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Milan Pays Drivers To Leave Cars At Home, Take Public Transit
John Voelcker December 16, 2014 Comment Now!
Traffic often finds its own balance: Cars will flow onto less-crowded roads, while drivers will avoid congested routes or--to some degree--change their driving habits and times.
But there's a limit to this flexibility, given how many people now drive to their jobs or other commitments.
That means that bad traffic, like taxes, is seemingly always with us.
DON'T MISS: Best Time To Drive A Hybrid? When The Traffic Is Really Bad
Now Milan is trying a new approach: Not just urging its citizens to leave their cars at home and take mass transit, but actually paying them to do so.
As the Financial Times notes (via Autoblog), the Italian city has the worst traffic congestion of any city in Europe or North America, often described as "crippling."
(Which may be hard for New Yorkers, Los Angelenos, and some other U.S. drivers to believe, but we'll leave that debate for another time.)
A coalition of companies in Milan is using connected-car technologies to send Milanese drivers a voucher worth €1.50 (about $1.87)--via text message--for every weekday in which black-box and location data shows their car remained parked at their house from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm.
ALSO SEE: Study: China Could Soon Find Itself In Traffic Jam Hell
The amount was chosen because it's the cost of a fare on the city's network of buses, trams, trolleys, subways, and suburban rail links.
And Italy is well-suited for such an experiment, because it has the highest rate of telematics-based insurance worldwide, with almost 3 million drivers signed up for policies based on usage data transmitted by their cars.
In the U.S., privacy concerns and practicality have slowed the use of locational and/or black-box data from cars.
Bugatti Lifestyle Collection - Milan launch event
Still, many states are experimenting with distance-based taxes as a substitute for highway funds derived from gasoline tax revenues, which are flat or falling in all states as average fuel efficiency of vehicles rises while miles driven stays flat.
The Milan experiment, however, would only work in a handful of U.S. cities, however.
Many medium-sized U.S. urban areas have little or no practical, widespread, attractive public transportation.
And you can't pay people to take a system that doesn't exist--or that they won't use.
congestion Green Cars Infrastructure Italy News Politics telematics traffic
Study: China Could Soon Find Itself In Traffic Jam Hell
John Voelcker - Contributor
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10 people killed at Colorado supermarket, police say
A shooting at a Colorado supermarket killed 10 people Monday, including a police officer, and a suspect was in custody, authorities said
Associated Press |
A shooting at a Colorado supermarket killed 10 people Monday, including a police officer, and a suspect was in custody, authorities said.
Boulder police Chief Maris Herold announced the death toll at a news conference Monday night, fighting back tears.
The suspect was getting medical treatment and there was no further threat to the public, authorities said. Officers had escorted a shirtless man with blood running down his leg out of the store in handcuffs but authorities would not say if he was the suspect.
Police work on the scene outside of a King Soopers grocery store where a shooting took place Monday, March 22, 2021, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The officer who was killed was Eric Talley, 51, who had been with Boulder police since 2010, Herold said.
Read More: Rallies in Atlanta, nation against hate after spa shootings
Victims' families were still being notified so their names weren't released, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said.
"This is a tragedy and a nightmare for Boulder County, and in response, we have cooperation and assistance from local, state and federal authorities," Dougherty said.
Yamaguchi said police were still investigating and didn't have details on a motive for the shooting at the King Soopers store in Boulder, which is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver and home to the University of Colorado.
Police outside a King Soopers grocery store where a shooting took place Monday, March 22, 2021, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Dean Schiller told The Associated Press that he had just left the supermarket when he heard gunshots and saw three people lying face down, two in the parking lot and one near the doorway. He said he "couldn't tell if they were breathing."
Video posted on YouTube showed one person on the floor inside the store and two more outside on the ground. What sounds like two gunshots are also heard at the beginning of the video.
Read More: $2.7 million raised for sons of Atlanta spa shooting victim
Law enforcement vehicles and officers massed outside the store, including SWAT teams, and at least three helicopters landed on the roof. Some windows at the front of the store were broken.
At one point, authorities said over a loudspeaker that the building was surrounded and that "you need to surrender."
Sarah Moonshadow told the Denver Post that two shots rang out just after she and her son, Nicolas Edwards, finished buying strawberries. She said she told her son to get down and then "we just ran."
Once they got outside, she said they saw a body in the parking lot. Edwards said police were speeding into the lot and pulled up next to the body.
"I knew we couldn't do anything for the guy," he said. "We had to go."
Police cars are parked outside a King Soopers grocery store where a shooting took place Monday, March 22, 2021, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
James Bentz told the Post that he was in the meat section when he heard what he thought was a misfire, then a series of pops.
"I was then at the front of a stampede," he said.
Bentz said he jumped off a loading dock out back to escape and that younger people were helping older people off of it.
One person was taken from the shooting scene to Foothills Hospital in Boulder, said Rich Sheehan, spokesman for Boulder Community Health, which operates the hospital.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis tweeted a statement that his "heart is breaking as we watch this unspeakable event unfold in our Boulder community."
Police had told people to shelter in place amid a report of an "armed, dangerous individual" about 3 miles (5 kilometers) away from the grocery store but said at the news conference later that it wasn't related to the shooting.
The FBI said it's helping in the investigation at the request of police.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting.
In a statement, the King Soopers chain offered "thoughts, prayers and support to our associates, customers, and the first responders who so bravely responded to this tragic situation. We will continue to cooperate with local law enforcement and our store will remain closed during the police investigation."
Kevin Daly, owner of Under the Sun Eatery and Pizzeria Restaurant a block or so from the supermarket, said he was in his shop when he saw police cars arriving and shoppers running from the grocery store. He said he took in several people to keep them warm, and others boarded a bus provided by Boulder police and were taken away.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The division of the administrative parish of Crondall into Crondall and Ewshot does not affect the ecclesiastical parish of All Saints & St Mary's which continues to be run by the Parochial Church Council (PCC).
St Mary's churchyard in Ewshot is no longer open for burials as there are no more grave spaces but the burial ground next to All Saints in Crondall is jointly owned by Crondall Parish Council and Ewshot Parish Council and residents of Ewshot still have full burial rights there. For simplicity the administration of the burial ground is handled by Crondall Parish Council.
www.crondall-pc.gov.uk. or e-mail clerk@crondall-pc.gov.uk .


Despite links with Gonzalo Higuain, Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney, Arsenal failed to land a top striker this summer, leaving much of the weight of goalscoring responsibilities on the shoulders of one man – Olivier Giroud.
The Frenchman was heavily criticised when he first arrived in the Premier League last summer but Giroud seems to be getting better and better and has scored three goals in as many Premier League games so far this season.
His strong start is no surprised to those who watched him in pre-season, however, with the 26-year-old bagging eight goals for the Gunners in warm-up matches.


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The pros and cons of the Unity game engine
Author: Yan Telles
Why is Unity so popular?
The pros and cons of Unity
Unity vs. Unreal
Supporting developers with Unity
Ever since smartphones came along and spawned the golden age of mobile gaming, one piece of technology has maintained its place as an evergreen tool in the inventory of any major game dev: the Unity engine.
Given that over 50% of all mobile games are made with the engine, including billion-dollar revenue generators such as Pokemon Go and Genshin Impact, Unity is a market behemoth by any measure — and one that has already paved inroads to other industries, including film, automotive, AI development, and non-gaming virtual reality apps such as edtech darling Titans of Space.
Unity's popularity stems primarily from how it democratized game development. Until the late '00s, making a game was an expensive and protracted process, often requiring that engines be built from scratch on a per-game basis. Software distribution was also a hindrance, with game developers depending primarily on the PC platform plus the big three console makers: Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft.
Unity upset the apple cart by providing a simple, efficient, inexpensive, and versatile "white canvas" game engine for devs to work with. Simultaneously, the distribution issue was solved by smartphones: Gadgets with enough processing power to run complex games without requiring customers to commit to a dedicated gaming console, thus exponentially growing the number of potential gamers — afterall, any smartphone owner is a gamer-in-waiting.
Of course, historical context alone isn't enough to make a champion out of any industry. Unity's popularity is largely rooted in the fact that it boasts more pros than cons.
The cons exist, however, and compromise Unity's usefulness as a surefire tool for building any mobile game.
The pros and cons of Unity for game development
First, the goods:
Unity is all but tailor-made for mobile
Today's smartphones and tablets are more powerful than PCs from only a couple of decades ago. Mobile games that would have struggled to run on sixth-generation video game consoles like the PlayStation 2 do so smoothly on current iPhones or Samsung Galaxy phones.
With Unity, visually compelling games can be easily integrated with ready-made features like analytics, advertising, and in-game payments that simplify monetization strategies. Plus, the engine is well equipped to take advantage of technologies already present on every smartphone — think GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes — to unlock myriad possibilities for savvy game devs. Blockbuster Pokemon Go, for example, would have been the stuff of science fiction twenty years ago, and now it boasts over one billion lifetime downloads.
Unity's entry threshold is negligible
In a world where software licenses for enterprises are notoriously expensive, Unity is surprisingly affordable: The engine's most basic plan is free of charge for any individuals, hobbyists, or small teams operating with up to a $100K funding or revenue in the previous 12 months. This low investment barrier encourages indie devs to pick up the game engine and use it with their titles, resulting in faster prototypes and time-to-market, plus a larger volume of releases — another key factor for Unity's dominance in game development.
Unity's relaxed entry threshold also goes beyond financials. Learning how to develop for the engine is decidedly easier than with most mainstream Unity competitors, increasing the number of Unity developers on the market, and thus, of Unity-made games.
Unity is easy to deploy cross-platform
Apart from exclusives, the game industry's standard is to release titles on multiple platforms to maximize exposure to players.
