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The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes: RPGing is Story Telling
Monday, September 19, 2016 Bob Byrne Comments 16 comments
As I recall, I began playing Dungeons and Dragons at the very end of 1st Edition. Most of my early memories are of playing AD&D and that's still my favorite Role Playing Game (RPG) system. My buddy Chris and I used to ride our bikes to Hobbyland and he would get a shiny new TSR module, while I grabbed a color-bled, paper-bound supplement from Judges Guild.
I had read Moorcock and Lieber by then (though I didn't get to Tolkien until early high school). I had acquired a love of Greek mythology (and to a lesser extent, Norse) earlier, and The Trojan War was probably my favorite subject matter (I rooted for Troy: that was disappointing: I mean, c'mon, tear apart the walls to drag in a giant horse your enemy left you???).
You know, The Iliad is like a game of Chainmail: a mass combat wargame with the fantasy supplement for individual heroes. Then you've got The Odyssey, which is an overland (over-the-sea, mostly) D&D campaign. After you've played that one a time or two, you could switch to The Aeneid and you've got an overland campaign with a kingdom building mechanic. Huh – there's fodder for another post…
My earliest fantasy gaming memories are of playing Adventure on an Atari 2600. That led to Temple of Apshai on an Atari 1200XL computer. I mapped out every room of that game (and The Upper Reaches sequel) on graph paper. Eventually I got an IBM-compatible PC and tore through the gold box games from SSI. I made the graphical leap to Dungeon Master from FTL (this preceded the more successful but derivative Eye of the Beholder by a few years). Even when I stopped playing pen and paper D&D, I continued on through Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Morrowwind and right up to Age of Conan.
Though I stopped playing, I still read a lot of 3rd Edition D&D stuff and began playing once again with Pathfinder. And as I wrote here at Black Gate just a few weeks ago, I've begun running a Swords & Wizardry game for some non-pen and paper fantasy players (it's a good post. Really. You should go read it!).
And from Dungeon! to Wrath of Ashardalon to the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, I've played fantasy board games for decades.
So, while I like playing RPGs in a variety of formats, there is one thing I LOVE about the pen and paper version, which is reading RPG supplements. Modules, source books, unneeded splat books about kobolds – doesn't matter. I've read dozens and dozens of modules I never intend to play or run. But I read them and I get caught up in the stories and the backgrounds. I enjoy following the threads laid out in the adventure. And my imagination goes further. I've thought about a novel based on Pathfinder's Falcon's Hollow trilogy more times than I can count.
The Forgotten Realms and Golarion are probably my two favorite RPG worlds. And that's largely because I love the histories and area backgrounds that have been developed. I find books about that stuff as fascinating as novels. And I'm absorbing the histories of The Lost Lands book by book.
For me, RPGing is about storytelling. Whether you like an options and rules-heavy system like Pathfinder; or a rules-light one such as Swords and Wizardry (if you didn't click over to that post I mentioned earlier, how I chose between those two systems is at the root of it. You reaaaaaly should check it out).
The Elves of Myth Drannor: Cheliax' complete conversion after Aroden failed to appear: the tragic fate of the Army of Light after Tsar: these are grand stories. If I like the world, be it Ravenloft, Greyhawk or Hyboria, I'll devour the tales and information about it.
But that whole side of things is just one part of it. Long before I wrote magazine columns, regular blog posts, Solar Pons newsletters and Sherlock Holmes short stories, my imagination was helping write stories by playing D&D.
The actions I took (along with the rest of the party) determined what happened in the story we were creating together. Whether we were in Count Strahd's castle, where my cleric rolled a '1' to Turn Undead (I needed a '3') and the fighter was drained of a level: or we were running full speed out of the sewers underneath the City State of the Invincible Overlord (Wraith Overlord): or not doing so hot picking up clues in The Gray Citadel – we were creating a new, living story.
Still one of the finest books I've ever read. And the Fagles translation is superb.
Even in a rules-heavy system where you say, "I look for traps. I need to roll an 11 or better," your imagination is picturing the scene as if it were on a movie screen. And the result of that roll takes you another step down the story path.
I can't count how many hours I played the Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights games on the PC. And believe me, I enjoyed them. But that's not the same as a pen and paper RPG (or, these days, a play by post game on a forum). Completing quests and getting all the gear and levelling up to get more skills is all massive fun. But the story telling part is minimal, at best. I'm not disparaging it: I still play at the PC (it's a great stress reliever), but it's a different experience.
And as part of the Swords & Wizardry game I've just started running (c'mon, now, you HAD to have clicked on that link by now, right?), I'm keeping track of the experiences the PC/MMO gamers are having in playing a pen and paper game. The World of Warcraft veteran made an MMO-type of decision during the first session (It's at the link: seriously) and she has already said she'll respond differently in the future.
Whether it was Slave Pits of the Undercity, or Tomb of the Lizard King, or The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh or Wilderlands of High Fantasy, playing D&D fueled my imagination. And coupled with the fantasy and mystery books I was reading, along with Bullfinch's Mythology, I was learning how to weave stories.
There are various benefits of pen and paper RPGs – the ability to work cooperatively is a HUGE one for younger kids. But for me, the story-telling aspect of them has had a life-long impact on me. While my fiction has been in the mystery field, fantasy is the fertile soil my creativity springs from. And those old D&D books and game sessions were the seeds and the water. And they still are.
So, uh, what did you think of that Swords & Wizardry article?
I was looking through Frog God Games' The Lost City of Barakus, as I hold out hope that the Swords & Wizardry group will want to roam around that mini-campaign after the current adventure wraps up. The following was in a sidebar:
Frog Gods, why can't you stick to the rules?
Yes, we break the rules (again) in this book. We are assuming (and you know what that does) that you are using the Swords & Wizardry Complete ruleset with this product. Now, there are certainly other OSR rules that can be used to enjoy this adventure, but we like the think we have a pretty good set to take care of your needs.
However, with that said, we break the rules as set down in the Complete rulebook. In this adventure, you will find half-drow, half-orcs, halfling monks, etc. We are strong proponents that story should trump rules. As long as it makes sense! So, we play a little fast and loose with racial restrictions.
If this causes a problem for the Referee, simply use a similar race to emulate the NPCs found within this adventure.
Now, Frog God owns the S&W rules set. And Barakus (which was a 3rd Edition classic from Necromancer Games) is also theirs. So, they can do anything they want with it, willy-nilly. But I think they approach it exactly the right way.
"Story should trump rules. As long as it makes sense!" Yes. And they offer a simple, self-contained solution for the GM if they don't want to step outside the rules.
RPging is story telling and within the RPG itself, you don't have to let the rules take precedence over the storytelling.
And this makes 20 game/RPG-related posts I've done here at Black Gate!
Swords & Wizardry vs. Pathfinder
The Lost Lands for Pathfinder
The Northlands Saga – Complete
The Warlords of the Accordlands
Judges Guild Premium Editions
Gary Gygax's Role Playing Mastery
Munchkin!
Runebound – The Sands of Al-Kalim
Runebound – The Mists of Zangara
Necromancer Games (Part One of two)
Frog God Games (Part Two of two)
Dungeons and Dragons Adventure Game System
D&D Adventure Game System – Temple of Elemental Evil
Dungeon! Board Game
Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective
221B Baker Street: The Master Detective Game
Conan: Age of Exiles
Steve Russell of Rite Publishing – RIP
You can read Bob Byrne's 'The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes' column here at Black Gate every Monday morning.
He founded www.SolarPons.com, the only website dedicated to the 'Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street' and blogs about Holmes and other mystery matters at Almost Holmes.
He is an ongoing contributor to The MX Book of New Sherlock Stories series of anthologies, with stories in Volumes III, IV and the upcoming V.
Blog Entry, Games
Dungeons & Dragons, fantasy, Games, Gaming
A Secret Conflict During the Civil War: The House Divided Series by Sean McLachlan
Future Treasures: The Fall of the House of Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard
Three cheers for the gold box games from SSI! Pool of Radiance made me a PC gamer for life. Sounds like you and I played a lot of the same games, actually. Glad I'm not the only one who remembers Dungeon Master… man, that game was transformational when it first appeared. It's pretty much the reason I bought an Amiga.
What the heck is Falcon's Hallow?
Hollow's Last Hope, Crown of the Kobold King and Revenge of the Kobold King were the first three modules from Paizo, all set in the Darkmoon Vale area, with the village of Falcon's Hollow at the center.
These were 3.5 modules – Pathfinder was still in the future. It's a fun little trilogy, and the Guide to Darkmoon Valley is one of my favorite campaign books.
Really good stuff and suitable for a little tinkering to make it darker and/or harder.
Even though neither my buddy Frank nor I had an IBM-compatible PC in college, he bought Pool of Radiance.
We would meet at the Ohio State University library (he went there: I was at a liberal arts college in town) and play Pool for a couple of hours at a time. Which meant installing it every time we played.
