this show at twit.tv/photo. Thanks to Cachefly for providing the bandwidth for this podcast.


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Business / Education / Health / Virginia
Virginia governor orders statewide closure of certain non-essential businesses, K-12 schools
Posted on 03/23/20 by The Spartan Echo
RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam issued a statewide order March 23 to protect the health and safety of Virginians and reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. Executive Order Fifty-Three orders the closure of certain non-essential businesses, bans all gatherings of more than 10 people, and closes all K-12 schools for the remainder of the academic year. Governor Northam is also urging all Virginians to avoid non-essential travel outside the home, if and when possible.
This order goes into effect at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will remain in place until 11:59 PM on Thursday, April 23, 2020.
"This is an unprecedented situation, and it requires unprecedented actions to protect public health and save lives," said Governor Northam. "I know the next several weeks will be difficult. These restrictions on non-essential businesses will create hardships on the businesses and employees affected. But they are necessary, and we do not undertake them lightly. I am calling on Virginians to sacrifice now, so that we can get through this together."
In addition, Virginia is launching a statewide media campaign to ensure Virginians fully understand their risk and do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Commonwealth's "Health in Your Hands" campaign will include radio and television spots as well as statewide billboards and highway signs.
Public Gatherings
All gatherings of more than 10 people are banned statewide, beginning at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. This does not include gatherings that involve the provision of health care or medical services, access to essential services for low-income residents, such as food banks; operations of the media; law enforcement agencies; or operations of government.
All schools will remain closed through the end of this academic year. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) will issue guidance to help divisions execute plans to continue instruction, while ensuring students are served equitably, regardless of income level, access to technology, English learner status, or special needs. This includes options for additional instruction through summer programming, integrating instruction into coursework next year, and allowing students to make up content. VDOE will submit a waiver to the federal government to lift end-of-year testing requirements and is exploring options to waive state mandated tests.
Recreation and Entertainment Businesses
The following recreation and entertainment businesses are considered non-essential and must close to the public beginning at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 24, 2020:
Theaters, performing arts centers, concert venues, museums, and other indoor entertainment centers;
Fitness centers, gymnasiums, recreation centers, indoor sports facilities, indoor exercise facilities;
Beauty salons, barber shops, spas, massage parlors, tanning salons, tattoo shops, and any other location where personal care or personal grooming services are performed that would not allow compliance with social distancing guidelines to remain six feet apart;
Racetracks and historic horse racing facilities;
Bowling alleys, skating rinks, arcades, amusement parks, trampoline parks, fairs, arts and craft facilities, aquariums, zoos, escape rooms, indoor shooting ranges, public and private social clubs, and all other places of indoor public amusement.
Dining and On-Site Alcohol Establishments
All dining and congregation areas in the following establishments must close to the public beginning at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. These establishments may continue to offer delivery and/or takeout services. Establishments include:
Restaurants;
Dining establishments;
Food courts;
Farmers markets;
Breweries;
Microbreweries;
Distilleries;
Wineries; and
Tasting rooms.
The following retail businesses are considered essential and may remain open during normal business hours:
Grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retailers that sell food and beverage products or pharmacy products, including dollar stores, and department stores with grocery or pharmacy operations;
Medical, laboratory, and vision supply retailers;
Electronic retailers that sell or service cell phones, computers, tablets, and other communications technology;
Automotive parts, accessories, and tire retailers as well as automotive repair facilities;
Home improvement, hardware, building material, and building supply retailers;
Lawn and garden equipment retailers;
Beer, wine, and liquor stores;
Retail functions of gas stations and convenience stores;
Retail located within healthcare facilities;
Banks and other financial institutions with retail functions;
Pet stores and feed stores;
Printing and office supply stores; and
Laundromats and dry cleaners.
All essential retail establishments must, to the extent possible, adhere to social distancing recommendations, enhanced sanitizing practices on common surfaces, and other appropriate workplace guidance from state and federal authorities.
Any brick-and-mortar retail business not listed above must limit all in-person shopping to no more than 10 patrons per establishment, adhere to social distancing recommendations, sanitize common surfaces, and apply relevant workplace guidance from state and federal authorities. If any such business cannot adhere to the 10-patron limit with proper social distancing requirements, it must close.
Additional Guidance
Professional businesses not listed above must utilize telework as much as possible. Where telework is not feasible, such businesses must adhere to social distancing recommendations, enhanced sanitizing procedures, and apply relevant workplace guidance from state and federal authorities, including CDC, OSHA, and the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry.
Businesses in violation of this order may be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Nothing in Executive Order Fifty-Three limits the provision of health care or medical services, access to essential services for low-income residents, such as food banks; the operations of the media; law enforcement agencies; or operations of government.
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Does Court's Ruling Signal A Change In Thinking About Implied Consent Laws?
Anyone who has been charged with an OVI / DUI in Ohio has had the pleasure of listening to an officer read several paragraphs from the back of a form provided by the Ohio BMV. This often droll recitation is required by Ohio's implied consent law, which says that anyone who operates a vehicle in the state implicitly consents to takes a blood/breath/urine test for drugs and/or alcohol if arrested for OVI. An implied consent law similar to Ohio's was recently found to be unconstitutional by the Georgia Supreme Court.