Unity is great at porting code for different systems. While tweaks always have to be made, a Unity game can reliably be adapted for multiple platforms — including from consoles to mobile and vice-versa — without much hassle, even if it wasn't planned as a multi-platform title during development.
And now for the not-so-great aspects of this must-have game engine:
Unity is performance-intensive
While our personal gadgets are more powerful than ever before, power one year rarely beats obsolescence the next. While games with simple, Flash-like graphics or even stylized 2D pixel art may get away with long lifespans on older smartphones, that doesn't hold for cutting-edge titles.
This means that beautifully crafted, high horsepower projects might limit their player pool at launch since only recent devices will be able to run it smoothly. This is particularly true for games that demand mechanical precision from their players — and therefore depend on stable frame rates to be played.
Unity demands optimization
Unity is a bulky system. Simple games get a pass, but complex Unity games require a lot of space — a problem known all too well by owners of old or non-premium Apple devices — and many platforms themselves have restrictions on the size of downloadable content. Workarounds exist, but they require additional tools that add to development costs and delivery timelines.
Unity's Asset Store has its limitations
Unity has a huge catalog of user-friendly assets, but quantity doesn't ensure quality. Remarkably, some important assets like game scripts may face problems whenever Unity updates its engine.
Furthermore, Unity lacks a bit in supply when it comes to high-polygon 3D assets. This realm is better served by the other heavily used game engine on the market, Unreal.
Speaking of which:
Unity vs. Unreal: How should you choose?
Unreal enjoys far less market share in mobile gaming than Unity, but it commands respect. The age-old adage goes like this: Unity if 2D, Unreal if 3D. The truth is more complex though.
Unreal Marketplace, the engine's asset store, is indeed renowned for the high quality of 3D models it hosts, and a lot of its content can be used at no cost each month. The store also has a much larger amount of pre-made games and blueprints, meaning devs can pick, say, a baseline pre-made shooter game to build theirs upon, shaving off some chunks of development time and cost instead of building from scratch.
But asset store differences aside, what matters the most is that the core building blocks of the engine should fit your game best. For instance, does your game:
Need real-time networking for multiplayer? Stunning visuals ASAP? Open-source code? Point scored for Unreal.
Unreal's origins lie in multiplayer first-person shooters, and the engine is still optimized for low-ping gameplay. Unity's network solutions are simply subpar in comparison.
In the graphics department, Unreal suits and attracts 3D artists who want to develop assets with it, making it easier to find ready-made, yet impressive hyper-realistic visuals. Plus, depending on the nature of your title and team, an open-source engine goes a long way in enabling external contribution — freelancers, other studios, or even the modding community — to your work as an added benefit.
Need to brainstorm and prototype ideas? And distinctive visuals? And diverse markets? Three Points for Unity.
Unity uses C# instead of Unreal's C++, making programming for Unity ostensibly simpler (Unreal Blueprints notwithstanding), and devs will still need to know code to work with Unity. The great UI and ease of picking it up make it a great engine to prototype and test concepts in practice.
Visually, although both engines are capable of creating both 2D and 3D games, 3D-realistic Unreal games do have a noticeable visual fingerprint of sorts. Unity's vast library and tools are a plus when it comes to cultivating visual artists' unbridled, unboxed freedom, even if it takes a tad more effort to achieve eye-catching results.
And as I noted before, a non-intensive Unity game is probably the closest we have nowadays from the Flash games of old — it will run anywhere for cross-platform purposes, and porting is a cinch.
Beyond the relative ease of learning Unity, there are a couple of additional advantages that attract game developers to the engine.
Mainly, documentation and the community. Unity is very well documented, and changes and updates are easily tracked. The huge community around the engine also means that second opinions on hard project spots are readily available on the plethora of forums dedicated to it. Furthermore, free tutorials are fairly ubiquitous and cover just about anything Unity developers might search for to improve their craft or answer a question.
Community-active Unity devs account for an unofficial half of Unity's support network, with the other half coming from the engine makers themselves. Unity owns plenty of out-of-the-box support tools for different types of projects, particularly for 2D games and mobile, greasing the wheels for customization.
Nonetheless, game development cycles take time, have their fair share of trial-and-error, and as with most software releases, must be closely followed post-launch to fix unpredicted issues — regardless of engine. Game developers shouldn't expect Unity to act as if it was an occult hand that provides magical solutions to struggles intrinsic to the industry.
As a primary cog in the gaming machines that have revolutionized the industry in the past decade, Unity proposes to even out the odds. Today, more than ever before, a small team of game developers can gather together to create titles that beat Marvel movies in revenue, advance the idea of games as an art form, and allow grandmas to discover new hobbies in the shape of free-for-all deathmatches.
How to use augmented reality in engineering
Choosing an engine for VR: Unity vs Unreal
Tips for using VR to treat anxiety


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Maybe you're not as mad as you think?
Don't panic. Divorce brings out the worst in all of us. But there are also some funny moments. Take comfort from these extreme cases.
The process of divorce is so mind-bendingly frustrating at times that it is possible to feel like you have lost the plot. Maybe take comfort from some extreme cases which may make you feel like the Buddha in comparison.
Take Peter Elliott. He spent four years barricaded into his £500,000 farmhouse after he lost it to his ex-wife in a divorce battle. He turned the property in Appleby, Cumbria, into a fortress, surrounding it with barbed wire, tree branches and fitted CCTV cameras. At the time he said he would only be removed 'in a body bag'.
He was threatened with a prison sentence should he remain and has now been arrested. To highlight his plight he created an effigy of a man dressed in a suit, being executed on the roof with a 'justice' banner next to him.
You don't necessarily have to be married to act like a crazy person. Details from the now forever unsigned pre-nup between singer Mariah Carey and billionaire James Packer emerged, showing that the businessman would pay Maria $6million for every full year of marriage up to a total of $30million, should they split. Mariah, for her part, wanted a $50million sum if the pair separated.
Still, while the details of the prenup finally severed their relationship, Mariah did get to keep the enormous ring. So there was an upside. As we write this, reports are emerging that she wants to fine Packer and charge an 'inconvenience fee' for time wasting!
Sometimes, the courts don't help. Can't work out how to split the house? Can't sell it? A divorce court came up with an innovative solution, ruling that a brick wall should be built through the mansion of a wealth Russian couple, separating the pair. Wife Margarita Tsvitnenko, 45, claimed a friend had to be rescued by emergency services after being trapped upstairs by the hastily-erected wall.
That was in Russia, however, and obviously it's way more civilised over here. Ahem.
Divorce – the financial bits
We'll try and help you get the divorce sorted, offer some practical tips and remind you that after divorce and distress quite often comes delight! Hang on in there.
Divorce financials
I want to invest £10,000. I cannot see on your website how to do this. Please explain.
Clive | Carmarthenshire | 29/04/2019 | 0
Phoebe Smith's Response
I've been reading about Beaufort Securities, and how they potentially didn't ring-fence investor money properly. What is the best way to avoid this happening to my money?
Jenny | Greater Manchester | 29/04/2019 | 3
Anna Sofat's Response
We have £100,000 in Premium Bonds to invest. We need it as serious illness has changed our lives completely. We have been advised to invest in a Capital Investment Bond, but fees seem high to me - 0.3% and 1.7% management and on-going advice. I'm considering Wealthify or other online funds. Can you help?
Melanie | London | 25/03/2019 | 0
Online Investment Platforms
I am 25 years old and just starting to manage my money like an adult! I attended university from 2012-2015, and as such I have a full student loan on repayment plan 2. The value of my loan at present is £43k, and at the current rates of interest, I pay back less than the interest each month. Having undertaken some cash flow analysis, I know I will be one who repays their loan in full and estimate it will take 15-18 years to fully pay back. Over this period I am likely to incur over £30k of interest. If I could pay the loan off in full, is that worth doing? Or is that £43k better put to work elsewhere in investments?
Tom | London | 15/03/2019 | 0
Pete Matthew's Response
I've been reading recently about how investment trusts are much the same as funds, but are cheaper to own. A: Is this true? and B: Do you have an article on Investment trusts on your site?
Nick | Surrey | 16/01/2019 | 3
I'm the sole carer for my chronically ill and elderly mum, as well as a full-time police officer. I have no other family apart from her. Due to mum's condition, and the fact that I'm exhausted performing both roles, the only option is to go part-time, as mum won't accept help from anyone else. To allow me to go part-time, I will need about £25,000 until March 2020 when I will be retiring. I'm confident of getting another job shortly thereafter. In January 2021, I will receive a commutation lump sum of about £50,000. I have a sizeable fund portfolio under an ISA wrapper with Hargreaves Lansdown. That is doing very well, so I don't really want to sell any of these funds and 'lend myself money' from that. My ideal funding solution would be a bond-type IOU agreement, where 'someone' lends me the money. Are you aware of a peer-to-peer site that could assist? Thanks
Dave | Hertfordshire | 27/11/2018 | 1
Do you have any recommendations for books that I can buy my 18 year old daughter for Xmas on the subject of pensions and investments so she can start to understand the subjects? She's young I know but I would like to get her started. Many thanks!
Nicki | Devon | 15/11/2018 | 2
Robo Adviser
Catherine Morgan's Response
I am 25 and starting to seriously financially plan out my future. I would really welcome a 'sense check' on my thinking as well as some help on which investment choices to make. My goals are: To invest for 15 years - my risk appetite is very high (i.e. I could afford to lose all my money). Goal 1 - More Important: To have an investment pot of £1,500,000. Goal 2 - Less Important: To be mortgage free. My plan is: 1) Open an annual Stocks and Shares ISA each of the next 15 years. 2) Open Share trading/dealing account. 3) Reduce my mortgage term to 6 years by 2025. I appreciate the above is a lot to go though, but I'd welcome any help and guidance.