I logged a lot of hours on those games.
And yeah, Dungeon Master was such a jump forward in graphics. I had one of the expansion/sequels, but I remember very little of it.
AWAbooks
Dang it!
Thought I'd pick up Hollow's Last Hope, to see what I'd missed with Paizo's first foray into RPGs… the CHEAPEST I can find it between Amazon and eBay is $50! :-/ The following two modules are more reasonable…
Was the Guide to Darkmoon Valley a standalone retail piece? Can't find it in the usual haunts.
Thanks! -Anthony
Hey Anthony – Last Hope and Revenge were Free RPG Day offerings. Crown was a regular for-sale module.
Hope is out of print (and probably won't ever be back in stock at Paizo), but you can download the PDF for free.
http://paizo.com/products/btpy82r0?GameMastery-Module-D0-Hollows-Last-Hope
You can also download Revenge for free. Crown is $8.99 as a PDF.
Guide to Darkmoon was an early campaign setting offering. It's still available from Paizo as non-mint and as PDF.
http://paizo.com/products/btpy83yv?Pathfinder-Chronicles-Guide-to-Darkmoon-Vale
Some neat story-telling in these books.
Thank you for all the info Bob,
Very nice of Paizo to offer free/reasonably priced downloads.
I have ordered a hardcopy of the Guide, and just downloaded Pathfinder Adventures to my Google Nexus 6P 🙂
When I decided to go with Pathfinder over the then-new 4th Edition D&D, one reason was because the PF Core Books could all (and still can be) downloaded for only $9.99 each. That's an incredible bargain. I've got most, but not all, of the core books and they're quite good.
I still think that the Darkmoon Vale Guide is one of the best books in that entire series.
The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game – Rise of the Runelords is just about my favorite board (card) game. I really like the app version, but I've been stuck on one scenario for a couple months, so I've soured a bit. But it's an excellent port. Plays just like the physical game.
Like you, I cut my teeth years ago on AD&D, Traveller, V&V, etc. Fell off the RPG wagon for a number of years, but got back in with 3.0/3.5 when one of sons caught the bug. I too chose Pathfinder over D&D 4e (…not much of a choice, IMHO).
Recently I've had a hard time finding a "local" gaming group. And like you, I definitely "feel the bloat" of Pathfinder, and long for some kind of return to simplicity that might lead me to an Ol' School RPG. We'll see. In the meantime, I look forward to Guide to Darkmoon Vale 🙂
Pathfinder Adventures looks pretty stout… and as a 355MB download to my phone, it better be! 😉
Thanks Again, -Anthony
When I got back into RPGing, it was doing play by post on the PF message boards. That fit my time schedule and the lack of available players around me.
The PF app updates make it even bigger. I've only got it on our ipad – not my iphone 5.
I've been wanting to explore RPGs as a way of spending time with my 6yo daughter and 8yo son as they get older. After reading the review a few weeks ago, I went and ordered Dungeon!, which seemed like just the introduction I was looking for; we've already had loads of fun with it.
In the past, we've mainly played games like chess and Risk, which are very abstract and logical. Risk, for instance, is just graph theory and probability; it's fun on a cerebral level, but the "world domination" aspects fall by the wayside pretty quickly.
What most I'm enjoying about Dungeon! are its imaginative aspects. It's like a long and cool game of let's pretend. You can tell that you're enjoying it on that level, rather than on a purely strategic level, when you find yourself deciding to fight a fire giant despite the terrible odds, merely for the grim glory of battling to the death all alone in a dark corner of the dungeon.
NOLAbert
Another good one, Bob. My gaming history is similar to yours. I started playing RPGs with 1st edition AD&D, continued to 2nd edition, and played a few one-offs using the Basic rules. I played Pool of Radiance on the Commodore 64 along with other fantasy games I can't remember. My friend had an Apple and I would play Ultima with him on his computer. I quit RPGs as other obsessions took over and then college, grad school, and tenure took up all of my time. A few years ago, I got the itch to do some gaming again. I started small with board games like Zombies! (actually played the Humans! version). Later I bought Wrath of Ashardalon thinking there was no way I'd have time for a full RPG again. These days I'm playing 5E and would recommend it to anyone wanting to avoid rules or supplement bloat. I both play and DM now and having a great time.
One gaming experience, I've had that it doesn't sound like you've done, although the play-by-post forum style is similar, is play-by-mail gaming. Years ago when I was a kid I played Hyborian War before I got into computer games. About four years ago, I checked to see if I could find anything about Hyborian War on the web out of nostalgia and was surprised to see that RSI still runs games of Hyborian War (they also run a Forgotten Realms play-by-mail game). There is a dedicated Hyborian War group at the Road of Kings forum.
I'm definitely with you about gaming and the connection it has with creativity and story-telling. In fact, I've raised questions here (don't remember which article I was responding to) about why fiction seems to get top-billing in terms of story-telling over something like RPGs. Genre fiction gets upturned noses from lit snobs, but RPG modules rarely even get noticed by anyone who isn't in the games industry.
Gabe Dybing
It's delightful to read another rpg post so soon after that other awesome post, Bob. In fact, I was logging into Black Gate to thank you for that post. That other awesome post, that is. You really made visible for me Swords and Wizardry. I downloaded it and read it cover to cover. It is precisely what I need right now!
I think it might have been you who told me to try out pbp when, in a Black Gate blog years ago, I lamented not having a gaming group anymore. I never got to the pbp, but a new gaming store opened up in my town, and for almost two years now I've been running a regular game on Sunday's (two years is also how long it's been since I've given John another post on Poul Anderson — yep, I'm sorry to say [but am I, though?] that I gave up the Anderson blog to make time for my gaming).
But after almost two years, my Pathfinder characters are 9th level and the rules crunch is so EXHAUSTING. My players want to play through 20 — to 21, really — so they can get time to use all their special level 20 abilities. And I've committed to giving them that experience. So I might have two more years with Pathfinder.
But in the meantime I've broken it up by alternating weeks with a new futuristic campaign using the Cypher System. And I've spent spare hours during the last few days and nights dreaming, reading through Swords and Wizardry and the campaign matter for Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea. I've already told my players that when I get done with my Pathfinder, if I haven't been seduced by Starfinder at that time, I tend to be running some Cypher and some OSR. And I wanted to thank you, Bob, for your excellent article.
Never played Dungeon, myself, though I'm intrigued. A few weeks ago I finally got some close friends who aren't pen and paper rpg gamers to play Descent, though, and they seemed to take to it (maybe some "real" role playing might be in our future). I see you like Runebound (I think I even read your original post, way back in the day). I wonder if you've ever checked out Descent, set in that same universe, and if it differs significantly from Dungeon. I enjoy Descent's mechanics. I wonder, even, if it would be a worthy experiment to take those game rules and start full role playing with them. And soon we will have the Conan board game from Monolith! I know a number of people here backed that one! It shouldn't be all that difficult to migrate my Descent players over to that one when it comes in the mail, and then it should be even easier to seduce them into "real" rpg.
Anyway, the point of all of this was thank you, Bob. I myself never played D&D at all till v. 3. I was role playing in those coming-of-age years, though, but my games were MERP and Champions, West End Star Wars and TORG: The Possibility Wars. It's nice learning about the "Original Game." I guess that's something else I love so much about Swords and Wizardry: Matt Finch's comments on the "Original Game" and role playing in general are so interesting and entertaining, nearly scholarly. Cheers!
Raphael – My 8 year old moved up to Wrath of Ashardalon and Temple of Elemental Evil this year and did really well at both games. The D&D Board Game line is definitely more complex but he picked it up quickly and liked the greater options for fighting.
I wrote about the series here:
https://www.blackgate.com/2016/03/07/the-public-life-of-sherlock-holmes-the-dd-adventure-board-games/
Nola – Ultima: Another game I spent a lot of hours playing. Those graphics make me laugh, now. Yet another idea on my near-endless list of future posts would be one that looks at the evolution of my video-gaming career. I'd forgotten about Ultima entirely.
Do you like Wrath? It's tougher than Legend of Drizzt. And I do like the campaign mode, with 'levelling up' that they added to Temple of Elemental Evil. It's a pretty darned good board game series.
I've played several modules that I would love to see turned into novels or novellas. And books like Pathfinder's Inner Sea Guide are a treat to read. I agree, they don't seem to get much respect at all.
Anthony – I only just realized I left out module D4, 'Hungry are the Dead,; which continues the Falcon Hollow adventuring. I like it quite a bit.
Today during a lunch session, the party had to get past a sprung pit trap. The Thief edged around, leaving two darven fighters and a human cleric behind.
They were struggling a bit, so I mentioned the Lord of the Rings, Aragorn and Gimili. They roared, "Dwarf toss!" My thought was that one dwarf would use his 18 strength to toss the other dwarf. Once on the other side, he would take hold of the 50′ rope and help the cleric, then the other dwarf jump across.
They had another idea, so each dwarf took a hold of the Cleric and they threw the cleric across. I did not see that coming! The story can move in completely unexpected directions by the players' actions.