That recent case is Elliot v. Georgia. In that case, the Supreme Court of Georgia reviewed the state's implied consent notice. Georgia's notice is very similar to Ohio's in form, with one major difference: Georgia's includes a sentence stating "Your refusal to submit to the required testing may be offered into evidence against you at trial." It was this sentence which led to the Georgia Supreme Court evaluating their implied consent law.
As part of their evaluation, the Court reviewed the history of case law in their state, as well as the evolution of their ten (yes, 10) different state constitutions. Based on this review, the Georgia Supreme Court held the provision allowing the prosecution to use an OVI defendant's test refusal against them in court is unconstitutional. The Court ruled that using a defendant's refusal as evidence against them violated the right against self-incrimination as provided by the Georgia State Constitution.
The right against self-incrimination provided by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution has been found to only apply to compelled oral or written testimony. The Georgia Constitution, however, extends this protection to also prohibit compelled actions, such as a breath test in an OVI/DUI case. Accordingly, the Court held using evidence of a refusal to test against a DUI defendant at trial would punish them for exercising their Constitutionally protected right against self-incrimination. Thus, the Court declared the statute unconstitutional.
Ohio law regarding implied consent and using a person's refusal as evidence is similar to Georgia's. The warning read by the officer informs an OVI/DUI defendant of the consequences of refusing the submit to such a test. In Ohio, refusing to take a test on a first offense OVI automatically results in a one-year suspension of your driver's license, while testing over the legal limit of .08 results in a 90-day suspension. This warning is required for the state's taking of your license to be constitutional.
The Ohio Supreme Court has held that evidence of an OVI/DUI defendant's refusal to submit to a breathalyzer test doesn't violate the right to self-incrimination protected by the Ohio Constitution. They have conceded, however, that the reason given for a refusal can play a role in this determination and if evidence of the refusal is admitted, it must be subject to the limiting jury instruction mentioned above.
How the Georgia Supreme Court's recent decision in Elliot will impact the future of implied consent laws remains to be seen. The complexities inherent in OVI/DUI law means that small changes can have large, unforeseen, ripple effects down the line. This is why it is so important to seek out experienced Ohio OVI/DUI lawyers who keep up to date on the latest developments in the area.


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Simple Free-Energy Devices
There is nothing magic about free-energy and by "free-energy" I mean something which produces output energy without the need for using a fuel which you have to buy.
Chapter 27: Power From Buoyancy
While we are aware of buoyancy being used to convert wave power into electricity, we seem to neglect the idea of using the very powerful buoyancy forces as a direct tool at locations away from the sea. This is definitely a mistake because serious levels of power can be generated from such a system. One such system is:
The "Hidro" Self-Powered Generator of James Kwok.
This design demonstrates yet again, the practical nature of drawing large quantities of energy from the local environment. Commercial versions are offered in three standard sizes: 50 kilowatt, 250 kilowatt and 1 megawatt. This generator which James has designed can be seen at the Panacea-bocaf.org web site here and on James' own web site here both of which have video clips explaining how the design works. The method is based on different pressures at different depths of water, gravity, and on the buoyancy of air-filled containers. The system does not rely on wind, weather, sunlight, fuel of any type, and it can operate all the time, day or night, without causing any kind of pollution or hazard. This particular design calls for a water-filled structure of some height, a source of compressed air and a pulley system, and without wishing to be in any way critical, it seems rather more complicated than it needs to be. If, unlike James, you have not done the mathematics for the system, you would assume that the amount of power generated by a system like this would be less than the amount of power needed to make it operate. However, that is definitely very far from reality as considerable excess power is gained through the natural forces of the local environment which make the system operate. Part of the patent application which James made is shown here:
US 2010/0307149 A1 Date: 9th Dec. 2010 Inventor: James Kwok
HYDRODYNAMIC ENERGY GENERATION SYSTEM
Fig.1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the energy generation system of the present invention. Here, the energy generation system 10 comprises a vessel 11 in the form of a water tank and a shaft 12 which can rotate about it's longitudinal axis. The shaft 12 is provided with a helical screw groove 13 and is connected at it's lower end to a bearing 16 which allows it to rotate freely about its longitudinal axis.
The upper end of the shaft is connected to a generator 17 which is a flywheel system. The rotational energy of shaft 12 may be transferred to the generator through a ratchet-cog system 20. A buoyant inflatable capsule 14 is provided along with its guiding mechanism 15 which is in the form of a wire or pole to assist in the smooth vertical movement of buoy 14.
There is a first air reservoir 18 located in a lower portion of the vessel 11 and a second air reservoir 19 located in an upper portion of the vessel 11. The first reservoir 18 draws air from the atmosphere, in through air intake port 21. Once the pressure in the first reservoir has reached a predetermined value, a piston 22 is actuated, forcing air through hose 23 into the buoyant capsule 14, which, when inflated, begins to move upwards through water tank 11, as the buoy 14 has become less dense than the fluid 25 (such as fresh water or saltwater) in tank 11. This in turn causes rotation of shaft 12, and activation of the power generator 17, thereby generating power.
When buoy 14 reaches the upper limit of its travel, the air in the buoy may be forced to flow through a second hose 24 and into the second air reservoir 19. When air is removed from the buoy it moves downwards through vessel 11 under gravity and with the assistance of ballast (not shown). The downward movement of buoy 14, causes rotation of the shaft 12, which drives the generator 17, thereby generating power.