Mo | London | 15/10/2018 | 3
Can I use the Help to Buy scheme to buy a house in Jamaica? Kind regards, Kishana
Kishana | London | 11/09/2018 | 1
My wife and I have recently separated. The equity in the house is going to be split 50/50. We don't have any other meaningful assets. We have agreed to co-parent the children equally. My wife is requesting that I pay child maintenance, child care and school expenses. A CMS document states that shared child care results in no child maintenance payments. However, I do agree with the child care and school expenses payments. Our daughter has Autism Spectrum Disorder, so my wife gets a Disability Living Allowance for her and also works full time. If I don't pay the child maintenance, child care and school expenses, my wife is threatening to claim spousal maintenance, and take half my pension. Should I pay the £350/month or take my chances in court?
D | Lincolnshire | 03/09/2018 | 0
How can I pimp my credit score?
Sonia | Greater London | 09/08/2018 | 2
Could you be kind enough to let me know what would be the best instant access savings account for me.?I would like any interest to be paid to me monthly. Thank you
Roy | Lancashire | 17/12/2017 | 2
Cherry Reynard's Response
How do I start investing, buy stocks, bitcoin, etc with £100?
Claudette | Bedfordshire | 18/11/2017 | 1
Is getting more money on a Mortgage a good way to raise some cash? I have a tiny tiny mortgage on a London property and could do with £50k to spend on other stuff. Would I be better to get the money by remortgaging or borrowing?
Louise | Greater London | 07/09/2017 | 1
Could you be kind enough to let me know what would be the best instant access savings account for me? I would like any interest to be paid to me monthly. Thank you
Anon | UK | 29/05/2018 | 0
What is the Help to Buy ISA and how does it work?
Dylan | Greater London | 07/09/2017 | 0
What is a credit score and why do I need it?
Cameron | Greater London | 06/09/2017 | 1
How much does it cost to make a will?
Sedef | Greater London | 06/09/2017 | 0


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Dan DuhMan February 6, 2016 Collectibles, Colorado, Comic Hunter, Compton Cracker, GEAR REVIEWS, GEARHEAD, Genius, Hockey Night Hockey Cards, Horror, I WANT ONE, Kids rule, KINGDOM OF THE WICKED, Kustom Kulture, language, MMA
CHECK IT OUT: Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson vs Johny Hendricks TONITE!!
*People Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson is a master of striking ! If you like watching someone who can throw "bungalows"Check out Wonderboy Tonite on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 10 p.m. ET
Johny Hendricks vs. Stephen Thompson
Roy Nelson vs. Jared Rosholt
Ovince St. Preux vs. Rafael Cavalcante
Joseph Benavidez vs. Zach Makovsky
Misha Cirkunov vs. Alex Nicholson
Mike Pyle vs. Sean Spencer
The second portion of the preliminary card airs on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET. It is listed as follows:
Josh Burkman vs. K.J. Noons
Derrick Lewis vs. Damian Grabowski
Ray Borg vs. Justin Scoggins
Noad Lahat vs. Diego Rivas
The first portion of the preliminary card airs on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. ET. It is listed as follows:
Mickey Gall vs. Mike Jackson
Artem Lobov vs. Alex White
Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson (born February 11, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former professional full-contact kickboxer who currently fights as a welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Thompson is undefeated through 37 amateur and 20 professional kickboxing matches, with 28 wins by knockout. He is currently the #8 welterweight in official UFC rankings. He also has been a long-time training partner of Georges St-Pierre and Chris Weidman
TORONTO, CANADA – SEPTEMBER 21: Stephen Thompson (blue shorts) knocks out Chris Clements (white shorts) in their UFC welterweight bout at the Air Canada Center on September 21, 2013 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Al Bello/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Thompson faced Jake Ellenberger on July 12, 2015 at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale. He won the fight via KO in the first round and earned a Performance of the Night bonus.
Thompson was expected to face Neil Magny on January 2, 2016 at UFC 195. However, Magny was tabbed as an injury replacement for Matt Brown and instead faced Kelvin Gastelum on November 21, 2015 at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 2 Finale. In turn, Thompson was removed from the card and rebooked to face Johny Hendricks on February 6, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 82.
Posted in Collectibles, Colorado, Comic Hunter, Compton Cracker, GEAR REVIEWS, GEARHEAD, Genius, Hockey Night Hockey Cards, Horror, I WANT ONE, Kids rule, KINGDOM OF THE WICKED, Kustom Kulture, language, MMA and tagged johny hendricks, stephen thompson, stephen wonderboy thompson, tonite, UFC, wonderboy. Bookmark the permalink.
NEWS: Anthrax Sued for $1 Million Over Ugly Hanukkah Sweater
NEWS: BUCKY PIZZARELLI: RENAISSANCE


text:
User information for jacobvandy
Real Name jacobvandy
Nickname jacobvandy
Signed On Mar 1, 2011, 00:49
Total Comments 4635 (Master)
News Comments > Chasm Opens Up
10. Re: Chasm Opens Up Jul 31, 2018, 18:38 jacobvandy
MoreLuckThanSkill wrote on Jul 31, 2018, 15:20:
I get annoyed at most deliberately retro graphics based games, but this looks halfway decent, but refresh my memory, was this one of the Kickstarted games that took like 6 years to make? I've lost track of them all.
Yeah, I backed it in 2013. You can tell it's been in the works a while because they promised a Vita port, lol, which they're giving away for free to any backers who want it. I'd much rather have it on Switch, and I gotta think they're working on that now, but I doubt I'll buy it twice. Played a couple hours last night and it's good, though, very pretty with tough but fair platforming and combat.
This comment was edited on Jul 31, 2018, 19:57.
News Comments > Monster Hunter World PC Performance Explained
27. Re: Monster Hunter World PC Performance Explained Jul 30, 2018, 23:54 jacobvandy
HorrorScope wrote on Jul 30, 2018, 22:27:
jacobvandy wrote on Jul 30, 2018, 20:14:
The CPU is never completely dedicated to whatever game you're playing, that's just not how it works. You have dozens of other processes running in the background even on a barebones configuration, even on consoles. If you put 100% CPU into a handful of game processes, forsaking all the others.. That's how you get a BSOD. It's never supposed to happen,
Ah what are you talking about? You can max the CPU without zero crashes, the stuff it needs to run still runs. How can I test this crazy idea out like right now? Stress Test Benches. I can peg my cpu 100% for as long as I want, I do this periodically to make sure my cooling system is working within reason. Maxing a cpu is game and o/s resources combined.
You misunderstand. I didn't say CPUs can't run at 100%, I said games never use 100% on their own. For your stress test to maybe kinda simulate that, try setting its process to realtime priority and everything else to low priority. I don't think Windows would like it very much.
It's not a bad theory, but from what I've heard in this game it is maxing out the GPU's and the CPU's are are at a 1/3's usage, not cpu bound, the opposite of what you write in this case.
The CPU is never completely dedicated to whatever game you're playing, that's just not how it works. You have dozens of other processes running in the background even on a barebones configuration, even on consoles. If you put 100% CPU into a handful of game processes, forsaking all the others.. That's how you get a BSOD. It's never supposed to happen, unlike with the GPU where all it does is accelerate graphics and will sit around doing next to nothing otherwise. You might get a portion of CPU cores/threads running full tilt, but that will still only look like partial utilization from the overall "CPU usage" meter.
Civilization doesn't 100% a CPU, either, yet you will see large gains in how long it takes to crunch the AI turns with a faster CPU compared to a slower one. In Grand Theft Auto IV or V, you see a direct FPS increase because of all the underlying physics, AI, and resource streaming. Same with Bethesda games, and the way they load and unload cells full of objects and actors within a radius of the player. Especially since the only way to truly increase the draw distance in Skyrim or FO4 is to increase that radius, which means exponentially larger portions of the game world being actively simulated. People do it because they want to see more detail off in the distance, but don't realize that their performance is tanking because of their CPU/RAM, not their GPU (or "poor optimization," as is blamed when they have a 1080). All of these games will max out your GPU, but not the CPU... Yet they still perform better with a better CPU.
Edit to add: I noticed the article linked here says "[He] used an Intel i7-4790K with 16GB of RAM so obviously he was not CPU limited." That's exactly what I'm talking about -- even the journalists who write about this sort of thing regularly are still stuck in that mindset that games do not ever and could never conceivably use a lot of CPU power.
What we have is a problem of institutionalized misinformation. In the PS3/360 era, all the focus was on new lighting and shaders and whatever else went into that cookie-cutter Unreal Engine 3 kind of look... For that, you needed a lot of GPU power, but the CPU didn't matter much. New gaming PCs were built with 80% of the budget spent on graphics, and it served well in most games. So everyone tells everyone to just make sure you have a good GPU. "Buy an eMachine and shove a 580 in there, you'll be fine!"
But this new generation has seen those graphics techniques mature and refine rather than completely change, and the PS4/Xbone are more powerful and well-rounded. A lot of PC gaming rigs are not. People have the same CPU they did 10-15 years ago and think simply upgrading the GPU will allow them to max out any new game... They're wrong. More developers are exploring more simulation-heavy game design, it's not just 4X games or Rockstar with their realistic physics in big, open worlds anymore.
They blame it on poor optimization or performance-leeching DRM because that's easier, more comfortable than admitting that maybe they've fallen behind the curve a bit... Consoles are offering better performance than your imbalanced PC gaming rig. Suck it up and get a new processor. A good one! Because developers are going to keep pushing that side of gaming, and I'm glad they are. The worst thing you can do is keep bitching and eventually make them think they shouldn't do what they're doing, 'cause that's how you end up with the same Call of Duty every fucking year using the same engine it did at the turn of the millenium.