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There is so much news that one can possibly read? So lets skim 'em.
By skimming news and selecting what you want to read later, you'll save precious minutes. You'll save enough time to take another shower!
Choose from a list of several news sources. From tech news, local news to sports and entertainment news.


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Texas Election Day live updates: Latest results, coverage, analysis
Texas election polls closed at 7 p.m. Here are the latest updates and vote totals we're seeing.
Credit: WFAA
Published: 7:00 AM CST November 8, 2022
Updated: 11:52 PM CST November 8, 2022
DALLAS — Election polls across Texas have closed. But the results and updates are streaming in from across the state, and we'll be here through the night as they happen.
We'll have all the updates from across the state, along with the latest election results as we get them, here.
For a look at the balance of power in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, you can visit WFAA's election map here.
Texas 2022 Election Results: View Here
Texas Election Day 2022 live updates, results
11:44 p.m. - Incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wins reelection bid
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has won his reelection bid against Democratic candidate Mike Collier.
Dan Patrick on the difference in this race against Mike Collier compared to his victory over Collier in 2018.#VoteTexas #WFAA pic.twitter.com/PjIXlbXFQE
— Chris Sadeghi (@chrissadeghi) November 9, 2022
11:06 p.m. - Rochelle Garza concedes in Texas Attorney General race
According to representatives for Democrat Rochelle Garza, she has conceded in the race for Attorney General to incumbent Ken Paxton.
"We've already made history by nominating a Latina to the AG race," Garza said.
#BREAKING Reps for @RochelleMGarza confirm to me that she has conceded her campaign race for Attorney General against @KenPaxtonTX. On the podium she said, "We've already made history by nominating a latina to the AG race." It appears Paxton will continue onto 3rd term. @wfaa
— Jobin Panicker (@jobinpnews) November 9, 2022
10:30 p.m. - Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick claims victory against Mike Collier
Supporters at Patrick's watch party in Houston gathered around to watch Greg Abbott's victory speech in McAllen. As soon as it ended, Patrick took the stage and claimed victory of his own for his third term as Lt. Governor.
He currently has a double-digit lead over Mike Collier though that could narrow due to the delay in Harris County, a traditionally blue county.
We talked to Patrick shortly after his address to supporters and he said the difference between this year's race against Collier and the one four years ago was the continued rejection of Democrats and their efforts to turn Texas into California.
He said criminal justice reform, specifically judges who let violent criminals out of jail, will be a priority in next year's legislative session. He also mentioned the power grid will be emphasized when lawmakers meet next year.
10:15 p.m. - Rep. Lance Gooden wins reelection bid
Republican Lance Gooden wins reelection to U.S. House in Texas' 5th Congressional District.
10:14 p.m. - Rep. Pat Fallon wins reelection bid
Republican Pat Fallon wins reelection to U.S. House in Texas' 4th Congressional District.
9:35 p.m. - ABC News projects incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott wins reelection
ABC News is projecting that Gov. Greg Abbott has won his reelection bid for Texas governor.
The governor is expected to speak later tonight.
Republican Texas Gov. Abbott won a third term Tuesday, defeating Democrat O'Rourke in a race that tested the direction of America's supersized red state following the Uvalde school massacre and a strict new abortion ban.
The victory underlined Abbott's durability after record spending that topped more than $200 million in a state where Republicans in recent years have seen their lopsided margins of victories shrink.
9:06 p.m. - Texas Supreme Court rules provisional votes cast in Harris County after 7 p.m. will not count
The Texas Supreme Court has ruled the provisional votes cast in Harris County after 7 p.m. will not count.
All Harris County voters who got in line after 7 p.m. will no longer be able to cast a provisional ballot. Those provisional votes that were cast after 7 p.m. will be separated from the Election Day votes and will not count.
Harris County Elections Administrator Clifford Tatum said Election Day votes are continuing to be pressed and will be released on hourly bases.
9:01 p.m. - Supporters of Greg Abbott wait for his arrival
Supporters of Greg Abbott are anxiously awaiting his arrival at his campaign watch party in McAllen.
They cheered watching numbers come across television screens showing Abbott in the lead.
Latest from McAllen at the Gov. Greg Abbott campaign watch party.
Remember you can watch live streaming coverage all night from @wfaa at the link below…https://t.co/zIIKzxnSPm pic.twitter.com/fcljtDMWCH
— Teresa Woodard (@twoodard8) November 9, 2022
His campaign staff has not indicated when he might make a speech.
If tradition is any indication, he could take the stage right at 10 p.m., when local newscasts across the state.
That was the timing of his victory speech when he won the Republican primary in March.
8:42 p.m. - Patrick widens lead in Lt. Governor race
Supporters of Dan Patrick starting to trickle in and watch the national networks' coverage of the big races across the country while also keeping an eye on the results in the Lt. Governor race.
Right now, Patrick has a 7-point lead after the first 3.8 million votes counted. The margin between these two candidates 4 years ago was 51-46.
8:41 p.m. - O'Rourke arrives at watch party
Beto O'Rourke has arrived at his campaign's watch party in El Paso. Here's an update from WFAA's Morgan Young:
My photographer @mdoporto2 captured this during a run to the car. Beto O'Rourke has arrived at his campaign watch party. We haven't seen him in the main ballroom yet. We are hoping to get some questions in as the numbers keep coming in. @wfaa pic.twitter.com/t0mTn7Yqz8
— Morgan Young (@MorganYoungTV) November 9, 2022
8:40 p.m. - Republican Michael Burgess wins reelection
Denton County Republican Rep. Michael Burgess has won reelection to Texas' 26th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.
8:35 p.m. - Democrats Veasey and Allred win reelection, per AP
Fort Worth Democrat Marc Veasey won reelection to the U.S. House in Texas' 33rd Congressional District, and Dallas' Collin Allred won reelection in Texas' 32nd Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.
"I was born and raised in North Texas. This is my home, and it is where Aly and I are raising our two boys. I am honored and humbled to again have earned the support of voters and have won re-election to the 32nd District of Texas," said Allred, in a statement.
8:20 p.m. - Clay Jenkins on "next four years"
The Dallas County judge stopped short of declaring victory over challenger Lauren Davis, but Jenkins' speech Tuesday evening focused on the "next four years" and improving county access to mental health care and expanded broadband reach.
"I will not focus on the negative or focus on the past, rather I will focus my doing my best to lead with fairness, compassion and as much grace as I can for all," Jenkins said.
8:05 p.m. - Manny Ramirez elected in historic election as Tarrant County Commissioner
Manny Ramirez made history Tuesday after he was elected as the next Tarrant County Commissioner, Precinct 4, the first-ever Hispanic candidate elected.
"I am honored and humbled to have earned the support of many incredible leaders across Texas and Tarrant County. I am committed to providing the steady and consistent stewardship that has made Texas the greatest place in America. This election is not an individual victory but a victory for every citizen who recognizes the critical need for common sense and issues-based leadership at all levels of our government. This is only the beginning," said Ramirez in a statement.
7:53 p.m. - Keith Self wins election to U.S. House in Texas' 3rd Congressional District
The Associated Press declared Republican Keith Self as the winner to the U.S. House in Texas 3rd Congressional District.
7:20 p.m. - Jasmine Crockett wins Dallas U.S. House seat, per AP
The Associated Press has declared Jasmine Crockett the winner of Texas' 30th Congressional District U.S. House seat, replacing longtime representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, who is retiring. Crockett faced Republican James Rodgers and Independent Zachariah Manning. Crockett held a heavy 77% lead during initial voting returns.
7:15 p.m. - Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins plans announcement.
Clay Jenkins' office says he'll provide a public statement at 7:30 p.m. as election voting concludes. We'll give an update on what he says.
7 p.m. - Polls close in North Texas
Polls are officially closed in North Texas. If you were in line before 7 p.m., stay in line to cast your ballot.
View the latest election results in Texas as they come in.
6:36 p.m. - Harris County polling hours extended due to delays
A state district judge has ordered Harris county to extend voting hours across the entire county due to delays at several polling places.
The extension is until 8 p.m.
VOTERS IN HOUSTON will get an extra hour to vote because some places had delayed openings this morning... https://t.co/K5DZXxIv9s
— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) November 9, 2022
6:20 p.m. - Tarrant County passes the number who voted on Election Day in 2018
As of 6:20 p.m. Tuesday, the number of people who voted in the 2022 Election has surpassed the number of people who voted in the 2018 Election.
More than 164,000 people cast their vote Tuesday.
Update: Tarrant Co has passed the number of people who voted on Election Day in 2018.
161k voted on Election Day in '18.
164k so far today with 45 minutes to go.
Still well below 56% turnout from '18.
So far 44% of those registered voted including early.#VoteTexas #WFAA