Air stored in the second reservoir 19 may be vented to the atmosphere through a vent 26 if the pressure in the second reservoir 19 becomes too high. Alternatively, air may flow from the second reservoir 19 into the first reservoir 18 through a third hose 27 so that less air must be drawn into the first reservoir 18 when buoy 14 reaches the lower limit of its travel and must once again be inflated with air from the first reservoir 18.
The hoses 23, 24 and 27 are provided with non-return valves 28 to ensure that air will flow in only one direction through the system 10. Vessel 11 may be provided with ventilation 29 as required and it may also be provided with access stairs 30 and an access platform 31 so that maintenance may be carried out as required. The system may also be provided with a solar energy collection device 32 to generate at least a portion of the energy required to drive piston 22 and the non-return valves 28. Energy produced by the solar energy collection device 32 may also be used to power a light or beacon 33 to indicate the location of the system 10.
Fig.2 shows one arrangement for buoy 14 comprising an inflatable capsule 34. This figure illustrates the shape of the walls of the inflatable capsule 34 when inflated 35 and when deflated 36. Air passes into capsule 34 through hose 23 and exits from the capsule through hose 24.
The buoy 14 also has a sleeve 37 attached to it. This sleeve has projections which engage with the helical groove 13 of shaft 12, thereby causing rotation of the shaft when the buoy moves relative to shaft 12. Sleeve 37 is provided with ballast 38, such as stainless steel weights that assist in the downward movement of the buoy when it is deflated.
Buoy 14 is attached to a guide pole 15 and the buoy has a pair of arms 39 which slide on the guiding pole 15 and assist in the smooth vertical movement of the buoy.
Fig.3 shows one version of the first air reservoir 18. Air is drawn into reservoir 18 through air intake 21. The reservoir includes a piston 22 associated with a spring 40, the piston 22 being provided with seals 41 to prevent leakage of air.
When pressure, such as hydrostatic pressure, is applied in the direction of arrow 42, the piston moves to the left of the reservoir 18 compressing spring 40 and forcing air out through outlet 43. A motor 44 is provided to reverse the movement of the piston 22. Reservoir 18 may be fixed to the floor of the vessel.
An alternative construction of the first air reservoir 18 is shown in Fig.4. In this embodiment, reservoir 18 is housed within a vessel 11 containing a fluid 25. Air enters reservoir 18 through air intake 21 and is held in a chamber 46. The reservoir has a piston 22 and the movement of the piston 22 towards the left of the reservoir 18 forces air in the chamber 46 out through air outlet 43.
Piston 22 is driven by motor 47 which rotates the helically-grooved shaft 48. The motor is linked to the shaft by a ratchet and cog mechanism 49, which is provided with a spring loaded seal 50 on the inner surface of vessel 11. An actuator 51, may be used to control the opening and closing of non-return valves 28 as well as the actuation of motor 47.
Fig.5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an energy generation system according to one of the embodiments of the present invention:
Fig.5 shows an embodiment where which a pair of buoys 14 are present. Each buoy is associated with its own shaft 12 and may move up and down inside vessel 11 independent of one another.
In Fig.6, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, where the buoy 60 has a connecting method 61 in the form of a cylindrical sleeve through which a guide chain 62 passes. Chain 62 is provided in an endless loop and is located on an upper tracking device 63 and a lower tracking device 64, both of which are pulleys. The upper pulley 63 may be fixed to an upper wall (not shown) of a vessel (not shown) via a bracket 65, while the lower pulley 64 may be fixed to a lower wall (not shown) of a vessel (not shown) via a bracket 66.
The connection mechanism 61 contains ratchets which engage with the links of the chain 62 when buoy 60 moves downwards. Thus, as buoy 60 moves downwards, chain 62 also moves, thereby causing both the upper and lower pulleys to rotate in a clockwise direction. The upper and lower 64 pulleys have a series of indentations 67 corresponding to the shape of the links of the chain 62. In this way, the chain 62 sits in the indentations 67 and grips the tracking device (63, 64), thereby ensuring that the tracking device (63, 64) rotates. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig.6, a work shaft 68 is associated with the upper pulley 63 such that rotation of the upper pulley results in rotation of the work shaft 68. The work shaft 68 is located substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the buoy 60. The work shaft drives a generator to produce power.
Fig.9 shows an alternative embodiment of this energy generation system 74. The system is comprised of a vessel 75 having a fluid-filled "wet" compartment 76 and one or more "dry" compartments (in this case, a pair of dry compartments 77, 78) with no liquid in them. These dry compartments may be fabricated from any suitable material, such as, concrete, steel, fibreglass, plastic or any combination of materials.
The system also has a pair of buoys 79 each with a deflatable bladder-like construction. The buoys have guide rails 89 which ensure that the buoys move smoothly up and down inside the vessel 75.
In this embodiment of the invention, air reservoirs 86 are located in the base of the vessel 75. Air enters the reservoirs 86 through inlet 87, while air exiting from the buoy 79 is vented through valves 88. The vented air may either be expelled to the atmosphere or recycled to the reservoirs 86.