11. Re: Steam Top 10 Jul 29, 2018, 23:33 jacobvandy
Oh yeah, with this multiplayer update, NMS is pretty rapidly transforming into a stereotypical online game. Central quest lines have repeated 90-minute timers that serve no purpose but to limit how quickly you can go through them (which weren't there a year ago), and like half of owning a fleet is sending frigates out on 'expeditions' that take anywhere from one to six hours before they return with loot for you.. They will definitely start selling cosmetics for that new character customization feature, and it wouldn't surprise me if they sell in-game currency or unique ships, etc., as well.
2. Re: Steam Top 10 Jul 29, 2018, 16:57 jacobvandy
I'm enjoying it as well, but two years after release, it still feels like early access. So many bugs.. Even the tutorial quest line is riddled with them.
News Comments > Fallout 76 Beta Starts for Xbox One in October
5. Re: Fallout 76 Beta Starts for Xbox One in October Jul 23, 2018, 22:35 jacobvandy
fawker wrote on Jul 23, 2018, 19:15:
For many fallout fans, this will be their first experience with a survival game. This ought to be one hell of a first week at launch.
Good point. Even as successful as ARK and Rust, etc. have been, they're still obscure indies compared to Fallout. It'll be open season for gankers, but on the other hand there's probably a better chance than in most of these games that you don't run into people like that.
News Comments > Evening Interviews
10. Re: Evening Interviews Jul 21, 2018, 04:04 jacobvandy
If anything, I found the survival mode to be too difficult when I was playing it last year. Although most of that was how much it fucks up the economy... Being very vulnerable to environmental hazards and enemies in combat was rough, yet still manageable after getting the hang of it. But all the resources were harder to find AND you couldn't carry as much AND everything cost way more. It was a nightmare trying to gather enough of anything to build even a modest base, and my ability to travel around in the starship was severely hindered by fuel being so scarce as well as it costing a whole tank of it to take off one time. Whereas in normal mode you're using only like 1/8th of a tank, so you can move quickly between POIs or giant resource veins without any risk of getting stuck.
I don't know if they've made any adjustments to that, or if the new patch will change it up some. But if you want a challenge, that's the mode for you, lol.
News Comments > Enter the Gungeon: Advanced Gungeons & Draguns Released
4. Re: Enter the Gungeon: Advanced Gungeons & Draguns Released Jul 20, 2018, 04:05 jacobvandy
Yeah, I haven't played it much yet, but this is a very impressive showing of post-release support for the game.
News Comments > Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands Free Content Next Week
2. Re: Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands Free Content Next Week Jul 19, 2018, 23:28 jacobvandy
There are some real serious dudes out there who still cling to the idea that Ghost Recon is a hardcore sim shooter. It's not anymore, if it ever was, but I suppose there's no harm in Ubisoft indulging them a bit. I've been playing this a lot lately, so I'm deep into the "end game" grind called Tier One mode that pretty quickly forces you into the highest difficulty... You gotta be fucked in the head to wish for permadeath on top of how crazy aware, accurate, and deadly the enemies are then, lol.
That "real reloading" thing is just plain dumb, though. If I'm really reloading a gun with a partial mag, I'm not just throwing that away. Basically a really lazy solution when you don't feel like programming it to keep track of a number of magazines and how many rounds are in each one. I believe they used to do that in Killing Floor.
News Comments > Middle-earth: Shadow of War Demo
10. Re: Middle-earth: Shadow of War Demo Jul 19, 2018, 19:14 jacobvandy
Beamer wrote on Jul 19, 2018, 16:00:
Xero wrote on Jul 19, 2018, 14:46:
I'll probably give this demo a shot but I'm not expecting much. I got bored of the first after a lot of repetition. I hear this is more of the same with improvements.
I just hated the world of the first. Hated.
It's weird, I loved the Batman games, and everyone said these are similar. I think the issue for me is I never felt as godlike as Batman, but also never felt as safe as Batman is in the shadows or the rooftops. I felt like I had to constantly be on guard and couldn't gleefully head from Point A to Point B.
It's also possible I only played like 3 hours, so missed a lot, and it was a while ago, so I may be misrememering.
You're way more powerful in the sequel. Aside from the upgrades that make you almost too strong in melee (like your spirit elf auto-blocking attacks while you're busy draining or executing someone), there's way more emphasis on mounted combat. Riding a warg is easy mode against anything but major bosses or captains with a specific anti-mount trait, and then you're basically invincible while controlling a rancor graug or goddamned fire-breathing dragon. You also eventually unlock such ridiculous powers as being able to teleport 100 meters for a stealth takedown, so you don't even need to snipe people and can save your bow ammo for point-blank one-shotting charging orcs in endless bullet time.
News Comments > Original Crysis Multiplayer Support Ending
13. Re: Original Crysis Multiplayer Support Ending Jul 18, 2018, 23:26 jacobvandy
Crysis Wars! Came out with the expansion to the first game, and yeah it was pretty fun for a while. Nobody played it, though, because that was the height of the Call of Duty craze, and then the last good Battlefield game was out not long thereafter... Crysis MP just didn't catch on with that competition.
News Comments > etc.
2. Re: etc. Jul 18, 2018, 19:13 jacobvandy
The Amazing Spider-Man was a multiplatform series lol, there's a PC version! Seems silly to promote an emulator with that one.
News Comments > Clicker Heroes 2 Early Access
3. Re: Clicker Heroes 2 Early Access Jul 18, 2018, 08:25 jacobvandy
They're flipping the business model completely, so it's $30 one-time with no microtransactions. Here's what I found on that:
"We made a lot of money from these players who spent thousands. They are known to the industry as "Whales". Great. If you're rich, please be my guest. But we don't want this kind of money if it came from anyone who regrets their decision, if it made their lives significantly worse as a result. Unfortunately, those who have a problem are usually in denial about it, and would be too ashamed to ask us for a refund. We would give the refund in a heartbeat. It's not like we have artists drawing each ruby by hand. It costs us nothing but payment processing fees.
"We really don't like making money off players who are in denial of their addiction. And that's what a large part of free-to-play gaming is all about. Everyone in the industry seems to rationalize it by shifting the blame, assuming way too much cognizance on the part of their victims. People can make their own decisions, right? But it just doesn't sit well with me. Despite very few of our players having complained, it felt wrong when we started doing it and it still feels wrong now."
Apparently they have an open and unlimited refund policy for the microtransactions in the first game, which is pretty cool.
News Comments > Evening Metaverse
4. Re: Evening Metaverse Jul 14, 2018, 03:12 jacobvandy
Well that's part of the issue at hand, isn't it? Those growing up in the internet age generally do not value or even really consider privacy the way people used to.
Many would consider an obscure subreddit or forum or even a personal Facebook/Instagram/Twitter feed to be "private," despite the fact that everything is recorded and technically able to be viewed by anyone at any time. And that's where these kids now are casually using the n-word as a term of endearment and saying something's gay when they mean dumb or uncool, etc., when previously that would be more isolated to a corner of the schoolyard or friend's house or wherever you'd gather in person.
I guarantee the same false feeling of isolation applies to these streamers until one day they become popular enough that people outside of their clique start to take notice and get offended by something they did or said because they don't feel like they're in public.
3. Re: Morning Consolidation Jul 13, 2018, 17:43 jacobvandy
I think every game on Switch that has some kind of cursor should use the gyro. It's so much better than traditional dual stick aiming on consoles. Not quite as precise as a mouse because you still need to use the stick for larger movements, but once you get used to that it's close. Really wish Minecraft supported it...
News Comments > Steam Upcoming Tab Improved
4. Re: Steam Upcoming Tab Improved Jul 12, 2018, 22:28 jacobvandy
I think it took a couple extra clicks after the update, but this is what it I'm talking about: https://store.steampowered.com/search/?sort_by=Price_DESC&os=win&filter=comingsoon
It doesn't show games that are so far off they still don't have prices attached, but the next few months of major releases is pretty clear at a glance. Don't scroll down too far... I know there are good cheap games, but I'll find out about them other ways than trying to sort through that mess.
I just sort by highest price when looking through upcoming releases, 'cause that's the easiest way to filter out most of the garbage...
News Comments > Overwatch League on ESPN
12. Re: Overwatch League on ESPN Jul 12, 2018, 18:54 jacobvandy
Oh, I see, so you're an early adopter of hardwiring your brain directly to the computer... The rest of us plebes are still using our physical limbs to interact with the keyboard and mouse.
News Comments > Fortnite 5.0 Kicks Off Season 5
13. Re: Fortnite 5.0 Kicks Off Season 5 Jul 12, 2018, 17:56 jacobvandy
The PVE game as it is now is approaching its first anniversary, so anything older than that is really not representative of what it's like. I've been playing pretty regularly since I picked it up during the December sale and it was fun enough to hook me then, but even in those 7-ish months there have been several massive changes for the better. They range from basic gameplay things like sprinting no longer consuming the same energy pool you use for abilities to multiple additions in how you can obtain items without having to open loot boxes.
Along with the aforementioned freebies and shop with specific items bought with currency earned through gameplay, they recently enabled you to unlock almost anything you want directly if you have enough account-bound resources, including the ultra-rare hero classes. To give an idea of how valuable that is to the player, it really pissed off some individuals who had previously spent $100(0)+ on loot boxes trying to obtain one of these mythic heroes... If you ask me, that's a sure sign of a great update in a [soon-to-be] F2P game.