— William Joy (@WilliamJoy) November 9, 2022
6 p.m. - Line grows at Oaklawn Public Library
pic.twitter.com/Egg8TcsCSy
— D Fernandez (@DemondFernandez) November 8, 2022
The line at Oaklawn Public Library continues to grow, with a steady 45-minute wait.
5:48 p.m. - Nearly 156K people have cast their votes in Tarrant County.
As of 5:48 p.m., 155,806 people have cast their votes in Tarrant County.
5:40 p.m. - Nearly 174K voters have turned out for Dallas County
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said that 174,000 voters have voted, with less than two hours before polls close.
5:36 p.m. - Nearly 150K voters have been cast in Tarrant County
Nearly 150,000 votes have been cast in Tarrant County, officials say.
145k with just under 2 hours to go. https://t.co/w4KJFnb0Fa
— Sydney Persing (@sydneypersing) November 8, 2022
5:25 p.m. - Lt. Gov. arrives at Houston watch party
The Dan Patrick campaign bus has pulled into the Post Oak parking lot and the Lt. Governor has arrived. He and his wife Jan walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner before the night's festivities begin.
5:14 p.m. - Almost 148K votes cast in Dallas County
Almost 148,000 votes have been cast in Dallas County on Tuesday, as of 4 p.m. according to Judge Clay Jenkins. Around 196,000 total votes were cast on election day in 2018 in Dallas County.
5 p.m. - Inside Attorney General Ken Paxton's watch party. WFAA's Matt Howerton is covering the Paxton watch party in Plano. Paxton, who remains under indictment on a securities fraud charge from 2015, faces Democrat challenger Rochelle Garza, an attorney from Brownsville.
Latest polling from the University of Houston Hobby School showed Paxton with a 12% lead.
Paxton has also been a legal opponent to the Biden Administration regarding issues like abortion, immigration and voting.@jobinpnews covering Garza's watch party in Houston tonight.
Here's some context about a bit of the controversy mentioned above regarding Paxton:
(2/2) pic.twitter.com/I3kGb8pv1t
— Matt Howerton (@HowertonNews) November 8, 2022
4:35 p.m. - Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick holds watch party in Houston
WFAA's Chris Sadeghi arrived at the Post Oak Uptown in Houston, a luxury hotel playing host as the Dan Patrick Campaign's election night HQ. Invited guests won't be arriving until around 8 p.m. to watch results come in but t-shirts and a lot of red, white, and blue balloon arrangements await them.
Patrick is seeking his 3rd term as Lt. Governor. He faces the same challenger tonight as he did in 2018, Democrat Mike Collier. It was a close race in 2018 with Patrick winning by a 51-46% margin.
Stage set at the @PostOakUptown in Houston, the #ElectionNight headquarters for the Dan Patrick campaign.
We'll have the latest updates throughout the night.#WFAA #VoteTexas pic.twitter.com/JfYYnNggvk
4:15 p.m. - Tarrant County voters share how they're feeling about Nov. 8 election.
I grabbed some Tarrant County voters on their way in and out of the polls and asked how they're feelin.
This is Walter.#VoteTexas #WFAA @wfaa pic.twitter.com/BeqOK49kk0
4 p.m. - Electrocution closes Harris County polling center
The Melrose Park voting location in Harris County has been closed after officials said a city employee was electrocuted. The employee was not identified but the Houston Fire Department said it was a a Houston Parks and Recreation employee.
3:49 p.m. - Latest Dallas County vote totals. Judge Clay Jenkins reported that there were no over 129,000 votes cast, as of 3:30 p.m. Jenkins said that a "vast majority of vote centers have a less than 15-minute wait."
#ELECTIONDAY: I'll be watching key races across the country tonight on @wfaa.
Curious when polls close? @wfaa #VOTETEXAS #WFAA #ElectionDay2022 pic.twitter.com/vaxCOFtstJ
— Ariel Plasencia (@ariel_plasencia) November 8, 2022
3:30 p.m. - Latest Tarrant County vote totals. Tarrant County has seen 105,265 Election Day voters, along with 389,304 during early voting, as of 3 p.m., officials said.
3 p.m. - Latest Dallas County vote totals. Judge Clay Jenkins reported 114,000 votes cast in Dallas County on Tuesday, as of 3 p.m. For reference, 196,000 people voted on election day in the 2018 midterm elections in Dallas County.
2:40 p.m. - Central Texas delays. Bell County reported issues with 8 voting center check-in systems, leading to a delay Tuesday morning. The county is giving residents an extra hour to vote and will close polls at 8 p.m., not 7 p.m.
2:10 p.m. - Denton County election numbers
WFAA's Tiffany Liou reported that Denton County ended early voting at 35% voter turnout. As of 1:39 p.m., the county's voter turnout was at 43%.
Covering Denton County elections today!
Denton Co ended early voting at 35% turnout. As of 1:39 pm, it's 43%.
Average midterm election turnout: 35-38%
2018 midterm: 53%.
Will Denton County voters catch up to 2018 numbers today?@wfaa #VoteTexas #WFAA
— Tiffany Liou (@tliou) November 8, 2022
1:40 p.m. - How does Texas count ballots? Our partners at The Texas Tribune explain how the process will work today.
1:30 p.m. - Sweaty ballots? It's a thing, apparently. A viewer sent us a tip about issues with vote-counting machines not accepting ballots in Arlington. An election judge told us the issue stemmed from the ballot paper being too humid. We explain here.
1 p.m. - Tarrant County Election Day numbers
Tarrant County has reported 81,678 ballots in the first six hours of Election Day.
12:46 p.m. - Beto O'Rourke tells WFAA he's confident going into Election Day
WFAA Senior Reporter Jason Whitely asked congressman Beto O'Rourke about his confidence going into Election Night and whether or not he wished he did anything differently. Here's O'Rourke's answer:
TWO QUESTIONS FOR @BetoORourke on #ElectionDay.
1. Confidence going into tonight.
2. Trailing in the polls to @GregAbbott_TX, do you wish you did anything differently?
O'Rourke is making a stop in Houston before returning to El Paso.
Abbott has no public appearances today. pic.twitter.com/EhWgC9RLSc
12:14 p.m. - Dallas County Election Day numbers
Dallas County has reported over 82,000 ballots in the first five hours of Election Day.
12:11 p.m. - Tarrant County Election Day numbers
Tarrant County has reported 70,350 ballots in the first five hours of Election Day.
11:52 a.m. - Beto O'Rourke arrives in Dallas ahead of Election Day watch party
Beto O'Rourke arrives in Dallas at one of his final campaign rallies before polls close tonight. He goes on to Houston and later to El Paso.
Gov. Greg Abbott does not have any public appearances today before his watch party in McAllen, according to WFAA Senior Reporter Jason Whitely.
.@BetoORourke arrives in Dallas at one of his final campaign rallies before polls close tonight. He goes on to Houston and later to El Paso.
Gov. @GregAbbott_TX does not have any public appearances today before his watch party in McAllen. pic.twitter.com/5nowZXRHrh
11:30 a.m. - Here's what polling locations look like across DFW
Dallas County:
Tarrant County:
11 a.m. - Tarrant County Election Day numbers
Tarrant County has reported 54,904 ballots in the first four hours of Election Day.
Tarrant County has had 40,862 ballots submitted in the first three hours of Election Day, officials say.
9:37 a.m. - Tarrant County Election Day numbers
WFAA's Sydney Persing reports that, as of 9:37 a.m., Tarrant County has just over 36,000 ballots submitted on Election Day.
Live election day numbers: Just over 36k people voted in Tarrant County as of 9:37 a.m. #VoteTexas #WFAA 🇺🇸
9 a.m. - Follow WFAA's LIVE Texas election coverage starting at 6:50 p.m.
WFAA will have a live digital show starting at 6:50 p.m., where we'll follow race results, check in with our reporters who are positioned across Texas and chat with political experts on the impact of this midterm election. You can watch the coverage on WFAA+, WFAA's YouTube channel or on wfaa.com.
LIVE TEXAS ELECTION COVERAGE begins at 6:50 p.m. tonight.
Race results, reporters across the state, and political experts join our streaming coverage.
WATCH at https://t.co/501hhJXvZO, WFAA's YouTube, Facebook and @WFAA+ on @Roku or FireTV. pic.twitter.com/0AIuFvKuNh
9 a.m. - Tarrant County Election Day numbers
Tarrant County has reported 27,231 ballots in the first two hours of Election Day.
8 a.m. - Lines at polling locations start to grow
WFAA has crews throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex on this Election Day, and we started to see voting lines begin to grow.
Voting line at Ben Milam Elementary School.
Voting line in Grapevine, Texas.
7 a.m. - Having voting trouble at the polls? Let us know!
If you have any issues at your polling location, text the problem to WFAA at (214)977-6028. Our team will look into it and get answers.
7 a.m. - Where can I vote? Here's Texas polling locations by zip code
There is a handy tool on vote.org that allows you to enter your address and it will show you the nearest polling locations to you. Click here for the polling locations tool.
7 a.m. - Transportation to the polls
Those who are using public transportation to the polling centers can catch a free ride on Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).
DART will be providing free transportation for free on buses, trains, the Dallas Streetcar, GoLink, Paratransit Services and the TRE between EBJ Union Station and CentrePort/DFW Airport Station.
No proof of voter registration is required to ride for free on Nov. 8.
5:05 a.m. - Election Day forecast
WFAA meteorologist Greg Fields posted the Election Day weather forecast. We're looking at mid-to-high 60s in the morning with a southeast breeze of 5 to 10 mph. By noon, we're looking at cloudy skies and 76 degrees. Later this evening, we dip a little to the low-70s.
Good morning! Here's your Election Day forecast. #iamup #wfaaweather pic.twitter.com/scH2cgzRr9
— Greg Fields (@GregFieldsWX) November 8, 2022
Voting Guide: Here's everything you should know about the Nov. 8 election in North Texas
What do I need to bring in order to vote in Texas?
Aquí todo lo que necesita saber sobre la elección de noviembre en el norte de Texas
6 Arizona counties must decide to certify November election results