Each of the buoys is designed to be connected to one end of a chain or rope 80. A weight 82 is connected to the other end of the chain or rope 80. The chain or rope 80 has a series of pulleys 81 such that when the buoy is inflated and filled with air, the buoyancy is greater than the weight 82 and so the buoy rises in the vessel.
When the buoy 79 is deflated, weight 82 is heavier than the buoyancy and so the buoy sinks in vessel 75. In the embodiment illustrated here, the weights 82 are located in the dry compartments 77,78. There are several reasons for this, including that, by locating the weights 82 in the dry compartments 77,78, the velocity of the weights 82 in the downward direction is increased, and therefore an increase in the energy produced by the system 74 is experienced.
The weights 82 are associated with second ropes or chains 83, such that vertical movement of the weights 82 results in the rotation of the second ropes or chains 83 around a pair of sprockets 84. Rotational energy generated by the rotation of the second ropes or chains 83 is transferred to a power generation device 85 (such as a turbine or the like) in order to generate power (e.g. electrical power)
In spite of its mechanical complexity, the Hidro design is offered as a commercial generator with tens of kilowatts of excess power, indicating that buoyancy is a significant method of generating power, based on the fact that water is hundreds of times heavier than air. Due to its weight, movement in water is slow but can be very powerful. The helical groove method of converting the vertical movement of the floats into rotational power is used because of this as it has a very high ratio between shaft turns and movement along the shaft. This can be understood when you consider the fact that a complete revolution of the shaft is caused by the float moving up just one step to the next thread position directly above. The turns ratio for the complete float movement is determined by the angle of the groove cut into the drive shaft.
One other thing which needs to be considered for such a project is the weight of the overall structure when filled with water. The overall weight is liable to be many tons and so the footing underneath the generator needs to be very robust. Also, while compressed air is mentioned, giving the impression of cylinders of compressed air or gas, For continuous operation one would expect an air pump to be used. Whether or not an air pump is used, the diameter of the air hoses needs to be considered. Most people think that a gas can flow along a pipe or tube very easily. That is not the case. If you want to get a feel for the constriction caused by a pipe, then take a one metre length of 6 mm diameter plastic tube and try blowing through it. No significant amount of air will pass through the tube even if you blow very hard. The web site www.engineeringtoolbox.com shows this table:
Notice the major difference in carrying capacity of any of these pipes with just the change from a 10-foot (3 metre) length to a modest 20-foot (6 Metre) length, and those lengths are the sort of lengths needed for many applications. Also, look at the figures for, say, the 0.5 inch (nominal) diameter pipe. With just a 10-foot length, it would take a full two minutes to pump just one cubic foot of air through it. It follows then, that pipes of considerably larger diameter are needed for a project like the 'Hidro'.
It is possible to construct a much more simple version of the 'Hidro', perhaps like this:
A Simple Buoyancy Power Generator
A simple hydraulic, buoyancy-powered generator can be constructed, with two or more horizontal, rotating shafts submerged in water in such a way that they are effectively positioned one above the other. Each shaft has one, and preferably two or more sprocket wheels mounted on it. Each of these sprocket wheels engages with a continuous chain loop which also engages with the sprocket wheel which is positioned vertically above it. These vertical chain loops form a belt-style support for a series of identical buckets. On one side of the vertical belt the buckets have their open face upwards and on the other side the bucket openings are facing downwards. An air pump is positioned directly underneath the set of buckets which have the bucket openings facing downwards. The air pump generates an upward-moving stream of air which collects in the rising buckets, displacing the water filling the bucket. This results in a powerful upward thrust caused by the buoyancy of that bucket, and the thrust causes the bucket to move upwards, rotating both horizontal shafts and bringing another water-filled bucket into position above the air pump. A gearing system transfers the rotation torque thus produced, to a generator which produces electricity for general purpose uses.
This is a generator whose input shaft is rotated through buoyancy caused by air-filled containers submerged in a tank of water or some other suitable heavy liquid. Continuous, powerful rotation of the generator shaft is produced through the use of one or more conventional, commercially available air pumps. An air pump is used to fill a series of containers which are open at one end and which are attached to what is effectively a belt arrangement created by two strong chain-link loops which mesh with sprocket wheels mounted on two shafts, either, or both of which can be utilised for the extraction of useful power, preferably for driving an electricity generator but not necessarily limited to that function as any powerful torque has many useful applications.
Objectives are to provide a power generation system which is very simple in form and which can be understood, operated and maintained by people with minimal training. Also, a system which uses components which are already readily available, thus avoiding significant manufacturing costs, and one which operates without the need for any kind of complex mechanism or high-precision equipment and which can operate with a wide range of commercially available products.
Fig.1, is a simplified partial schematic cross-sectional view showing the main components of the generator as seen from one end.
Fig.2, is a cross-sectional conceptual schematic view showing the front view of the generator in its most simple form.
Fig.3, is a cross-sectional conceptual schematic view showing the front view of the generator where more than one set of buckets is used.
Fig.4, is a perspective conceptual view showing arrangements for a simplified air-feed system which operates from above the tank.