4635 Comments. 232 pages. Viewing page 33.


text:
Abbas makes contradictory statements: No to violence, yes to war against Israel
Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik | Jan 30, 2011
Abbas makes contradictory statements:
No to violence, yes to war against Israel
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in recent days has made contradictory statements concerning violence and war against Israel. To the English speaking audience Abbas said he would never turn to violence; in Arabic he said he would join Arab states in a war against Israel:
Abbas to Western audience:
"'I am committed to peace, but not forever,' Mr. Abbas said. 'I don't mean I will turn to violence - never. In my life, I will never do it. But I cannot stay in my office forever doing nothing.'"
Abbas to Arab audience:
"I have said more than once that if the Arabs want war - we are with them."
Abbas made the statement against violence in an interview with Bernard Avishai writing for the New York Times Magazine. The statement was intended for an international audience and reported in the New York Times on January 27, 2011.
Abbas made the second statement not ruling out war in a meeting with Egyptian and other Arab journalists. This statement was meant for an Arab audience and reported in the official Palestinian Authority daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida on January 24, 2011.
Abbas stressed that he is against violence now because the Palestinians are unable and because the international community opposes it. He did not denounce violence as a tool:
"We do not wish to turn to armed struggle, because our [lack of] capabilities and the international atmosphere do not allow for it."
PA leaders' depicting non-violence against Israel as a necessary current strategy was exemplified recently during the 2010 peace talks. PA leaders repeatedly used apologetic language when explaining the rationale behind the non-violence to Palestinians.
Nabil Shaath, MP, member of Fatah Central Committee and former PA Foreign Minister, made a series of speeches justifying the cessation of violence, which he stressed was due to current conditions: "At the present time [the armed struggle] is not possible, or is not effective," he said. He noted "the inability to engage in the armed struggle," and pointed out that: "[it] has become undesirable now," and "international conditions do not permit us." Shaath also stressed the "right to return to the armed conflict whenever we view that as our people's interest." (Full quotes below.)
Abbas has repeated this willingness to join an all-out Arab war three times in the last year: First, to the Arab League in March, then in July, and now again:
The following are excerpts from the statements by Mahmoud Abbas (emphasis added):
Jan. 24, 2011, meeting with Egyptian and other Arab journalists:
"The President [Abbas] emphasized that in September the Palestinian leadership will pass a resolution which no-one will have dreamed of, if the available options concerning the peace process fail... President Abbas made it clear that the Arab Peace Initiative is the ideal solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict... He noted that the Palestinian Authority published the Peace Initiative in the Israeli media and on the 'streets', in order to bring it to the attention of the Israelis.
He emphasized that he supports the options that the Arab [state]s will choose, and added: 'I have said more than once that if the Arabs want war - we are with them. I cannot fight alone. We tried military action during the Second Intifada and during the attack on Gaza at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, after the [Hamas] refusal to renew the ceasefire, and it brought destruction upon us. 25% of the homes in Gaza are still in ruins.' He noted that he opposes military action and that he believes that popular operations resisting settlement and the [security] fence lead to clear positive results for the Palestinian cause. He noted that 50% of the participants in these demonstrations are Israelis, while 25% are foreigners. He added: 'We are determined to continue this activity, and we do not wish to turn to armed struggle, because our [lack of] capabilities and the international atmosphere do not allow for it."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 24, 2011]
July 6, 2010, in the home of PA Ambassador to Jordan, to writers and journalists:
"'We are unable to confront Israel militarily, and this point was discussed at the Arab League Summit in March in Sirt (Libya). There I turned to the Arab States and I said: 'If you want war, and if all of you will fight Israel, we are in favor. But the Palestinians will not fight alone because they don't have the ability to do it.' ... 'The West Bank was completely destroyed and we will not agree that it will be destroyed again,' in addition to 'the inability to confront Israel militarily.'"
[Abbas, at meeting with writers and journalists
in the home of the Palestinian Ambassador to Jordan,
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Fatah), July 6, 2010]
The following are excerpts from the statements by Palestinian MP Nabil Shaath, (emphasis added):
MP Nabil Shaath (1): "... the armed struggle, which has become undesirable now"
"MP Dr. Nabil Shaath, member of Fatah Central Committee and Commissioner of Foreign Relations... emphasized that the Fatah's stated strategy for the struggle is to adopt the growing popular and 'non-violent' struggle against Israel, because of the inability to engage in the armed struggle, which has become undesirable now, although it is the right of the Palestinian people, which all international treaties and resolutions have guaranteed... Shaath emphasized that the non-violent struggle is no less honorable than the armed struggle, and that it does not signify submission to Israeli demands."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 20, 2010]
MP Nabil Shaath (2): "the armed struggle at the present time... is not effective"
"The current distancing from the armed struggle does not mean its absolute rejection... He noted that the difficulty of the conflict required the Palestinian people to diversify its activities of struggle - along with an emphasis on the importance of the armed struggle, which laid the basis for the existence of the state and contributed to maintaining the right and presenting it to the world - especially since the armed struggle at the present time is not possible, or is not effective, because of to the difficulties with which the Palestinian people contends."
MP Nabil Shaath (3): negotiations are "tactical" and "temporary"
"Dr. Nabil Shaath, Commissioner of International Relations and member of the Fatah Central Committee... stated that the decision to renew negotiations was a tactical decision, i.e., a temporary, defensive decision... and it is dependent upon the possibility of attaining tangible results for the Palestinians. He concluded: 'Even the resistance uses defensive tactics in order not to miss opportunities.'"
[Al-Dustur (Jordan), June 10, 2010]
MP Nabil Shaath (4): Palestinians will return to violence when it is "our people's interest."
"Dr. Nabil Shaath, member of the Fatah Central Committee... emphasized that 'the Palestinian people has the right to defend itself, and it has the right to act in the way of the armed struggle. We have acted in this way for 100 years. Fatah led it (the armed struggle) for 23 years, and Hamas adopted it for 15 years. We are proud of all of our Shahids (Martyrs), and it is our right to return to the armed conflict whenever we view that as our people's interest.'"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, June 7, 2010]
The following is the article in New York Times quoting Mahmoud Abbas:
Olmert Memoir Cites Near Deal for Mideast Peace
By Ethan Bronner
JERUSALEM - Ehud Olmert, the former prime minister of Israel, says in new memoirs that he and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, were very close to a peace deal two years ago, but Mr. Abbas's hesitation, Mr. Olmert's own legal troubles and the Israeli war in Gaza caused their talks to end. Shortly afterward, a right-wing Israeli government came to power...
In a separate interview, Mr. Abbas confirmed most of Mr. Olmert's account...
Mr. Avishai's article is scheduled to be published in The Times Magazine next month...
"I am committed to peace, but not forever," Mr. Abbas said. "I don't mean I will turn to violence - never. In my life, I will never do it. But I cannot stay in my office forever doing nothing."
He said Washington needed to play an active role, or "hopes for peace will collapse and the region will be controlled by extremists."
[The New York Times, Jan. 27, 2011]
Categories in this Analysis
Violence & terror » Violence-Diplomacy strategy
Others » PLO | Personalities » Mahmoud Abbas | Palestinian Authority / Fatah


text:
These Are the Best Songs to Help You Get Over a Breakup
By Raisa Bruner
May 30, 2018 9:00 AM EDT
So you're going through a breakup. The bad news: it's never easy. The good news: you're not alone with your aching heart. If the music we listen to is any indication, then breaking up, feeling down about it and hopefully finding the courage to move on are some of the most common shared human experiences. As centuries of forlorn singletons have learned and generations of songwriters have mastered, one of the best cures for heartbreak is the balm of music that speaks to our souls — or maybe helps us rationalize away the tears.
"Heartache is what motivates many artists to write songs in the first place," explains Spotify's trends expert Shanon Cook to TIME; there are over half a million breakup-themed playlists on the platform alone. "Some people might not want or know how to articulate how they're feeling during a rough time," Cook adds. "Maybe it's nice to let Sam Smith or Kelly Clarkson express it for you."
While some classics remain timeless in their appeal — songs like Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable," Adele's "Someone Like You" and Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" remain the top three most popular additions to breakup-themed playlists on Spotify, for instance — 2018 and recent years have their own new music to throw into the heartbreak-and-recovery mix. There's The Weeknd's appropriately dejected songs from his new EP My Dear Melancholy, for instance, and some powerful tunes from the past year by pop queens St. Vincent, Lorde, Kesha and P!nk, to name just a few.
As Cook notes, you can pretty much slot breakup songs into two categories: "raw, tender tracks that tap into the fragility of the human heart" (think: Adele), or "dismissive, I-don't-care-I'm-so-over-you type of songs" (here's where Clarkson would come in). "Interestingly, a great many of the popular songs in break-up-themed playlists are pop songs and the artists, for the most part, are big celebrities," Cook continues, suggesting that we often turn to familiar, beloved artists when we're going through a rough time.
Below, TIME has pulled together a list of some of the most popular breakup songs on those Spotify playlists, as well as some under-the-radar favorites that might just come in handy when dealing with a broken heart. Here's to moving on — eventually.
"Call Out My Name," The Weeknd
When The Weeknd dropped an EP My Dear Melancholy in March 2018, he had not one but two breakups to pour out into his dark, moody R&B. On "Call Out My Name," his raw heartbreak comes through loud and clear. "I almost cut a piece of myself for your life / Guess I was just another pit stop." At least we can commiserate with The Weeknd, who's going through it right alongside the rest of us.
"Chelsea Hotel #2," Leonard Cohen
Some heartbreak is predicated on just a few powerful moments. "You got away, didn't you babe?" Cohen recalls in this simple, poetic ode to a love affair gone awry. "I never once heard you say, 'I need you.'" Time marches on, the moment passes, and we're left with Cohen's evocative memories.