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


My husband, son, and I were planning a three week trip to France. We were excited to visit our daughter, her husband and our 2 year old grandson. To get a jump start on the French language, I decided that we should order a language program. After some research, I chose the Pimsleur Approach.
There were two main reasons for this decision. First, the cost was right. I did not want to spend a small fortune. I got the program for about $60.00. I thought that compared to some of the other programs out there, this was a good price. The other reason was after taking a short tour of what I was going to order, I thought that this program was what I wanted.
Overall, I was not impressed with my purchase. I knew that the accent was good because I had previously been to France several times so I am familiar with how the language sounds. The problem I had with it was the choice of conversations. I did not think that they were helpful or very appropriate. For example, one conversation was for a situation in which you would meet another person in a park. 'Are you an American? Do you speak English?' Why would I ask those questions? If I saw someone in the park, I would speak English if I wanted to know this. I would assume they would either speak English back to me or shrug and say no.
Based on my experience, I'm not sure that I would purchase Pimsleur products again.


Can your child recognize what's similar and different in a group of objects or concepts? This gigantic book of worksheets will keep your little one happy and excited to learn the necessary skills for preschool and kindergarten. The workbook is separated into six sections: Pre-Writing Practice, Alphabet, Numbers, Shapes & Colors, Phonics, and Pre-Reading Skills, each specially designed to get your child on track toward school success. The activities are arranged in order of increasing difficulty, so little ones stay challenged until the end, constantly expanding their knowledge. The cheery colors and illustrations ease children into learning without feeling overwhelmed, making the exercises seem more like playful fun than work. Give your child the resources to feel more confident in school today!


text:
Q: Exception com.ibm.db2.jcc.am.disconnectnontransientconnectionexception while running through azure pipeline I am getting below error while running through azure pipeline but working fine while running in eclipse. Please help me with the resolution.

Error message -
"com.ibm.db2.jcc.am.disconnectnontransientconnectionexception:
[jcc][t4][2043][11550][4.16.53] Exception java.net.ConnectException:
Error opening socket to server / on port
with message: Connection timed out (Connection timed out).