Fig.1, illustrates the overall concept of the generator in its most simple form where lightweight rigid buckets are used to capture the rising air from the air pump. In this Figure, a water tank 1, holds water or other suitable liquid 2. The surface of the liquid 3, is indicated to illustrate the fact that a bucket 10, which is in the process of turning over at the top of its orbital motion, is positioned so that one edge of the bucket is clear of the surface of the water, which allows the air which was trapped inside the bucket to escape into the atmosphere and the water fill the entire bucket causing only a very minor turbulence when doing so. This is a desirable, but not essential feature as the air trapped in any bucket will escape upwards as soon as the bucket starts its downward movement, positioning its open end upwards, although this causes unnecessary turbulence inside the tank. One possible bucket shape is shown in perspective view, but many different bucket shapes may be used, including flexible membrane types or alternatively, hinged-plate types which have very much reduced resistance to moving through the water when in their collapsed state during their downward movement.
The buckets 8, 9 and 10, are attached to two strong chains 30, which mesh with the upper sprocket wheel 6, mounted on the upper axle 4, and the lower sprocket wheel 7, which is mounted on the lower axle 5. Although it is not visible in Fig.1, there are two upper sprocket wheels 6, two lower sprocket wheels 7, and two chain loops 30, although these can be seen in Fig.2.
The tank is supported on a robust plate 14, which itself is supported by a series of pillars 15 which rest on a secure footing 16, providing operating space underneath the tank for the installation and maintenance of the air pumping equipment. As fresh water weighs 1000 Kg per cubic metre, the weight of the operational generator system is substantial and so this must be allowed for when assessing the footing needed to support the tank and it's contents. While a thin-wall tank is shown in Fig.1, many different forms of tank may be utilised, including earth bank and plastic membrane styles, or resurfaced abandoned well shafts. The tank of Fig.1 presumes that the lower axle 5 is taken out through the wall of tank 1, using an arrangement similar to that used for the drive shafts which power the screws of ships and other power vessels. While an arrangement of that type provides a drive shaft which is conveniently close to the ground, the much more simple arrangement shown in Fig.2 where the output power is taken off using the very simple chain and sprocket wheel method utilised for the bucket supports (chain 30, and sprocket wheels 6 and 7). In general, the more simple and straightforward any design is, the better it works in practice and the lower any maintenance costs become.
Referring again to Fig.1, when activated, air pump 11 produces a stream of air 12, which flows rapidly upwards. This stream of air 12, once established, does not have to push against the head of water as immediately above the nozzle of the pump is a rapidly rising column of air, sustained both by the exit velocity from pump 11 and the natural upward movement caused by the relative weights of water and air (as water is several hundred times heavier than air). This column of air would normally flow straight upwards in calm water, but should it be found that turbulence in the water tends to push the rising air away from its vertical path, baffles can be placed around the pump and positioned so that the air stream is forced to stay within the same section of water taken up by the rising buckets.
The rising air enters the lowest of the rising buckets and collects in it, forcing the water out of the open bottom of the bucket. If the rising bucket is not completely filled with air before the next bucket moves between it and the air pump, the trapped air will expand as the bucket rises and the water pressure reduces due to the lesser depth. Any one bucket with a substantial amount of air in it will create a very significant upward force due to buoyancy, air being about one thousand times lighter than water.
Each bucket on the rising side adds to that upward force and consequently, the chains 30 need considerable strength. The weight of the buckets on each side of the chain match and so the main advantage of light buckets is to lower the inertial mass of the moving parts. Movement through the water is relatively slow but this is offset by gearing between the output drive shaft and the generator's input shaft. The power of the system can be increased by adding more buckets in the vertical chain, increasing the water depth accordingly. Other ways of increasing the power include increasing the volume inside each bucket and/or increasing the flow rate produced by the air pump or pumps used. Another simple method is shown in Fig.3 and discussed below. An alternative to air pumps is to use tanks of a compressed, non-polluting gas, possibly air.
The buckets shown in the various Figures are rigid, very simple shapes, possibly made by a plastic moulding process in order to be cheap, strong, lightweight and permanently water-resistant. There are, of course, many possible variations on this including using rigid hinged plates sealed with a strong flexible membrane, allowing the buckets to fold and become streamlined on their downward path, and opening as soon as they turn to start their upward movement. There are many mechanisms which can provide this movement, but it is a matter of opinion as to whether or not the extreme simplicity of rigid buckets is worth sacrificing
Fig.2 shows a schematic layout of the generator when seen from the side. The same numbers apply to the components already seen in Fig.1. The arrangement seen in Fig.2 is the most simple, basic, single bucket set. The near-side rising buckets 8 obscure the view of the far-side falling buckets 9 and only the lowest part of the falling buckets 9 can be seen in this view. Fig.1 shows buckets which are some two and a half times longer than they are wide, but this, of course, is just one option among literally thousands of possible proportions. The size and shape of buckets is related to the performance and number of air pumps being used for any one set of buckets and that choice depends on what is available locally at a reasonable price. It would not be unusual for two or three air pumps to be used side by side along the length of the bucket 8 although Fig.2 only shows a single pump.
Fig.2 also shows a simple method for power take off where a large diameter sprocket wheel 16 is mounted on the upper axle 4, and driving a much smaller diameter sprocket wheel 18 which is mounted on the drive shaft of the electricity generator 19 which is mounted on plate 20 which is attached securely to the top of tank 1.