"Stay," Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko
As it turns out, Rihanna can turn on the tears just as well as she can pump up the party. "Stay," her 2012 collaboration with singer-songwriter Mikky Ekko, is an aching, searching ballad that lets her lead in an expressive push and pull duet. "The reason I hold on / 'cause I need this hole gone
/ Funny you're the broken one / but I'm the only one who needed saving," they join together to sing — an apt description of how we can get it twisted.
"Heartbeats," José González
Sweet and dreamy, González's "Heartbeats" sounds like what a warm bath feels like at the end of a long, hard day. Let his subtle guitar and rolling voice take you away.
"Love Yourself," Justin Bieber
It was a song that ruled airwaves — and, in its simplicity of construction and catchiness of refrain, remains timeless. When you're ready to move on, "Love Yourself" should be on repeat. Because as Bieber tells us, "And now I know, I'm better sleeping on my own."
"Ain't No Sunshine," Bill Withers
This Bill Withers classic tells it like it is, in signature blues style with its haunting instrumentation. "Only darkness when she's gone," he croons. "And this house just ain't a home any time she goes away."
"Skinny Love," Bon Iver
For a little bit of folk salvation, turn to Bon Iver, whose evocative strums and lilting voice speak straight to the soul. "I tell my love to wreck it all
/ Cut out all the ropes and let me fall," he mourns. "And now all your love is wasted / And then who the hell was I?" Sometimes we can't be the people we want to be in love; sometimes they can't be the people we want them to be, either.
"Don't Think Twice It's Alright," Bob Dylan
A little harmonica, a little Dylan poetry, and you're well on your way to recovery. Some things just aren't meant to be. "It ain't not use in turning on your light, babe / I'm on the dark side of the road," he shrugs. Go ahead, shrug it off with him.
"Someone Like You," Adele
Sit down. Grab the Kleenex. Cue up "Someone Like You." This is the ritual of heartbreak. Adele's range evokes every shade of pain, regret and nostalgia. "For me, it isn't over," she admits. And yet: "Never mind, I'll find someone like you," she fights on.
"Stitches," Shawn Mendes
When you're still in the thick of it, turn to young crooner Mendes, who sings like he means it. "Just like a moth drawn to a flame, you lured me in, I couldn't sense the pain," he sighs. Yet stitches suggests that things are soon to be on the mend.
"Back to Black," Amy Winehouse
The jazzy swing of "Back to Black" belies the darkness of Winehouse's challenging mixed emotions. "We only said goodbye with words / I died a hundred times," she croons. Some failures hurt every time.
"Somebody That I Used to Know," Gotye
Given a little time and introspection, perhaps the relationship wasn't so perfect after all. That's what Gotye and Kimbra are here to tell us on the insidious and light 2011 breakout hit "Somebody That I Used to Know." "Told myself that you were right for me / But felt so lonely in your company / But that was love and it's an ache I still remember," Gotye sings: even the frustrations come with their lingering appeal, despite it all.
"Let Her Go," Passenger
Passenger has a sweet, light touch on "Let Her Go" that will be soothing to anyone mourning a relationship's end. "'Cause you only need the light when it's burning low / Only miss the sun when it starts to snow / Only know you love her when you let her go," he sings. Yes: we always want what we can't have. That bittersweet truth is something we just have to sit with.
"Stay With Me," Sam Smith
After a breakup, it might not be a bad idea to just play both of Sam Smith's albums on back-to-back repeat for a few days — if your heart can handle it. That's what the British crooner is best at: tapping into that emotional ache and wringing every bit of beautiful sound out of it. When you're still in the thick of the regret stage, turn to "Stay With Me" to say in song everything you want to say out loud. The melody is so pretty that humming along might help you feel just a little better.
"Irreplaceable," Beyoncé
"To the left, to the left / everything you own in a box to the left." In this 2006 classic and breakup mainstay, Beyoncé wrote the playbook on kicking someone out — and when the Queen speaks, it's worth listening. The gentle R&B ballad is a reminder to value yourself first; let the partners make their own mistakes.
"I Fall Apart," Post Malone
Post Malone's big hit may be titled "rockstar," but it turns out that the bulk of his work is actually not about living the good life. Instead, the Texan singer-songwriter has a knack for setting his heartbreak and emotional vulnerability to music. Exhibit A: "I Fall Apart," a warbling, raw slow-jam that falls somewhere between ballad and R&B: "Try to brush it off but it keep on goin' / All these scars can't help from showing," he sings, a reminder that self-medication is not always an answer.
"New York," St. Vincent
Indie darling St. Vincent knows how to hit the emotional pain points on "New York," her balladic ode to a relationship long gone, and the city that's changed around her. "New York isn't New York without you love," she admits. "I have lost a hero / I have lost a friend / But for you, darling I'd do it all again." For anyone who's stayed in place while others have moved on, the soaring, simple tune should hit home.
"Happier," Ed Sheeran
Turn to Ed Sheeran for that moment when you know your lover has moved on. And it's a good thing. And yet. "Ain't nobody hurt you like I hurt you / but ain't nobody need you like I do," he reflects on this down-tempo ballad. It's a moment of resigning yourself to fate, but also accepting that feelings remain.
"Fix You," Coldplay
Chris Martin kicks things off with a gut punch: "When you try your best, but you don't succeed / When you get what you want, but not what you need / When you feel so tired but you can't sleep / Stuck in reverse… When you love someone but it goes to waste / Could it be worse?" Not by much, no. Thankfully we have the soothing chords of Coldplay to wash over us.
"Retrograde," James Blake
James Blake's haunting hum of a voice on "Retrograde" and the staticky buzz of the production in the background feels like a hymn. Is it a love song or a song of yearning? Maybe a bit of both, but dark enough to match a heartbreak mood anyway. "We're alone now," he intones. "Ignore everybody else, we're alone now."
"What About Us," P!nk
P!nk has always made big, stadium-ready anthems. "What About Us" is that, but for the outcasts and the lovelorn, a purely beautiful melody amped up by her powerful voice and insistent questions. "What about us? What about the plans that ended in disaster?" she wonders. "What about love? What about trust? What about us?" She may not have the answers, but her music is a good place to start.
"Praying," Kesha
Few songs of 2017 pack as much emotional wallop as Kesha's powerful comeback ballad. "You brought the flames and you put me through hell, I had to learn how to fight for myself," she admits. But ultimately it's a song of redemption and healing — with a whistle note good enough to break glass.
"Dreaming with a Broken Heart," John Mayer
Mayer's sweet piano ballad is a masterful ode to the broken-hearted. "Is she standing in my room? No she's not, cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone," he sighs. At least his warm, soothing voice is right there with you.
"Fireworks," First Aid Kit
"Why do I do this to myself?" croon the Swedish folk-singing sisters of First Aid Kit. "Every time, I know the way it ends." Their song is a lullaby and a balm: we may not learn from our mistakes, but at least we're not alone in making them.
"Act III: The Reason," Dennis Lloyd
Don't blame yourself for what went wrong. In fact, suggests Israeli singer-songwriter Dennis Lloyd, feel free to put it all on the other person. "Act III: The Reason" has an unbeatable, just-dark-enough electro-pop beat and a refrain that bears repeating once you've washed your hands of someone who's done you wrong: "I'm not the reason that you walk away / baby I'm not / I'm not the reason / take all your bags and get the hell away / baby I'm not the reason."
"Green Light," Lorde
Lorde balances anger and confidence in equal measure on "Green Light," an exuberant dance anthem that comes out of a dark place. She's mad, but she's over it, just waiting for her spirit to catch up with her mind. "Did it frighten you / How we kissed when we danced on the light up floor?" she taunts her ex. Lesson learned: if you can't keep up with Lorde, don't even try to date her.
"Since U Been Gone," Kelly Clarkson
Clarkson's classic pop-rock breakup jam is the ultimate I'm-over-it-now singalong song. If you haven't rocked out to the chorus at full volume at least once in your life, well, you've probably never had your heart broken and made it to the other side.
"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," Taylor Swift
Swift knows a thing or two about moving on. In this 2012 Red album classic, she channels her relatable experiences into the talk-singing that made it a hit. Shout it from the mountaintops along with her: "You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me, but we / are never ever ever getting back together."
"Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)," Blu Cantrell
R&B singer Blu Cantrell takes no prisoners on her memorable 2009 jam "Hit 'Em Up Style." It's as good of an after-breakup playbook as any — if your situation suggests it's time to get even, instead of getting sad (or mad). "There goes the love we had, but you cheated on me, and that's for that now," she chants. "For all the lies you told, this is what you're owed." Payback hurts.
"New Rules," Dua Lipa
"One, don't pick up the phone / he's only calling cause he's drunk and alone." On her breakout hit, Dua Lipa laid down the law about how to get over someone who is lingering in your life — even though you know it's high time they hit the road. Listen, memorize and apply to your own life as needed.
"Survivor," Destiny's Child
It's time to pick your head up. From the opening strains of "Survivor," Destiny's Child proves that they have made the enduring after-breakup-anthem that the world needs. Take it away, Beyoncé: "Now that you're out of my life, I'm so much better / You thought that I'd be weak without you, but I'm stronger / You thought that I'd be broke without you, but I'm richer / You thought that I'd be sad without you, I laugh harder." And repeat.
"Dancing On My Own," Robyn
"Somebody said you got a new friend. Does she love you better than I can?" iconic Swedish pop singer Robyn wants to know. But follow Robyn's advice: dance all night. Dance on your own. Who needs anyone else, anyway? Love hurts, but dancing heals.
Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner@time.com.