I tried with all the dependency and jar files for jdbc but still getting same exception.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


As she walked into the old, but new again building on First Street between Fenn and Federal, Holly Stover-Howard had much to say about what she remembered about the old Howard building and marveled at the new and restored one. She told the stories of her childhood – running down the hallways and up the old staircases, counting inventory of nails and screws from the first floor to the third, she brought us back to another time and place.
A $12 million redevelopment of the Howard Block and the Onota Building, (both prominent fixtures of downtown Pittsfield), will increase the supply of downtown market-rate rental apartments by about 39 new units over the next two years. Street-level commercial space will also be available.


text:
What Kind of Mayor Was Bernie Sanders?
In his eight years as mayor of Burlington, Vermont, Bernie Sanders revitalized the economy and solidified support for progressive municipal policies.
By Peter Dreier and Pierre Clavel
Bernie Sanders sits in his office at City Hall in Burlington, Vermont in 1981. (AP Photo/Donna Light)
John Davis remembers a meeting in 1986 when Bernie Sanders, then the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, confronted the owners of the city's largest affordable-housing complex. The federal program that had subsidized the Northgate Apartments for 20 years had a loophole that allowed the landlords to convert the buildings into market rentals or luxury condos.
"Bernie pounded his fist on the conference table in his office and told the owners, 'Over my dead body are you going to displace 336 working families. You are not going to convert Northgate into luxury housing,'" recalled Davis, who was Sanders's key housing aide.
Under Sanders's leadership, the city adopted a number of laws to stifle the owners' plans. One ordinance required apartment owners to give residents two years' notice before a condo conversion. Others gave residents a pre-emptive right to buy the units and prohibited landlords from bulldozing buildings unless they replaced them with the same number of affordable units. (These measures lowered the selling price of the property.) Sanders then worked with the state government and Senator Patrick Leahy to get the $12 million needed to purchase and rehabilitate the buildings. The city allocated funds to help the tenants hire an organizer, form the Northgate Residents Association, and start the process of converting the complex to resident ownership. Today, Northgate Apartments is owned by the tenants and has long-term restrictions to keep the buildings affordable for working families.
The battle over Northgate Apartments illustrates Sanders's general approach to governing. In addressing this and many other issues, he encouraged grassroots organizing, adopted local laws to protect the vulnerable, challenged the city's business power brokers, and worked collaboratively with other politicians to create a more livable city.
Now that Sanders is running for president, the eight years he spent as Burlington's chief executive (1981–89) will be under close scrutiny. Although President Obama recently joked at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner that Sanders is a "pot-smoking socialist," he was actually a hardworking, pragmatic, effective mayor who helped transform Vermont's largest city (population: 38,000) into a thriving town.
Thanks to the enduring influence of the progressive climate that Sanders and his allies helped to create in Burlington, the city's largest housing development is now resident-owned, its largest supermarket is a consumer-owned cooperative, one of its largest private employers is worker-owned, and most of its people-oriented waterfront is publicly owned. Its publicly owned utility, the Burlington Electric Department, recently announced that Burlington is the first American city of any decent size to run entirely on renewable electricity.
Sanders grew up in Brooklyn and attended the University of Chicago, where he was active in the civil-rights movement. After a short stint living on an Israeli kibbutz, in 1964 he moved to Vermont, where he worked as a carpenter, filmmaker, writer, and researcher, and got involved in radical politics. In the 1970s, after joining the antiwar Liberty Union Party, Sanders ran for several statewide offices, including governor, US Senate, and the US House (Vermont has only one seat). He never garnered more than 4 percent of the vote, but he did better in Burlington than in Vermont's rural areas, which gave him hope that he had a shot at winning office in the local government.
In 1981, Sanders ran for mayor of Burlington as an Independent and defeated six-term Democratic Party incumbent Gordon Paquette by ten votes in a four-way contest. Voters re-elected Sanders three times by increasingly wider margins: 52 percent in 1983, 55 percent in 1985, and 56 percent in 1987.
Burlington was no hippie counterculture enclave. Although the city attracted many young, educated people because of its natural beauty and the presence of the University of Vermont, it has always had a large working-class population (many of them from French Canadian stock) who, until Sanders came on the scene, tended to vote for moderate Democrats and Republicans. Each time he ran for mayor, Sanders attracted increasing support from the city's blue-collar precincts.
In his first two years in office, the City Council refused to allow Sanders to hire more than a handful of staff, while the entrenched bureaucrats in City Hall sought to thwart his initiatives. Randy Kamerbeek, the city's planning director, "tried to sabotage everything that Bernie proposed," recalled Michael Monte, who worked in that agency. "He told us not to allow Bernie to have any visible successes. He figured Bernie would be out of office after his first term."
After he was re-elected in 1983, and voters swept in a more progressive City Council, Sanders gained a stronger foothold in City Hall. With the support of local Republicans and business leaders, he created the Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) to carry out his vision for more affordable housing, more locally owned small businesses, greater community engagement in planning, and job development.
When Sanders took office, Burlington's Lake Champlain waterfront was an industrial wasteland. Tony Pomerleau, an influential local businessman, planned a mega-project that included a 150-room hotel, retail space, a 100-slip marina, and 240 condominiums in 18-story buildings. In his first campaign, Sanders pledged to kill that plan. After Pomerleau withdrew his proposal, Sanders backed another waterfront plan that included some commercial development, affordable housing, and generous public access. But after voters defeated a bond measure for this proposal, Sanders went back to the drawing board to envision a "people's waterfront."
According to Monte, who worked on the waterfront project for Sanders and was CEDO director for 12 years, "Bernie wanted to make sure that it was a place with plenty of open space and public access, where ordinary people could rent a rowboat and buy a hot dog. That wasn't just for the elite. It was Bernie who set the tone that the waterfront wasn't for sale."
Thanks to Sanders, the Burlington waterfront now has a community boathouse and other facilities for small boats. There's also a sailing center and science center, a fishing pier, an eight-mile bike path, acres of parkland, and public beaches. The commercial development is modest and small-scale. On May 26, Sanders kicked off his presidential campaign with a rally at Waterfront Park.
Most of Burlington's business leaders initially distrusted Sanders. They didn't know what a socialist would do once he held the reins of power. But even many of Sanders's early opponents came to respect and even admire his willingness to listen to their views and his efforts to adopt progressive municipal policies.
Pomerleau was then—and remains today, at 97—one of Burlington's richest residents. A longtime Republican, he made his money developing supermarkets, hotels, and shopping centers, and he owns much of Burlington's commercial real estate. For decades, he has wielded considerable political influence, served as chair of the city's police commission, and been its most generous philanthropist.
"When [Sanders] first ran for mayor, he was running against guys like me," Pomerleau recalled in a recent interview.
Pomerleau, who voted against Sanders in 1981, knocked on his door the day after that election. "I said, 'You're the mayor, but it's still my town,'" he recalled.
Pomerleau wasn't happy when Sanders opposed his waterfront development plan, but he gradually got to know the mayor and came to admire his pragmatism, his bulldog tenacity to get things done, and his support for the local police.
"Bernie and I worked very well together for the betterment of the town," Pomerleau said. "We were the odd couple."
Pomerleau voted for Sanders in his three successful bids for re-election. And Sanders frequently called Pomerleau to ask his advice. They stayed in close contact, even after Sanders was elected to Congress.
Pomerleau expressed his pleasure that for the past 35 years Sanders has never missed one of his annual Christmas parties for underprivileged children. He also praised Sanders for being a stalwart supporter of America's military veterans.
"If more rich people were like me," Pomerleau said, "Bernie would feel better about the wealthy."
"When Bernie first got elected, the local media said he was anti-business," recalled Bruce Seifer, an architect of Sanders's economic development efforts. "They called us the 'Sanderistas.'"
After Sanders's re-election victory in 1983, business groups concluded they could not defeat him and thus had to work with him. But many businesspeople also saw that Sanders shared their interest in "development"—what he saw as "good development"—while opposing projects that would hurt middle- and working-class neighborhoods or victimize low-wage workers.
"Bernie was never anti-growth, anti-development, or anti-business," explained Monte. "He just wanted businesses to be responsible toward their employees and the community. He wanted local entrepreneurs to thrive. He wanted people to have good jobs that pay a living wage. If you could deal with that, you could deal with Bernie and Bernie would deal with you."
The Sanders administration provided new firms with seed funding, offered technical assistance, helped businesses form trade associations (including the South End Arts and Business Association and the Vermont Convention Bureau), focused attention on helping women become entrepreneurs, funded training programs to give women access to nontraditional jobs, and lobbied the state government to promote business growth.
When Sanders took office, Burlington had no supermarket in the downtown area. The major grocery chains told city officials that they would invest in a new store only if they could build a mega-market that residents believed was too large. Instead, the Sanders administration put its hopes in the local Onion River Cooperative. With 2,000 members in its former location, some thought it was a risky venture. It turned out to be a good investment, and under Sanders's successor it became City Market, a thriving enterprise with more than 9,000 members.
Under Sanders, Burlington became a magnet for attracting and incubating locally owned businesses, many of which expanded into large enterprises. Burton, the nation's largest snowboard company, has its headquarters (as well as a snowboard museum) in Burlington. The city assisted Seventh Generation, a green cleaning-products firm, when it started in 1988. Today, with its downtown waterfront headquarters in a LEED-certified building and over $300 million in annual sales, it is one of Burlington's largest employers. With the city's help, Gardeners Supply Company, which sells environmentally friendly gardening products, moved to Burlington in 1983. Four years later, its founder, Will Raap, began the process of selling the firm to its workers. It now has over 250 employee-owners.
As he was transitioning Gardeners Supply to employee ownership, Raap also began organizing volunteers to clean up a largely derelict floodplain north of the store. Eventually CEDO, Sanders's development agency, helped arrange the purchase of the area and provided the capital for irrigation systems, farm vehicles, and washing stations for vegetables. By the end of the 1990s, it was home to a dozen urban farms, annually producing over 500,000 pounds of food for local homes and stores. Today it generates over 10 percent of the food sold in Burlington.
"Bernie realized that the economy doesn't have to be dominated by bad guys," explained Raap, a founder of the 750-member Burlington-based Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, an alternative trade association. "He saw that and he fostered it."
Burlington's strong economy and population growth put pressure on the city's housing supply, threatening to displace low- and middle-income families. Under Sanders, the city adopted policies to create permanently affordable housing. The city channeled a large portion of its federal block grant funds to nonprofits committed to that goal, and cultivated a constituency of these small development organizations. The first key move was support for the Burlington Community Land Trust with an initial $200,000 grant. Now named the Champlain Housing Trust, the nonprofit has over $290 million in assets; manages a portfolio of 2,800 price-controlled houses, condos, co-ops, and rentals; and owns over 120,000 square feet of commercial space and nonprofit facilities.
To provide funding for new housing initiatives, the Sanders-led city created a housing trust fund, capitalized in part by a 1 percent increase in property taxes. A year after Sanders left office, the coalition he built successfully pushed the City Council to enact an inclusionary zoning law. Market-rate residential projects were required to set aside 10–25 percent of the units at rents and prices affordable to families with modest incomes and to keep them affordable for 99 years.
The Sanders administration carefully nurtured neighborhood planning assemblies (NPA) in each of the city's six wards, providing them with modest budgets to deliberate and advise on projects affecting their neighborhoods. The NPAs had a voice over the use of federal Community Development Block Grant funds in their neighborhoods. Today, Burlingtonians credit the NPAs with raising the level of resident participation and discussion in local politics.
Sanders jump-started the city's participatory energies in other ways as well. Early on he established a Youth Office, an Arts Council, and a Women's Council, whose first major initiative was an ordinance requiring 10 percent of all city-funded construction jobs to be filled by women.
Sanders's track record as mayor was so successful that Burlington voters elected his CEDO director, Peter Clavelle, to succeed him in 1989. (He was voted out in 1993 but re-elected in 1995, and served until 2006.) During his 16 years in the mayor's office, Clavelle expanded Sanders's agenda. A Republican held the office from 1993 to 1995, and another independent progressive, Bob Kiss, served from 2006 through 2012. After a controversy erupted over the city-owned Burlington Telecom, Kiss declined to run for re-election.
In 2012, for the first time since Sanders's first campaign in 1981, Burlington elected a Democrat—Miro Weinberger—to serve as mayor. Although more conservative than Sanders, Clavelle, and Kiss, he has been reluctant to reverse their policies because they've been so popular. Burlington's progressives have not only held on to their main policy achievements but, after the most recent election, have gained seats on the City Council and catapulted Progressive Party member Jane Knodell into the presidency of that body.
In the 1970s and '80s, Sanders was one of a handful of mayors—including Paul Soglin of Madison, Wisconsin; Gus Newport of Berkeley, California; Ruth Goldway of Santa Monica, California; Chicago's Harold Washington; and Boston's Ray Flynn—who sought to use the levers of local government to adopt enlightened progressive policies. More than in any other city, Burlington's progressives consolidated those reforms over the long haul. The coalition that coalesced around Sanders in 1981 governed Burlington for all but two of the next 31 years.
Burlington is now widely heralded as an environmentally friendly, lively, and livable city with a thriving economy, including one of the lowest jobless rates in the country. Burlingtonians give Sanders credit for steering the city in a new direction that, despite early skepticism, proved to be broadly popular with voters.
A growing number of cities—including Seattle, New York, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Newark, and others—are now led by progressive mayors. They are adopting municipal minimum wage laws, requiring developers to build mixed-income housing, strengthening regulations against corporate polluters, and enacting other policies to address the nation's growing economic inequality and environmental crises.
What they can learn from Sanders is that good ideas are not sufficient. Creating more livable cities requires nurturing a core of activist organizations that can build long-term support for progressive municipal policies.
Peter DreierPeter Dreier is the E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics at Occidental College. He is the author of The 100 Greatest Americans of the 20th Century: A Social Justice Hall of Fame (Nation Books) and co-editor (with Kate Aronoff and Michael Kazin) of We Own the Future: Democratic Socialism, American Style (forthcoming in 2020 from The New Press).
Pierre ClavelPierre Clavel is professor emeritus of city and regional planning at Cornell University and author of The Progressive City and Activists in City Hall.