Fig.3 shows one of the possible arrangements for increasing the system power without increasing the depth of water used. Here, the axles 4 and 5 extend far enough to allow another set of buckets to drive them, increasing the torque very substantially. While Fig.3 shows one extra set of buckets, there is, of course, no reason why there should not be three or more sets of buckets side by side. It should be noted however, that the partitions shown between the bucket sets are not there just to reduce the water swirling but are needed to support the bearings which are essential for the extended axles, since without those, the diameter of the bars used for the axles would have to increase very markedly to avoid unwanted flexing along their length. While the second set of buckets has been shown aligned exactly with the first set, there is an advantage in offsetting them relative to each other so that the output torque is more even with buckets emptying and filling at different points in the bucket cycle.
Fig.4. shows a method for further simplification, where the air is pumped from above the water surface. It is a matter of concern to most people, that the pressure of the head of water above the air pump is a major obstacle to overcome and will be a continuous opposing force during operation of the generator. If air is being injected from underneath the tank, then initially, that pressure head has to be overcome. However, once the air flow is established, a vertical cigar-shaped area of water vortex is established by the rising air stream. This three-dimensional annular vortex negates the water head in the small area immediately above the air nozzle, and almost sucks the air out of the pump, after the initial introduction of the air has been accomplished.
There is another way of achieving this desirable effect without ever having to pump against the total head of water, and that is to use a mobile air pipe as shown in Fig.4. Initially, the air pump is started and lowered a short distance into the water. The opposing head of water is not large and the water vortex can be established quite easily. The pipe is then lowered very slowly, so as to maintain the vortex at a progressively lower depth, where, in spite of the increased head of water, the pump does not have to overcome that head. When the pipe outlet reaches the operational depth, it is then rotated to bring it under the set of rising buckets. The major advantage of this arrangement is that the tank is as simple as possible, with no possibility of leaking, and so abandoned wells can be modified to become energy generators. Alternatively, an earth bank can be erected to form an above-ground tank, possibly sealed with a plastic membrane. This method also avoids needing to support the weight of tank and water above a work-area where the air pump or compressed-air cylinders are located and maintained. The creation of the water vortex can be assisted by the addition of a cowl around the pipe exit as shown in this figure, but that is an optional feature.
http://www.free-energy-info.com
http://www.free-energy-devices.com
http://www.free-energy-info.tuks.nl


this is a recursion problem, and because it's unclear how many levels you'll need to go to, you should do it in two steps.
More than one level is assumed, no one really has a flat organization. It doesn't make any difference to my advice. Missing data is also normal, but not your problem. In fact your dashboard might even inspire people to start fixing the source data.
DB Connect 1: Is it possible to get a new field using dbquery that does not exist in an index?
See all results that match a portion of a field?


I came up with this flavorful, delicious recipe for a beer tasting we had at the club. Thai Cilantro Dipping Sauce is perfect for chicken, pork, white fish, and grilled vegetables.
Summer Rolls are a delicious, nutritious, snack. You can put a myriad if ingredients inside- anything from chicken, to shrimp, to duck. If you prefer a vegan snack, stuff your rolls with avocado, cucumber, carrots, and any other veggies you can think of. Summer Rolls are extremely healthy- try my recipe tonight!
This is a great thai peanut sauce recipe for chicken, or any white fish. It also works on salads, veggies, and rice.


Shoppers and visitors to towns in Eden got an early Christmas gift this week, with the announcement by Eden District Council that they are offering free parking on Saturdays, in their off-street car parks during the run up to Christmas. This initiative supports the economic viability of local towns during the busy festive period.
Eden District Council's Services Portfolio Holder, Councillor Adrian Todd, said: "We are delighted to be supporting local businesses in the run up to Christmas by offering free parking in the Council's off-street car parks during this busy period for shoppers and visitors. This free parking offer will be an extra incentive to encourage people to explore the excellent retail and food offer Eden's towns afford at this time of year."


Guagua Pichincha The second part of our acclimatization tour was to Guagua Pichincha, an active volcano just one mountain away from Quito itself. It is 15,700 feet high (4,781 meters). We were shocked that our Land Rover could make it up the super steep, rutted and decrepit road to the base of the hike. But we were distracted by our pleasure at learning that Crazy Chris would be making this climb with another group.
I was definitely adjusting to the altitude because I finished the stretch to the crate rim in fine form. When I got there I found our guerilla guide in the mist, answering his cell phone!
When we left the Land Rover we were in a hurry to get started before Crazy Chris's group arrived. But moments after reaching the summit, what do we see? It's Crazy Chris, and he's already complaining that that point in the background looks like it might be higher than this point. We bolted.
Our increasingly iffy trail finally did make its way back to the Land Rover. And we even managed to get away before the rain kicked in.


Welcome to the Van Rij lab !
Our laboratory is based at the Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS) in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. We are affiliated with the Department of Medical Microbiology of Radboud University Medical Center.
Visit our institutes, partners, and sponsors !
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on November 23, 2012 by ronaldvanrijlab.


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The Pain of Icelandic Girl
The Icelandic Government was additionally working to ascertain efficient treatments for and prevention of violence in opposition to ladies. The police were obliged to supply steering to victims relating to their rights underneath the legislation. The victims of sexual offences had a proper to legal advice, and particular authorized icelandic girls provisions decided the judges' right to hold delicate hearings on digital camera at the request of either a victim or a plaintiff. There have been also rules concerning the imposition of restraining orders for the safety of victims; and measures for the protection of witnesses in reference to domestic violence or sexual offences.