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Common Ground in a Liquid City
Essays in Defense of an Urban Future
By Matt Hern
If we want to preserve what's still left of the natural world, we need to stop using so much of it. And, says veteran environmental activist Matt Hern, cities are the best chance we have left for a truly ecological future . . . but what does it take to make a truly sustainable city?
Common Ground in a Liquid City is a fun and engaging look at the future of urban life. Hern takes us on a journey through over a dozen urban centers, from Vancouver to Istanbul, Las Vegas, and beyond, exploring the history and current composition of cities around the globe and highlighting the elements of each that make it livable.
Each of Hern's ten chapters focuses on a central theme of city life: diversity, street life, crime, population density, water and natural life, gentrification, and globalism. What emerges in the end is an appealing portrait of what the urban future might look like—environmentally friendly, locally focused, and governed from below.
Matt Hern is an inveterate city dweller and an environmental and education activist. The editor of Everywhere All the Time: A New Deschooling Reader and the author of Deschooling Our Lives and Field Day, he founded Vancouver's Car-Free Day and is the director of the Purple Thistle Center for alternative education. These days, he lives in Vancouver with his partner and daughters and lectures widely around the globe.
AK Press (3/1/10)
Stay Solid!: A Radical Handbook for Youth
The Anatomy of Escape: A Defense of the Commons
By James Tuttle
We Speak for Ourselves: How Woke Culture Prohibits Progress
By D. Watkins
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents


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Larchmont Village Semi-Annual Meeting: Crime is Down, Elects New Board, Discusses SB 50
May 15, 2019 May 16, 2019 Patricia Lombard	2 Comments
Newly elected board members of the Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association (l-r): Karen Gilman, Stuart Melman, Mike Gilman, Wally August, Vince Cox, Charles D'Atri, Bruce Walker, Adam Rubenstein and Tom Carro.
Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association (LVNA) members got some good news last night from LAPD at their semi-annual meeting, held at Van Ness Elementary School. After an impressive and comprehensive update from Principal Pauline Hong on programs at the school, LVNA President Charles D'Atri introduced LAPD officers to address the neighborhood.
Senior Lead Officers Dave Cordova and Chris Landry address Larchmont Village residents at their semi-annual meeting.
Senior Lead Officers Dave Cordova and Chris Landry told residents that crime is down in both the Wilshire and Olympic Divisions.
Violent crimes are down 5% and property crime is down 7% in the Wilshire Division, reported SLO Dave Cordova. Similar reductions were reported by Olympic Division's SLO Chris Landry, who was filing in for SLO Joe Pelayo, who was unable to attend the meeting. Violent crime is down 8% for an overall reduction in crime of 6% in compared to last year at this time.
Burglary from a motor vehicle is the most common property crime, according to SLO Landry. In the last week, six crimes were committed according to Landry. Of those, five were car break-ins.
"If we can figure out a way to prevent that from occurring, we would have almost no crime in the neighborhood," said Landry.
Both Landry and Cordova said the best way to avoid being a victim of crime is to make sure to remove all items of value from your car, even small amounts of change.
"Don't make it easy for people to steal stuff from your car," said Landry. "That's why we say, 'lock it, hide it, keep it'."
Rob Fisher, Field Deputy for CD4 was the next speaker who offered his assistance to residents on a wide range of issues. Fisher said he works in the field office on Fountain Avenue and can easily be reached by email or phone at (213) 473-7004
"My job is to connect city services and residents," said Fisher. "MyLA311 is both an app and a website, and a good place to start because the operators are quite knowledgeable, and all the calls are logged so you will get a tracking number for your service request, which will enable me to follow up."
Fisher also suggested residents use MyDOT for issues regarding speed humps, traffic safety and stop signs.
"Things take time, but it can be done," said Fisher.
Fisher took questions from residents, addressing a number of issues including parking enforcement. According to LVNA President Charles D'Atri, the neighborhood already has four parking districts and residents can get signs for their street if additional signs are needed.
In response to a question about short-term rentals or home sharing, Fisher said the new city ordinance will take effect on July 1, 2019, and should make enforcement much easier. The new rules limit rentals to six months of the year and owners can only rent out one unit in a building where they live.
Fisher said he was responding to a request from LVNA board member Karen Gilman to enforce the city's new R-1 zoning rules for the neighborhood. The new rules require that the bulk of massing for new additions be placed in the back of the residence. Two houses at 445 and 436 N. Plymouth Blvd., appear to be in violation. Fisher said he was working with LA Building and Safety to address the issue and may require the owners to change their projects.
LVNA President D'Atri and board member Karen Gilman passed out information on grass roots action efforts to oppose the passage of SB50, a housing bill currently pending before the state legislature, which would effectively eliminate all single family zoning in the state. The objective of the bill is to make it easier to build high density housing projects (building up to 55 feet tall) near transit corridors and jobs. D'Atri said Melrose Avenue is considered one of those corridors. He pointed to the project at Melrose and Beachwood as an example of what could be permitted throughout the neighborhood, and urged residents to become informed and express their views to their local representatives. Gilman handed out copies of an email circulated by the Windsor Square Association, which has started a yard sign campaign to draw attention to the issue and attract the attention of one very influential resident, Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Fisher reported that negotiations are continuing with the bill's author Senator Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco), to exempt historic neighborhoods and those threatened with gentrification. He added that Councilmember David Ryu is very opposed to SB 50, as is the rest of the City Council.
In other business, the following were elected to serve as the board of the Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association: Wally August, Charles D'Atri, Tom Carroll, Vince Cox, Sandy Fleck, Karen Gilman, Mike Gilman, Eileen Lanza, Stuart Melvin, Adam Rubenstein and Bruce Walker.
Lastly, Karen Gilman reported the association's Larchmont HPOZ Steering Committee mailed out surveys to all neighborhood residents, owners as well as renters, to determine the level of interest and support for forming a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone covering the 1,200 or so properties in the area, from Melrose to Beverly, and from Arden to Wilton. An informal survey was conducted earlier, which found that some 75-80 percent of the structures and homes can be deemed historic (as originally built or only minimally altered) and will qualify the area for HPOZ status. The new R-1 zoning rules preserve only the scale and mass of the neighborhood, but an HPOZ would help to preserve the historic details and facades.
Gilman reported that so far, 100 surveys have been returned supporting the HPOZ, several came back asking for more information, and five were opposed to the idea. Gilman said they would like to get one survey from every household. Contact LarchmontHPOZ@gmail.com to get a copy of the survey.
About Patricia Lombard
Patricia Lombard is the co-editor and publisher of the Larchmont Buzz. Patty lives with her family in Fremont Place. She has been active in neighborhood issues since moving here in 1989. Her pictorial history, "Larchmont" for Arcadia Press is available at Chevalier's Books.
Charles D'Atri Crime Karen Gilma Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association Rob Fisher SLO Chris Landry SLO Dave Cordova
SB 50 Watch: LA Times Endorsement, Background Articles, Lawn Signs, and More…
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2 thoughts on "Larchmont Village Semi-Annual Meeting: Crime is Down, Elects New Board, Discusses SB 50"
Olivier Schreiber says:
Great report, thanks, some errors:
/filing in/filling in/
/on a wide range of issue/…issues/
"My job is connect city services and residents,"/"My job is to connect city services and residents,"/
Patricia Lombard says:
Thanks for reading and sending along the the corrections! I've updated the story!


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DOCTOR WHO regenerates undying controversy
Posted on October 18, 2010 by Joe Standard
I simply cannot wait to see the new THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES story "The Death of the Doctor." Not just because it will feature Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen) meeting 11th Doctor Matt Smith and former companion Jo Grant (Katy Manning), but because the story will address the issue of how many regenerations the Doctor is allowed.
First of all, it is important to note that the Doctor does not claim he is immortal. Since I am in the USA, I have not yet seen the episode in question, but according to this report, Clyde asks the Doctor how many times he can regenerate, and the Doctor says there is no limit. That's it. No limit to regenerations. This official lifting of the 12-regeneration limit does not make him immortal. It merely reverts the series to its original position on regeneration, which is that Time Lords can be effectively immortal – if they are lucky. There is no indication that permanent death has been taken off the table: If both of the Doctor's hearts are destroyed, he cannot regenerate. If he is drowned, he cannot regenerate (that one comes from "Turn Left," penned by Russell T Davies, who wrote the new SJA episode in question). So, everyone who thinks it's important for the Doctor to put his life on the line, relax.
In the words of former story editor Douglas Adams, Don't panic.
The official policy on regeneration has been open to interpretation practically ever since it was introduced in the First Doctor's final story, "The Tenth Planet." Was this process a "renewal" or a complete change? (It was later established that every cell in the body is reborn, but let's leave the technical discussion for another day.) The earliest onscreen statement about the restorative powers of regeneration came when the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) remarked that Time Lords can live forever, "barring accidents." It was Chancellor Goth who stated, in course of "The Deadly Assassin," that he encountered the Master on the planet Terserus near the end of his 12th and final regeneration. From there sprang the "rule" about Time Lords only being allowed 12 regenerations, resulting in 13 personas.
Now along comes the 11th Doctor, who mentions that Time Lords are immortal. Meaning the 12-regeneration limit is no more. (Assuming it ever "really" existed before.) The simplest explanation is that with Gallifrey gone, the strictures of Time Lord society no longer apply. In other words, with the cat's away, the mouse gets to play. Who's the stop the Doctor from regenerating all he wants?
Remember what the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) said about regeneration: "Even if I change, it feels like dying. Some new man goes sauntering away, and I'm dead." This explains why each incarnation of the Doctor has been reluctant to die. You might expect him to be much more cavalier in his adventuring, secure in the knowledge that he has regeneration as a backstop in case anything goes wrong. But it turns out that, from the Time Lord's point of view, each version of the Doctor is snuffed out. His memories live on, but his persona is lost. Each new incarnation has both a completely new appearance and a new personality, making each version of the Doctor a new man. That previous version is dead.
Assuming that he regenerates at all. The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) noted that there is always a chance something will go wrong; he wasn't certain he would regenerate after being poisoned. And it has long been held that the Doctor has less "control" over his regenerations that most Time Lords. He is always surprised by his appearance, whereas Romana (Lalla Ward), for example, was able choose her look at will, and even had fun with it. (Perhaps this lack of influence over his face is a consequence of his half-human nature?)
Of course, the "new" rule has ignited a firestorm. (When it comes to fandom, what doesn't result in epic conflagrations?) Part of the outrage seems to be swirling around the idea that the Doctor mentions this fact "in passing," or "casually," or in some other seemingly informal manner. Well, the Doctor has always been rather flip when comes to portentous moments. What was he supposed to do: Announce it from a golden throne floating in the air? Put up a Web page about it?
I think a huge part of the problem with this… er, "change" is that it bumps up against a desire by "the fans" to feel like there is a cohesive, planned mythology around the series; that, much like LOST, the 40-plus year tenure of DOCTOR WHO is part of a design and that it all makes sense. Well, the truth is, there ain't no plan. Everybody creating the series was making it up as they went along, concentrating solely on telling the best possible story under the circumstances.
It's true: they were faking it. That's why there are multiple explanations for the sinking of Atlantis. That's why the Doctor suddenly sprouted a second heart. That's why there are two clashing explanations for the Loch Ness Monster. That's why people think the events of "The Brain of Morbius" hinted that the Doctor had many incarnations before the William Hartnell version. That's why the Doctor is half-human. That's why the Second Doctor asserted that Time Lords can live forever.
And that's why, in "The Deadly Assassin," writer Robert Holmes decided to posit a 12-regeneration limit. He needs a reason for the Master to be desperate. And, let's face it, who hasn't wondered "What happens at the end of the 'final' regeneration?" Well, if regenerations are unlimited, then how would we ever know what happened during the 'final' one? So Holmes decided to designate an end point so he could tell his story. And, no, he absolutely was not thinking about what shackles this might place on somebody trying to write for the series 30 years down the line. He needed to get out stories in 1976, with no guarantee that the show would be on in 1978, let alone 2011. He told the best story he could at the time.
It was only later, when fandom came along, that we decided to try to weave all the disparate threads of story ideas into one cohesive canvas. (BTW, I'm not suggesting there were no fans in the classic era; I'm just casually referencing today's more monolithic fandom.) And then get indignant when some threads were left hanging. It's like taking apart a lawn mower and reassembling it as a hovercraft, only to complain when there are a few screws left over afterward. It was never supposed to be a hovercraft. And DOCTOR WHO was never supposed to last 48 years. It just happened. The best that we fans can do is try to mold events after the fact into a rough shape, and try to come up with ways to explain elements that we feel need justification. In order to accomplish that, every fan has to pick and choose what to include in his or her personal vision of series canon. For example, in order for my version to work, I have to disregard the climax of "The Twin Dilemma," in which the Time Lord Azmael willed himself to regenerate a 13th time, when he has no regenerations left, thereby killing himself after his body was possessed by the villainous Mestor. That's just the way fandom has to operate.
I, personally, have no problem accepting that the 12-regeneration limit was imposed by the High Council of Time Lords. From their very first appearance in "The War Games," the Time Lords have demonstrated total mastery over the regeneration process. When they decided to force the Second Doctor to regenerate, they offered him a choice of new appearances – proving they could control that aspect of the process. Then they went ahead and changed his appearance. The Master (John Simm) was revealed to have been resurrected by the Time Lords to fight in the Last Great Time War. So they have that power. (Hell, a little band of conspirators revived the Master in "The End of Time, Part 1," so how hard can it be?)
A recurring theme with the Master has been his desire to secure more regenerations. It has even been said that he wishes to take over the remaining lives of the Doctor. This clearly means that such a thing is possible (no matter how unlikely is sounds that the Master could assume the Doctor's lives). I tend to think of this as his quest to get another "license" to regenerate. (I'm sure it's not as simple as a little card, but work with me here…). The Time Lords offered the Master another regenerative cycle if he rescued the Doctor in "The Five Doctors," so they clearly have the power to transcend the 13-persona limit.
Why would the High Council impose any limit, let alone 12? I can think of two simple (and compelling) reasons, one philosophical and one practical. Philosophical: Well, 13 lives should be "enough" for anyone; especially if one uses them wisely. Practical: Overpopulation. If every Time Lord ever born lives forever, then the planet would quickly run out of living space. (Which brings up the interesting corollary that not every citizen of the planet Gallifrey is a Time Lord. If only Time Lords can regenerate, the toll practical immortality takes on the planet can be slowed.)
The official BBC web page plays a somewhat passive-aggressive role when addressing the entire "How many lives does the Doctor get?" question in its FAQ by answering: "Now that his people are gone, who knows? Time Lords used to have 13 lives."
Finally, raise your hand if you honestly believe that, when the day comes and the actor playing the 13th Doctor announces he will not return for another series, the BBC will throw up its hands and say, "Oh, well, that's the end of DOCTOR WHO – the guy is out of regenerations." Do you think the BBC will allow this particular goose to stop laying golden eggs because of a line of dialogue in a fictional story from 34 years ago? There is no way that will happen. I'm sure every fan has an idea in his head for how to get around the regeneration limit, and maybe that's part of the problem. Some fan may want be seen as the savior of the series; the "guy who figured out how to get around the 13-persona limit." And now that's not gonna happen. Nobody wants to see the series end when that 13th actor calls it quits. We all want to see what happens next.
As the Fourth Doctor himself famously stated, "that's the problem with regeneration: You never quite know what you're going to get." Or, now, how many times you're going to get it!
This entry was posted in Cult TV, TV and tagged 10th Doctor, 11th Doctor, David Tennant, Doctor Who, Elisabeth Sladen, Matt Smith, Russell T Davies, The Sarah Jane Adventures. Bookmark the permalink.
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11 thoughts on "DOCTOR WHO regenerates undying controversy"
Łowiczanka says:
I just love your blogs ^_^
Great analysis. !! I like that you point out that the 10th Doctor said that regeneration still feels like dying. Meanwhile, we'll just have to wait and see how they handle it before we go flying off the handle.
For more about Time Lords' regeneration read :
http://lowiczanka.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/regeneration-of-the-doctor/
Also, I can't wait to see Jo Grant and Sarah Jane Smith with the 11th Doctor.
By the way, I really enjoyed the Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith with the 10th Doctor 🙂
Thanks for the kind words. As much as I miss the 10th Doctor, I have been totally won over by the 11th. I am on the edge of seat with anticipation for the "Death of the Doctor" episode of THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES. Getting to see Jo again is icing on the cake!!
Great episode. I loved it. ^_^
Jo Grant's conversation with the Doctor brought tears to my eyes. However, with all the "memory" stuff, they did not actually show flashbacks of Jo and Sarah Jane with the old Doctors.
And of course that line about 507 regenerations was just an off the cuff remark that the Doctor made to Clyde, kind of like a joke.
Oscar Stockdale says:
Just an FWI, Russell T David stated that 13 is already to ingraved in the public knowledge so it isn't going to be changed. The doctor said it to clyde as a kind of "stop asking questions" kind of thing. Imortallity makes for shit programming and everyone knows this. the limit was actually a main plot point of the old episodes. the master tried to steal the doctors remaining generations for f–k sake. you can't just rule out doctor who history because it's convinent
Part of the purpose of this post was to address those classic Master episodes.
As for ruling out DW history "because it's convenient," well, actually the problem is it's inconvenient. As I mention above, the revered producers of the past were just making it up as they went along, and DOCTOR WHO is notorious for its inconsistent cannon. (I'd love to hear your thoughts on the wildly inconsistent (U.N.I.T. dating"). Can it even be called "cannon"?
In any case, Steven Moffat and the 11th Doctor have opened the door to a myriad of new possibilities by rebooting the universe and proving that time can be rewritten. As of the midpoint of series seven, how many times can the Doctor regenerate? Answer: No one knows.
But it is fun to discuss/argue. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
marlapaige says:
Simply put, it's been clarified: 12 Regeneration Cycles. Matt Smith was the 11th Doctor, until the War Doctor – then Matt Smith was 12, and he was on his last regeneration, which is why he was able to live 300 years — no more regenerations. However, certain things point to more regenerations to come (other than the appearance of Capaldi).
The drumming in the Master's head (High Council calling) + The ageing Doctor + Handles + Oldest question + Amy's wall crack + Clara's plea + High Council + unique regeneration involving physically deageing & hallucinations = The High Council chose to renew his cycles for another go.
Also, it is possible to steal someone else's remaining regenerations, at least I would think it's possible….because we know that regenerations can be given away (Let's Kill Hitler). So stealing them may not be so difficult.
Yes, the Master's entire plan in the 1996 TV movie was to steal the Doctor's remaining regenerations with the help of the Eye of Harmony.
I haven't seen anything pre-dating the reboot, except for a few of the original episodes a friend and I watched together, so I didn't know anything about the Eye of Harmony. So thank you….at least you confirmed what I had been suspecting for some time — one CAN steal regenerations.
Yeah, now it's been made clear. But back in the day, when that was written, it was very much a hot-button question. Thanks for summarizing.
I also want to apologize — when I read the article, I did not see the date. Had I realized you wrote it in 2010, I would have assumed you had your answer by now….sorry!!


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