text:
Array Helper
############

The Array Helper file contains functions that assist in working with
arrays.

.. contents::
  :local:

.. raw:: html

Loading this Helper
===================

This helper is loaded using the following code::

	$this->load->helper('array');

Available Functions
===================

The following functions are available:

.. php:function:: element($item, $array[, $default = NULL])

	:param	string	$item: Item to fetch from the array
	:param	array	$array: Input array
	:param	bool	$default: What to return if the array isn't valid
	:returns:	NULL on failure or the array item.
	:rtype:	mixed

	Lets you fetch an item from an array. The function tests whether the
	array index is set and whether it has a value. If a value exists it is
	returned. If a value does not exist it returns NULL, or whatever you've
	specified as the default value via the third parameter.

	Example::

		$array = array(
			'color'	=> 'red',
			'shape'	=> 'round',
			'size'	=> ''
		);

		echo element('color', $array); // returns "red"
		echo element('size', $array, 'foobar'); // returns "foobar"

.. php:function:: elements($items, $array[, $default = NULL])

	:param	string	$item: Item to fetch from the array
	:param	array	$array: Input array
	:param	bool	$default: What to return if the array isn't valid
	:returns:	NULL on failure or the array item.
	:rtype:	mixed

	Lets you fetch a number of items from an array. The function tests
	whether each of the array indices is set. If an index does not exist it
	is set to NULL, or whatever you've specified as the default value via
	the third parameter.

	Example::

		$array = array(
			'color' => 'red',
			'shape' => 'round',
			'radius' => '10',
			'diameter' => '20'
		);

		$my_shape = elements(array('color', 'shape', 'height'), $array);

	The above will return the following array::

		array(
			'color' => 'red',
			'shape' => 'round',
			'height' => NULL
		);

	You can set the third parameter to any default value you like.
	::

		 $my_shape = elements(array('color', 'shape', 'height'), $array, 'foobar');

	The above will return the following array::

		array(
			'color' 	=> 'red',
			'shape' 	=> 'round',
			'height'	=> 'foobar'
		);

	This is useful when sending the ``$_POST`` array to one of your Models.
	This prevents users from sending additional POST data to be entered into
	your tables.

	::

		$this->load->model('post_model');
		$this->post_model->update(
			elements(array('id', 'title', 'content'), $_POST)
		);

	This ensures that only the id, title and content fields are sent to be
	updated.