Gunnsteinsdottir mentioned the Government was aware of the increase of drug abuse and had expended a lot power and cash to resolve the issue. Eight remedy centres had been opened across the nation and the Government was trying to assess the underlying causes for elevated drug use amongst youth. The document states that the authorities play an necessary function in overcoming traditional views on gender. Iceland also takes an energetic part in Nordic equal rights cooperation and is currently participating within the development of the Nordic equal-status cooperation programme.
Now that you've gathered all the mandatory details about Icelandic girls, it is time to begin making your transfer. Of course, visiting the island is probably one of the most dependable ways of assembly your Icelandic bride. However, Icelandic relationship web sites will assist you to save travel bills. They will also offer you a extensive variety of beautiful girls.
Family is necessary to Icelandic women, and after they marry, they make their youngsters and husbands a priority.
This extensive coverage of the nation served as a gateway into the gorgeous girls of Iceland.
Icelandic ladies have a excessive level of training, which allows them to make good careers.
For ladies and men alike, the herring increase brought unprecedented personal wealth.
Caress her, kiss her constantly, say good phrases – they're crazy about it.
This publish shall be our try and reply the query that's often asked – "What does an Icelandic lady look like?
Vistarband was a form of serfdom that made it extraordinarily difficult to interrupt free from poverty and subsistence living, especially for ladies, who earned no earnings.
Furthermore, we do not have information about the kind or severity of the sexual harassment and violence concerned, and due to this fact cannot touch upon how these may differ relying on the characteristics of the ladies or the workplace. We additionally wouldn't have information about who the perpetrators of office sexual harassment or violence were in the current research.
What Most People Are Expressing About Iceland Girl And What You Should Do
Icelandic ladies continue to lead the change to gender equality, building an equitable and fair society. The equal pay legislation has strengthened efforts in narrowing the wage gap. It is essential that Iceland maintains this method in its effort to continue to steer as the most gender-neutral society. Going into the longer term, international locations should implement complete reforms to erase all forms of discrimination against men and women within the quest for gender equality. The present research provides proof for a way widespread workplace sexual harassment and violence is amongst ladies residing in a Nordic welfare state, significantly amongst young girls and these who work shifts.
Top Recommendations Of Icelandic Women
Most ladies in Iceland are targeted on maintaining a household while furthering their careers. You won't have to fret a couple of spouse that's targeted on their profession alone. Neither will you wrestle to persuade her to pursue a career to complement the household income. The island is likely one of the most volcanically active in that area. Moreover, the Icelandic topography options largely beautiful mountains, crystal clear waters, and glaciers. Due to the island's location away from the European mainland, one can perceive why it is not at the forefront of in style culture. In addition, their independence does not imply that they prefer a career to a family.
Who Else Wants To Find Out About Iceland Girls?
When relationship Icelandic girls, don't be in a rush for intimacy. Getting acquainted with the girl ought to be your topmost precedence. Texting for a hook-up simply after assembly her is sufficient for her to put in writing you off.


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Pine's debut album is a kind of hypnotic melancholia
Where did Ottawa's Pine come from? It's a question worth asking after listening to their painfully gorgeous self-titled debut album. Pine use the phrase "doom and gloom never sounded so sweet" to describe their sound, and true to that, this 11-track outing is filled with the kind of hypnotic melancholia that became the playbook for a great many Midwestern emo bands that emerged in the late 90s/early 2000s. The biggest difference here is that while Pine have the heartbreak down pat, their musical sense of loss is lifted slightly by the airy, more wistful sounds of their guitar-strewn songs. Sure, there's a lot that sounds like a great Mineral record or a Gloria Record album, but there's also traces of Florida indie/emo band The Rocking Horse Winner and at times, bands like Rainer Maria.
Pine are buoyed by the great vocal work of Darlene Deschamps. Her voice soars through tracks like "Memento" and the terrific "Lusk". The latter in particular is a great example of how Pine lull you into a sense of calm before it explodes in a collage of symphonic distortion and post-rock twinkling. In "Sunder" they ascend to louder, more expansive sounds. The song is a great combination of thick, fuzzy guitars, mid-tempo percussion work, and that pained vocal delivery that gives the song an extra punch in the guts.
The album took an impressive 2 years to finish, and you can hear the trials and tribulations of that gestation period through the songs. There's pain, sadness, anger and frustration in songs like the intro "Within You" and the more new emo-esque "Swollen", but also beauty, and as the album concludes, a sense of incredible catharsis. The record SOUNDS great too, with production values (by a production team that includes Will Yip, who has helmed records by Circa Survive, Braid, Saosin, and the Bouncing Souls to name a few) adding to the grand cinematic finish of the record.
For those who love what emo was in the mid to late 90s will find much to like about Pine just as much as those who like Explosions in the Sky and their post-rock brethren. Pine have been crafting their sound over the last few years and while their previous EP Pillow Talk showed a solid foundation, this new self-titled record is the work of a band close to the height of their abilities. Moving, beautiful, and littered with life's roller coaster of emotions as songs, Pine is definitely recommended listening.
(No Sleep Records)
Related Topics:emoindie
Corridor reveal new song "Domino"
Saviors shows the work of well-seasoned musicians finding new energy in old sounds
Philadelphia's Crossed Keys are an interesting intersection between melodic hardcore and punk, taking an earnest approach to the sound that made its way from the underground in the late 90s and early 2000s. This relatively new outfit is the result of Kid Dynamite and Samiam in a blender- in the best way possible. The Kid Dynamite influence may be a given since Crossed Eyes features KD's drummer Dave Wagenschutz, but the band's pedigree also includes members of bands like Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer and The Curse, all backing the melancholic vocal work of frontman Joshua Alvarez (Halo of Snakes). So while Crossed Keys are somewhat new, its members have been cutting their teeth within their respective circles for years, and their new EP Saviors shows the work of well-seasoned musicians finding new energy in old sounds.
Saviors is backboned by the furious urgency and energy that Kid Dynamite showed through their history, but while Jason Shevchuk's vocals were beautifully abrasive, Alvarez takes a more restrained, wistful approach to singing. Songs like the opening "Times of Grace" are musically up-tempo percussions and razor-sharp guitars, but are buoyed by Alvarez's more melodic vocals. His vocals rest at a good place between Samiam's Jason Beebout and that NYHC tone exhibited by bands like Token Entry and Grey Area. In songs like "R.J.A" and the closing title track, Crossed Keys find more success with their brand of blistering speed meets harmony- slowing down only for the kind of melancholic punk that made Samiam a noted name. While much of Saviors is built on pace, it wasn't always this way for the band. In fact, their 2017 EP, I'm Just Happy That You're Here, leans closer to Samiam than it does to Kid Dynamite (the song "Jeff Pelly vs. The Empire" is particularly fantastic), so there's been an uptick of urgency with Saviors.
For fans of any of the aforementioned bands here, there is plenty to like with Crossed Keys and plenty to like in Saviors. It's succinct, to the point, but filled with ample reflection and exploration that gives the EP depth and resonance. Any band that has found influence from Kid Dynamite is most certainly OK by us (this site is named after a KD song after all), but Crossed Keys does more than just tip their cap. This one's a really good one, and worth your time.
(Hellminded Records)
Lagwagon – Railer
Lagwagon music is like coming home to warm apple pie and a nice bed
In a music landscape where sustained quality and longevity are becoming ever rarer, it is remarkable to think that Goleta, CA's Lagwagon have now been around for nearly 30 years. More impressive perhaps, is that with their longevity, they've maintained their resolute quality over the course of some nine albums. Railer, their ninth, is the work of a band comfortable in their own skin, unflinching, and untroubled by the short attention spans of both the industry and the listener. For those like myself who have been listening to Lagwagon for some 25 years or so, it's been a comfort knowing that no matter how far away we waver from them as a listener, returning to Lagwagon music is like coming home to warm apple pie and a nice bed.
Railer takes cues from the more serious musical tones the band have exhibited since 2005's Resolve. While much of Railer is still up-tempo, guitar-fueled melodicore, it's got traces of the heavier that shows Lagwagon haven't forgone any of the urgency despite their "age". From the opening "Stealing Light" and the blazing cut "Surviving California", Joey Cape and company show that there's still a lot of passion and fire in their songwriting. Cape's voice is as distinct as it was on Duh as it is today; giving their music another unwavering constant. There is very little letting up through the album's 12 tracks, save the occasional deviation like the melodicore-turn-new wave outing "Jini" (evoking Let's Talk About Feelings and tracks like "Leave the Light On"). In the terrific "Parable", Lagwagon paints a biblical song of introspection, despair, and hope, wrapped in Cape's clever lyrical wordplay ("Where do we begin / Wonder is a sin / A dog that we name dogma / The cat we won't forgive / We'd go outside to play / But it's not safe today"), while the bouncy "Bubble" is a fun, wistful outing of old memories and a longing for yesterdays long gone ("Throwback in the van / Cranking the oldies like Samiam / Jawbreaker, Mr. T Experience / Never rock anything new").
A cover of Journey's "Faithfully" is a great closing, and like the many covers Lagwagon have done before (their cover of "Brown Eyed Girl" is still the best), show their willingness to underline the more serious nature of some of their songs with lightheartedness. It is a small but important part of Lagwagon's long appeal. They have always had the ability to write great songs, but have never once forgotten who they are. Railer is proof that a Lagwagon record will probably always sound like a Lagwagon record, and while that may feel like a detriment to some, it is, in reality, one of their great strengths. Cape has been involved with many different music projects over the years. He's experimented with different sounds with Bad Astronaut, written solo material under his own name, and of course, been part of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. But for all the different music he's created, Lagwagon has always been Lagwagon.
Railer is remarkable because songs like "The Suffering" (complete with philosopher Bertrand Russell quote and all) and "Pray For Them", sound like the work of angry and frustrated young twentysomethings making sense of the world we live, except with the poise and reflection of a band who have been doing this for 30 years.
Consistency is often overlooked as a creative trait, but Railer is proof that it is a timeless quality, especially when it is this good. You can hear and feel the evolutionary changes in the record, but the core and the heart of it are still very much intact. There's a wonder in finding new musical ground, but if you are like me and first listened to Lagwagon with 1995's Trashed, Railer is very much like apple pie and very much proof that sometimes (a lot of the time), there's nothing better than coming home.
(Fat Wreck Chords)