.. php:function:: random_element($array)

	:param	array	$array: Input array
	:returns:	A random element from the array
	:rtype:	mixed

	Takes an array as input and returns a random element from it.

	Usage example::

		$quotes = array(
			"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have. - Thomas Jefferson",
			"Don't stay in bed, unless you can make money in bed. - George Burns",
			"We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time. - Vince Lombardi",
			"If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough. - Mario Andretti",
			"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. - Albert Einstein",
			"Chance favors the prepared mind - Louis Pasteur"
		);

		echo random_element($quotes);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Thanks, I'm not sure how this sort of thing works. Another question, what if I had it sent through mail, would they check then? It could take longer than four months with all these shipping issues and I may have to have it sent later.
*Bump* Any updates? I've been searching everywhere but no answer. Did the Rift fail to get certification here?
Any word on Korea? I heard a rumour that Korea just wouldn't be able to pre-order, is this true?
Any updates on the certification in Korea (and other countries)? I'd love to pre-order but sadly there has been no new info about Korea since the pre-orders started.
Still no word? Still 'pending'. No change.
God, I hope so! My Order Status still says 'Pending' but it would be nice to get a nice little surprise early in the week next week. My fingers are crossed.
Same problem here. I can't get past the Look Right section in calibration no matter where I look. Edit: It works for me in 1080p but not in the Rift's native resolution. I get a low framerate and peripheral borders at 1080p though.
That was trippy. I just watched Starship Troopers the other day because I hadn't seen it in about six years. I couldn't stop thinking about what a great game it would be on the Rift!
Great demo! Loved it. Definitely one of the better ones. The sharks scared the crap out of me.
This news really brought me down. Human life is so fragile and can be taken so easily. Condolences to his family and loved ones. He made the world a better place in his short time here and for that, we are all grateful.
The server is still unresponsive for me. I wanted to download it but the website linked in the OP won't connect. How odd.
I don't know why we're even trying. Iron sights are the way to go! Just program them to come up when the user rotates their head X degrees to the right.


text:
Q: Exact same one-line SASS code works in one rails project, but not another First of all this is my first time posting a question on StackOverflow. I'm a big fan. Anyway:
I was doing the Rails Tutorial by Michael Hartl when, after editing the custom.scss.css file, I suddenly got this error:

SASS Syntax error
Undefined variable: "$gray".
    (in /home/shady/workspace/ruby/sample_app/app/assets/stylesheets/custom.css.scss:4)

This isn't a problem with $gray; it is the correct way to spell and capitalize the gray SASS variable (I checked, and it works in another rails project). I simplified the custom.scss.css file to pinpoint this error, so all it contains is this:
@import "bootstrap";
  h1 {
   color: $gray;
}

In my Sample App (the rails tutorial app), I still get this error, but when I use this exact same code in another rails project that I created (to practice the things I learned in the Rails Tutorial on my own, so it pretty much mimics the Sample App), with the exact same gemset and Gemfile, this works perfectly fine. Here is my Gemfile:
source 'https://rubygems.org'
ruby '2.0.0'
#ruby-gemset=SecondTry

gem 'rails', '4.0.2'
gem 'bcrypt-ruby', '~> 3.1.2'

group :development, :test do
  gem 'sqlite3', '1.3.8'
  gem 'rspec-rails', '2.13.1'
  gem 'guard-rspec', '2.5.0'
  gem 'spork-rails', '4.0.0'
  gem 'bootstrap-sass', '2.3.2.0'
end

group :test do
  gem 'selenium-webdriver', '2.35.1'
  gem 'capybara', '2.1.0'
  gem 'libnotify', '0.8.0'
  gem 'factory_girl_rails', '4.2.1'

end

gem 'sass-rails', '4.0.1'
gem 'uglifier', '2.1.1'
gem 'coffee-rails', '>=4.0.0'
gem 'jquery-rails', '>=3.0.4'
gem 'turbolinks', '2.2.0'
gem 'jbuilder', '1.0.2'

group :doc do
  gem 'sdoc', '0.3.20', require: false
end

group :production do
  gem 'pg', '0.15.1'
  gem 'rails_12factor', '0.0.2'
end

This was working perfectly fine the last time I edited custom.scss.css, and I haven't done anything substantial since then. I haven't (at least purposefully) edited any file that I think would cause this. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling bootstrap-sass, but it hasn't worked. I believe it's a problem with SASS, but as I'm a rails newbie I have no clue on how to fix it. Any advice?

A: FIXED IT HAHAHAHAAAAAAA
It was because, for some stupid reason, I added an assets folder in the /vendor directory (probably testing something else out), and it seems that rails checks this directory for any external stylesheets and if it finds that it exists it loads from there instead of the gem (?), which is why bootstrap wasn't even processed by the Rails asset pipeline. The assets folder was empty save for a stylesheets and js folder. Once I deleted the assets folder the application started working again.

A: You need to defined your $grey var somewhere. In my rails projects i usually set a _colors.scss partial where i defined all my var and then i import them before bootsrap so i can override them if i need.
$grey:#EEEEEE;

I don't see any $grey var in the bootstrap var list (http://getbootstrap.com/customize/#less-variables).
Another idea, i don't know how you call your stylesheet in your layout. But maybe if you call application.scss only, there might be a missing  *= require where your $grey is defined.


Consolidate existing sales processes into a web-based application.
Evaluate and make recommendations for the improvement of the Shopping Basket.
"Darren worked with me for two weeks to help shape some complex user journeys for House of Fraser. He presented solutions to senior stakeholders in a calm and professional manner using appropriate models to clearly convey the features, benefits and risk of each approach. In this short time he truly absorbed himself in the task, collaborated openly with the wider team and was a pleasure to work with. The unfortunate timing of his holiday curtailed his contract with us, but if the opportunity arises, I would gladly appoint him again."
"Darren has excellent interaction design skills and great knowledge of front-ending. He has a strong eye for feasibility and is a very pleasant person to work with. Darren is critical, in the most positive sense of the word, and a strong advocate of human centered design."


There has been in the last 20-30 years, a more or less worldwide political shift to the right, which in economic terms expressed itself by a free market approach to the management of resources. This shift, which still continues to day, albeit without the same fervour, has permeated most economic sectors including the water sector, where water has been taken out of government ownership or control and moved into privately run utilities. In water resources it manifested itself by assigning private property rights to water rights, making them transferable by divorcing them from land rights and by allowing that they may be traded in the market place.


• Distribute the piping isometrics to all personnel for the drafting, checking, updating, back checking, incorporating Stress/Support, Instrument, Material comments.
• The iso controller is to ensure at each point of checking, all the applicable checking cycle Process has been carried out or not.
• Prepare the weekly isometrics progress report.
• Obtain prints and distribute to A/G Piping Group Leader and Department Head the isometric status drawn, checked and issued for construction.
• Maintain the file copy of all isometrics/Keep the isometric status listing updated.
• Monitor the Iso production to assure that established priorities are adhered to.
• Maintain an updated record of isos to be revised including all "HOLDs".
• For progress activity, extract Iso hold status when required.
• Creating the approval steps of Issued/back-checked Isometrics with the A/G Piping Group Leader and 3D Cad Administrator.
• Create the transmittal for IFC ready Isometrics for Issue to Doc controller.
• Minimum 2 years of working experience. Relevant engineering and/or construction industry experience is preferred.
• Working knowledge of piping engineering with specific experience in Isometrics review and checking is plus.
• Expert (mandatory) in MS Excel/Word/MS access (Working with Macros).
• Knowledgeable of standard drafting practices and procedures.
• Highly motivated and self-directed with strong communication skills.


text:
Чушки бюрек или само Бюрек е традиционно българско ястие.

Ястието се приготвя чрез напълване на изпечени и обелени чушки със смес от натрошено сирене, разбъркани яйца и подправки (най-често магданоз), като след това чушките се панират в разбити яйца и галета и се пържат в маслена баня.

Вижте също
 Пълнени чушки

Българска кухня

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia