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tv News 4 Today at 430 NBC November 26, 2010 4:30am-5:00am EST
so many people here so early. certainly a busy scene here. promising to remain that way until at least 10:00 tonight. we're live at tysons corner back to you. >> tha you, derrick ward. >> it's too busy. i would not go there. >> many other stores are already open to shoppers right now. as derrick mentioned, tysons corner is open and will remain open until 10:00 tonight. the premium outlets opened at midnight and will stay open until 10:00 p.m. pentagon shopng exterior will open at 5:00 a.m. fair oaks will open at 7:00. i guess that's late on a black friday. and montgomery mall will open at 6:00 a.m., although some stores opened as early as midnight. some of the bigger stores are
already letting customers shop till they drop. they bothpened at 4:00 a.m. best buy is getting ready to open at 5:00 a.m., in just about a half hour. go to nbcwashington.com and search "black friday". >> for those up and shopping in alexandr alexandria, they don't have to worry about parking. it's a special incentive for oppers to visit old town to make their holiday purchases. >> and if you go outside today, i know what's going on. all those people are getting inside into the air-conditioning because it is so bizarrely warm. 63 degrees. >> and windy too. weird weather pattn out there. >> for now. we'll have a huge change. this time tomorrow will be in the 20s. eek! >> yeah. a big drop coming in later today. it is balmy and blustery. temperatures in the upper 50s to
near 60 degrees. we have a few sprinkles owing up on radar. sohern montgomery county and right inside the beltway into northwest washington, one little shower that stretches over towards silver spring and northern arundel county. in western maryland there is a big change in temperature. colder air will be coming our way. 58 at national airport. right now in southern maryland, near 60 degrees. weather watchers on the northern neck, eastern shore, it'saround 60 degrees this morning. but mh colder air beginning to move into the mountains. right now it's down to freezing temperatures in the ohio valley. look at cincinnati. they're down to 29 degrees right now. some of that cold air is heading our way. it's a cool front triggering rain. the backside of the raichanges over to sleet there but it is quickly ending. the leading edge is coming ito
our far westerniewing area, hagerstown and points west. it's breaking off to the east. we will plummet out the 50s. 40s this afternoon. and by this time tomorrow morning, we'll be down into the 20s starting off saturday morning. so a bigchange coming in. a look at saturday, sunday, monday in ten minutes. jerry, how is trfic? off to a quiet start. i guess folks are going shopping in virginia, had ien 95, capital beltway, 66, no early concerns. h.o.v. restrictions ar back on for today. so bear that in mind. a little bit of a break yestday but not today. let's head over to the american legion bridge. inner loop and outer loop between tysons corner and the i-270 spur moving without delay. one delay. north delphi road.
traffic detoured. wilson bridge traffic a-okay so far. we are closely monitoring a developing story overseas. artillery shots have been heard again on island attacked earlier this week by north korea. tuesday, artillery fire poured down on many homes, killing four people, including two civilians. overnight, south korean military leaders said two explosive sounds were heard. so far authorities have not determined where it came from. north korea warned upcoming u.s. involved military drills are pushing the peninsula tohe brink of war. uss george washington is expected to conduct drills this weekend. a third blast inside a new zealand mine added to destruction there. emergency crews arrived to cleaned debris and reach the 29 workers o died inside. it happened almost a week to he minute after the first one.
investigators say they likely died after the first blast. a buildup of methane gas caused each explosion. utility crews trying to restore power to 400 homes in arlington. it happened at brittany condominiums well fore dinner time. jackie benson talked to some who had to find other ways for their thanksgiving day meal. >> reporter: is not usually a big deal unless it's thanksgiving and you just put the turkey in the oven. jenny led her guests away from the thanksgiving feast that would not be. the power went out at her condominium brittany. >> they showed up and there was no fire starting quart tore 3:00. i couldn't put it in until late because they were coming late, right? we had lots of lukewarm food.
>> reporter: she is a gracious host and good cook but the fooled not be the most memorable part of this thanksgiving. >> there was a turkey. it's still there. it's on the balcony in the 10th floor. if you like your turkey really, really rare, this is a great time for you to jump in and have a meal. >> so residents of the several hundred unit building spent the evening by candlelight. alex williams enjoyed an early afternoon dinner at the home of friends and came back to see their neighbors were not happy. >> there were about 20 some people. checked on them at noon time and things were okay. >> reporter: jackie benson, news 4 today. dominian virginia power said a transfoer caused that power outage. >> fir crews are still trying to figure out what caused a massive fire at a historic home
in frederi, maryland. 70511 pool jones road. the house was owned by a doctor. the home dates back to the 1760s. it has not been occupied for years. one woman who grew up in the neighborhood remembers how beautiful it was when she was invited inside as a young girl. >> oh, it's beautiful on the inside. very or nate. gorgeous house that i can remember as a kid. >> and seeing it up in flames and smoke? >> it's sad. >> property magers tell news 4 they had plaedo turn the home into a rehab center for war veterans. this morning a police officer is on leave and one man is in custody after a dramatic hostage standoff in silver spring, maryland. it happened 11:30 yesterday northern, thayer avenue. a man crashed his car into a pole and started running. he then grabbed a hostage and
shot a a tacoma police officer and he fired back. the officer is on routine administrative leave while investigats look at all the details >> 5degrees. on news 4 tonight, a sign of the season arrives here in the district >> it will certainly start to feel like winter. a check of thehilly forecast. your weather and traffic are next. but up next, forget white christmas. up 95 just a little ways they had a white thanksgiving.
wow. welcome back. 4:40. a little bit of snow. did not stop this group from burning off a few calories. check out this father/son football bowl in philadelphia. the guys say out of the seven years they have played on thanksgiving, this is the first year it snowed. wow. it will be a thanksgiving you'll never forget. >> that's the way it should be played. >> looks like fun. can't belive it snowed uthere, tom. >> we had snow through central pennsylvania. just our northern/western suburbs. didn't last long. overnight have had blustery southwest winds that swept in mild air. right now out ahead of a front we have sprinkles in northeast washington and into northern prince george's county. off to our west another patch of blue getting light rain in
washington county and western maryland and highlands of west virginia. and there's a big change in temperatures between here and where it's raining. only in the low to mid-40s in the panhandle of west virginia. closer to washington, we're in the mid and upper 50s. near 60 around the lower bay. all this associated with a front th's moving rain our way. we'll hikely have showers through midday. then later this afternoon, down to near 40 after sunset and 20s tomorrow morning. breezy and cold on saturday. sunny sunday and still cold. a bit milder monday. a look at next week in 10 minutes. some folks going shopping. some folks going to wo. new york avenue, anacostia, heading into town, third street tunnel looking pretty good this morng. we're just a little bit just a little bit of volume. let's ad over along the 395 corridor. h.o.v. restrictions, which were lifted yesterday, are back in force today.
ed sell to the 14th street bridge moving nily. new hampshire avenue northbound delphi still closed. accident investigation continues. joe and eun. >> a right, jerry, thanks very much. >> 4:42 is your time. new research areow deadly secondhand smoke really is. hear from the devoted shopper who consistently lands in the front of the line. a live black friday report is next. stay with us.
these sausage pancake bites are an amazi combination. it tastes just like my mom's sausage and pances. when i was aoungster, i always pleaded with my mother to think out of the box, to consideways to make the sausage . ha ha ha! alas, innovation was not mother's strong suit. hmm.m... nice to meet you. dunkin's new sausage paake bites. sausage inside maple-flavored pancake. 3 for $1.59 -- america runs on dunkin'. hurry in to dunkin' donuts and ab 3 sausage pancake bites for on $1.59, today. from our winter luxury edition. with essential oils infusing luxurious ribbons,
new air wick candles wrap the whole room with ribbon after ribbon of indulgent scent... like apple and sheer cinnamon. winter luxur by air wick. also available in scented oils. checking your top stories in the news for today. north korea warns that upcoming military drills are pushing to the brink of war. meanwhile, south korean auorities said they heard artillery shells today on an island attacked earlier this week by south korea but could
not tell where they lidge nated >> a third explosion inside a new zealand mine. investigators say a buildup of methane gas caused the first blast that killed 29 workers. fire crews are investigating what caused a massive fire in frerick, maryland. the home had not been aupd for years, but there were plans to turn it into a rehabilitation center for war veterans. investigators said they have not yet figured out the case. it is black friday. wur just wake up to start your shoppi spree, a lot of people have already beat you. these people were standing outside the stores for hours before they finally opened at midnight. this year for the first time a few stores opened at 10:00 p.m. >> great deals. can't beat it. >> this is how it's done. holiday tradition.
>> the line at the coach store is traditionally the longest. we talked to people who got there late yesterday afternoon. this is the sixth year e outlets have hosted midnight madness >> some have already en shopping for hours. the mall has been open since midnight and it is crowded it looks, derrick. >> reporter: it has turned into early morning madness now. i'm going to walk over here to tasha page. you said this started well before midnight. >> people were here at 100 lined up to get in the store. >> are the crowds greater or smaller than they were then. >> a lot smaller. >> and your day isn't over. you have a long day ahead of you. >> i have to head to fair oaks after. >> hope you have a lot of coffee. we're trying to restore the
economy. i guess signs here are people do have money to spend. of course that's what these retailers hope. we're live at tysons corner. now back to you. >> for some people the deals are enough to make them skip thanksgiving dayaltogether. some people spent the entire holiday camped outside best buy-in falls church. one man has been first in line for five years. >> recession, you know? save here. >> man. for those who couldn't wait sears was open on thanksgiving day. kmart in anandale was open at 6:00 a.m. to a line of people that were waiting outside. >> with all the shopping, decorating, wrapping and cooking and baking, experts advised you not to let it wear you out. psychologists say much of our holiday stress comes from unrealistic expectations. instead, doctors say you should
embrace the madness if you can. >> embrace that as opposed to try to make it better, trying to make it dressier. >> the madness, if you can, because the next best thing to peace on earth -- >> psychologist say people tend to be happiest when they're participating in rituals, much like our holiday traditions. first lady will receive the christmas tree. it will take a week for decorators to transform the tree into the centerpiece for the blue room. is year's tree comes from lleyton, pennsylvania. people will be lighting their town's christmas tree tonight. the annual tree lighting cereny starts at 7:00 at marcus square in old town. admission is free. there will be entertainment and a visit from santa claus.
he's early. the event wille held rain or shine. if you think you're busy, think of mr. claus. all these events he has to go through. >> i just put away the turkey and the fixings. >> santa embraces the chaos every year. a balmy start to this friday. we have on radar a few sprinkles showing up ahead of a cool front that are going to dramatically drop our temperatures later today. right now it's rather balmy. light rain in northern prince george's county. that light rain is heading north and east. other showers in washington county. farther west, western maryland, hilands of west virginia. right now the temperatures are balmy, washington, upper 50s to near 60. prince george's, arlington, fairfax. weather watchers reporting there as well as on the eastern shore. farther to our west ty're getting rain.
hagerstown, 42. martinsburg, 45. below freezing in ohio. cincinnati is only at 29 degrees. and farther north and west it's in the single digits in the upper midwest this morning. very cold, unusually cold air or late november coming in. you can see this area of color. this is rain. western pennsylvania, western maryland, west virginia. far western edge changes to sn. much dryer air is pushing this moisture east and it's tending to dry out as it passes east. we'll have a few psing showers this morning. sunrise, 7:02. 50s in the morning and midday. after that front goes by, a little sunshine breaking out mid to late afternoon. temperatures in the 40s by then. sunset, 4:48. late tonight, by dnight, probably near 40 degrees.
then the upper 20s in many locations tomorrow morning. our sunrise on saturday, 7:04. we'll have lots of sun tomorrow but it will be breezy and cold. nur temperatures in the 30s. sunday afternoon, bright and sunny, afternoonhighs only in the low to mid-40s again. we'll have diminished wind sunday. for monday, quite a bit of nshine. a few clouds late in the day. a bit milder. r50 degrees for highs. here's a look into next week. tuesday we'll have a front coming through once again. it may stall out a bit. showers likely on tuesday, tuesday night and wednesday. highs in the 50s. morning lowe's 40s. and chilly air moving in behin that front as we get into thursday. that's the way it looks. check weather channel on cable.
if you're traveng check out international weather there, too. how is traffic? doing pretty well on the prce george's. south passing andrews air force base, wilson bridge looking good. see if th's the case elwhere. district, 295 looking good. so far on the the drive d pavement. if you're making the trip through northeast, the sousa bridge moving along well >> this is the day a black cat could be your lucky charm. this is another story. we're talng about video game sales. this is call of duty. we'll have that story coming up. now is the time to adopt a pet. animal league of alexandria is
hosting a black friday event. you can adopt these between 1:00 and 8:00 p.m. on eisenhower avenue. prince george's county is hosting a similar event. the county's animal management group will be adopting black cats and dogs at a reduced free between noon and 6:00 p.m. that's at animal services facility in upper marlboro. an important headline in ws for or your health this morning. a new study sgests secondhand smoke kills 600 people every year. scientists found 40% of children and more than 30% of nonsmoking meand women regularly breathe in secondhand smoke. 4:54, 60 degrees still. that means we are minutes away from the moment some very cold shoppers have been waiting for. the doors are about to swing open for black friday. we will bring it to you li.
plus, sir elton john will have a royal wedding secret slip. and where drivers may soon have more to worry about than
new york city's cab drivers might soon be a little faier thanks to a proposal for a new
dress code. regulators want drivers to present a professional appearance, and that includes fines for violating the dss codes. right now they can't be fined for banned items like tank tops and swim trunks. it is expected to be approved sometime nexmonth >> sir elton john may be taking part in one of the country's biggest events. john hinted to a british radio station that he may perform at the wedding of prince william and kate middleton. the couple announced their engagement and set a week of april 29th of next year. he was a good friend of lliam's mother, princess diana, and performed at her funeral in 1997. >> just hinted, though. >> i wder what the hint was. >> right. >> i'll see you at the wedding. >> i would love to see elton john live at a wedding. in fact, that would be a nice tribute to the wedding.
all right. stay with us, everyone. news 4 continues right now at 5:00 a.m. 4:59, one minute to go before 5:00. the black fridayeals are within reach for shoppers who have spent the entire night waitg outside in the balmy temperatures, the weirdly warm temperatures following thanksgiving night. and you canee right there someone has just stepped out from the store to kind of give the people some instructions. this is a live look right now. >> i think he is explaining you have to have a ticket first to get the products that you wanted. >> he reminds me of stepping

News 4 Today at 430
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The entertainment capital of the Eastern Seaboard, Atlantic City is New Jersey's most popular resort destination. Its streets are familiar to anyone who's ever played Monopoly (the American version), but board game fans aren't the only ones who want to "take a walk on the Boardwalk". The city's beaches and the famous wood-plank walkway have attracted visitors for more than a century.
While many visitors come just for the casinos, which had revitalized Atlantic City in the late 1970s after decades of decline, if you never set foot on the beach it's fair to say you're missing the whole point. Atlantic City is more than just a gambler's haven; it's a legendary resort town like no other.
From its founding, Atlantic City has always been about tourism. It was founded in the late 19th century as a resort destination after railroad companies built track between Absecon Island (on which the city exists today) and Philadelphia. In its early days, Atlantic City catered to urban workers from Philadelphia. The heyday for Atlantic City as a beach resort lasted through the first half of the 20th century, when it fell out of favor. Atlantic City was revived after a state-wide referendum in 1976 legalized casino gambling in the city, and casinos began popping up along the boardwalk and in the Marina District in 1978.
More recently, Atlantic City's casinos have fallen on hard times due to competition from other states. Pennsylvania legalised casino gambling in 2006; Maryland, New York and Delaware have also entered the fray. Atlantic City's annual casino revenue dropped by half, from $5.2bn in 2006 to $2.86bn by 2013. Four of the twelve Atlantic City casinos closed in 2014 (Atlantic Club, Showboat, Revel and Trump Plaza); the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort permanently closed on Labor Day 2016.
Boardwalk Information Center
Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) is located about 9 miles to the west of Atlantic City along the Atlantic City Expressway. Car rentals are available in the airport, as well as taxi service and passenger vans for larger groups. Bus service via NJTransit is also available with a connection through the Pleasantville Bus Terminal. Atlantic City International Airport is a smaller airport primarily serviced by Spirit Airlines. It's poorly connected to major airports, since Spirit flights are generally bound for other tourist destinations in Florida and the Caribbean. For many travelers, it will make sense to fly into Philadelphia and drive the hour it takes to reach Atlantic City or take the train.
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is located about 60 miles to the west of Atlantic City. It is significantly larger than Atlantic City International and has more flights. SEPTA offers Regional Rail service from the airport to 30th Street Station, where travelers can connect with NJ Transit service to Atlantic City (see below).
Atlantic City was once a popular destination for commercial airlines; however, years of financial distress resulted in many scheduled services becoming discontinued and/or canceled due to lower passenger totals. Today, less than 20% of total aircraft operations are for scheduled flights, though Atlantic City is still a popular hub for private jets and general aviation, especially from the Northeast. Private aviation companies including Atlantic City Jet Charter and EvoJets offer charter flights to/from Atlantic City International Airport on a variety of private planes ranging from twin-engine propeller planes to luxury Gulfstreams.
NJTransit offers train service from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station to Atlantic City, with several stops in New Jersey. One-way fare is $10, and the ride takes about an hour and a half. The train also has several stops along the way, including Cherry Hill, Lindenwold (with connections to PATCO Speedline), Atco, Hammonton, Egg Harbor City and Absecon. Once in Atlantic City at the Atlantic City Rail Terminal, free Jitney shuttles are provided to take rail patrons to area casinos. Taxi service is available, and within two blocks is the Atlantic City Bus Terminal.
If you're coming from NYC, you can take the Northeast Corridor Line from Penn Station, New York to Trenton. Transfer to the RiverLINE light rail to Walter Rand Transportation Center for the PATCO train to Lindenwold. From there, take the Atlantic City Rail Line. This costs about $24 each way.
Atlantic City is well-connected to a number of major highways.
The Atlantic City Expressway ($3.75 toll) connects Philadelphia and South Jersey and deposits right into the center of town as well as to the Marina district and Brigantine.
The Garden State Parkway (toll) intersects the Expressway about 10 miles away from Atlantic City. It connects New York City and Cape May. A slower (toll-free) alternative is US Highway 9.
Be aware if driving into Atlantic City that parking can be quite expensive, especially if you are staying at one of the casino hotels and parking in the hotel garage.
Greyhound now offers scheduled service from Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York directly to many of the Atlantic City casinos, as well as the Atlantic City Bus Terminal. Round-trip fares are typically between $20–40, depending on the city and destination. Greyhound's website lists the routes and schedules offered, as well as the various free play offers for bus passengers.
Many charter bus operators will offer Atlantic City trips originating from other parts of New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Southern New York. Many trips will come with casino chips and/or food vouchers for patrons. This particular route is popular with senior citizens.
New Jersey Transit provides comfortable motorcoach transportation from New York City (Port Authority Bus Terminal) and many points within New Jersey to the Atlantic City Bus Terminal. Check the NJ Transit website for fare and schedule information.
There are also buses from Manhattan's Chinatown to Atlantic City.
Flickr Kamoteus (A Better Way)
The most popular way to get around Atlantic City is on the 4-mile (6.4 km) long Boardwalk (the oldest in the United States), as most of the operating casinos are on the Boardwalk. While one's feet are the most popular way of navigating the boards, there are also old-fashioned rolling chairs that can be hired. These shaded surreys are rolled up and down the length of the Boardwalk by experienced guides, who are out soliciting riders day and night. The fee is based on the distance traveled, but expect a minimum fare of $5 plus tip.
Bikes can be rented as well, with the Boardwalk being the favorite spot to ride. Note that bikes are only allowed on the Boardwalk from 6:30AM to 10AM during the summer months, so be sure to get up early. Bikes of all sorts can be rented (single, tandem). One bike rental location is B & K Bike Rental at N Carolina Ave and the Boardwalk.
Taxicabs are plentiful throughout the city. The easiest way to get a cab is to call a local service, go to a taxi queue outside of any casino, or visit drop-off points at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The maximum cost for a taxi ride within city limits for up to five passengers is $13, not including tip.
One can also travel between the casinos along Pacific Avenue, which runs parallel to the Boardwalk 1 block inland, aboard the Atlantic City Jitney , a fleet of minibuses that run 24 hours a day; the fare is $2.25. The Jitneys also run to the Marina section of the city, where the Golden Nugget, Borgata, Water Club, and Harrah's casinos are located.
Atlantic City Aquarium
address: 800 N. New Hampshire Av.
Features eight giant aquariums (including a touch tank), shipwreck artifacts, etc.
address: 1441 Boardwalk
400 exhibits of incredible artifacts.
Absecon Lighthouse
address: 31 S. Rhode Island Ave
Built in 1857 and is the tallest in New Jersey. 228 steps to the top will yield a magnificent view of the Jersey shoreline.
Lucy the Elephant
address: 9200 Atlantic Av. at Decatur Ave.
A 65-ton building built (as novelty architecture) to look like an elephant. Built in 1881 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this is one of those curious pieces of Americana that one doesn't see too much of anymore. 30-minute tours of its interior are available.
address: Park Place and the Boardwalk, just north of Bally's
Commemorates those who served in the Korean War.
Atlantic City ShowsAtlantic City has grown to be one of the north easts main stops for all large concerts and tours. With Boardwalk Hall being a great place to see a show or a world championship boxing match – the entertainment with Atlantic City Shows never ends.
Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University
address: 2200 Fairmount Ave.
African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey
Boardwalk Hall
Tallguy0187
There is plenty to do in Atlantic City. Most people go to "AC" to gamble in one of the many resorts. Atlantic City casinos offer slots, poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, keno, race and sports books and specialty table games.
Steel Pier
- located in Atlantic City
BoardwalkExplore the world's first boardwalk! The Atlantic City Boardwalk is the backbone of this seaside resort city, providing access to hotels, resorts, shops, casinos and more. Stemming from the Atlantic City Boardwalk are several piers featuring a number of attractions. Steel Pier features a small amusement park right off the Atlantic City Boardwalk with rides, games and food. Garden Pier is known as the arts and cultural center of the Atlantic City Boardwalk complete with Atlantic City historical museum and Atlantic City Art Center.
BeachAtlantic City is right on the beach at the Jersey Shore; you can go swimming, tanning, fishing, or surfing. Atlantic City is one of the few places in New Jersey where access to the beach is free. Many of the resorts are located right on the beach and boardwalk.
In addition to the beach in Atlantic City, the southern New Jersey Shore boasts many other beaches to the south including Ocean City, The Wildwoods, and Cape May - with their own boardwalks containing amusements, restaurants, shops and souvenir stores. Gambling in New Jersey, however, is restricted to Atlantic City.
Dante Hall Theater
address: 14 N Mississippi Ave
Steel's Fudge
The oldest continuously family owned & operated fudge producer in the world, Steel's has two locations on the famous Atlantic City boardwalk, and makes and sells delicious fudge, taffy, cookies, and candies.
Atlantic City Outlets
phone: +1 609 344-009
address: 2014 Baltic Ave.
Opened a few years ago and still expanding.
address: 30 N Christopher Columbus Blvd
85,000 square feet of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise.
address: 1 Atlantic Ocean
A shopping, dining, and nightlife destination built on what was an industrial pier many years ago. Home to upscale shops such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton.
Hamilton Mall
address: 4403 Black Horse Pike
About 13 miles away in Mays Landing. Anchors include J.C. Penney, Macy's and Sears.
Flickr Mike McCaffrey
Atlantic City Bar and Grill
address: 1217 Pacific Avenue
Family owned restaurant in the heart of Atlantic City offering a wide variety of seafood, steaks, and spirits in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere.
Bill's Bar & Burger
address: 777 Harrah's Boulevard
Classic comfort food and micro-brewed beers with bay views.
Dock's Oyster House
address: 2405 Atlantic Av.
Opened in 1897, continues to offer items from their original menu. Raw bar, extensive selection of sea food. The food and service are both great.
Dos Caminos
Modern Mexican cuisine, made-to-order guacamole & tequila cocktails.
address: One Borgata Way
Modern Japanese pub serving sushi, sake and robatayaki in a sensual, yet contemporary atmosphere. Tempting cocktails and sharable plates for after-hours nosh and drinks, or a delicious late night meal.
address: 2108 Atlantic Avenue
Steak and margaritas.
Sammy D's
address: 777 Harrah's Blvd
American fare by Chef Sammy DeMarco.
Tony Boloney's
address: 300 Oriental Ave
Indigenous Atlantic City pizza-joint, winner of the Guy Fieri Cheesesteak Battle, and local hang-out.
Tony's Baltimore Grill
Old-style pizza and pasta, reasonable prices, a local favorite. Some people are not sold on the place, however.
White House Sub Shop
address: 2301 Arctic Ave
Great sandwiches made from great bread, celeb pictures on the wall—look for the Beatles pics.
Street vendors on the Boardwalk sell items such as pretzels, hot dogs, pizza, salt water taffy, funnel cakes and cotton candy.
As in Las Vegas, alcoholic beverages are provided 24/7 for "free" to gamblers at the casinos. Expect options to be rather limited (i.e. well drinks and mass-market beer) unless you're a high-roller, though.
Ducktown Tavern
address: 2400 Atlantic Ave
Local sports bar with three happy hours. It's the place to go outside the casinos to watch sports and eat good wings (note, however, that other than wings the food is just OK). It's a local but friendly crowd; it's particularly popular with Atlantic City police, as the happy hours coincide with ACPD shift changes. Open 24/7, they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They carry NFL and NCAA Football packages.
Pic-A-Lilli Pub
address: 231 S. Tennessee Ave
Lauded by locals and tourists alike for its down-to-earth crowd, cheap drinks, and great bar food. The place to go for wings.
Culmone's Bar
Divey locals bar known for its good, cheap beer and attentive, sometimes-strict bartenders.
Chelsea Pub and Inn
address: 8 S Morris Ave
Good mixed drinks for relatively cheap, a pleasant atmosphere, and a laid back crowd make this pub a favorite with locals.
Most of the hotels in Atlantic City are large chain hotel/casino combinations, which means lower prices and a high level of service but uninspiring decor and neon-lit lobbies. Not exactly the place to go if you like little Bed and Breakfasts, but an easy place to find a clean bed and a continental breakfast.
Bally's Atlantic City
address: Park Place & The Boardwalk
The Borgata
address: One Borgata Way or 1501 MGM Mirage Boulevard
Luxury hotel with casino, spa, shopping, entertainment, and restaurants.
Caesars Atlantic City
address: Pacific Avenue & The Boardwalk
Clarion Inn Atlantic City North
address: 342 E. White Horse Pike
Indoor heated swimming pool, sauna, fitness center. Wi-fi, continental breakfast included.
Flagship Resort
address: Main Street & Gramercy Place (60 N. Main)
Ocean view.
Golden Nugget Atlantic City
address: Huron Avenue and Brigantine Boulevard
Spa and salon, meeting facility, bars, restaurants, 80000 square foot casino, shops and marina.
Harrah's Atlantic City
address: 777 Harrah's Boulevard
Occasionally marked down (as low as $59 a night) on hotel website.
Irish Pub & Inn
address: 164 St. James Place
old-school Irish pub/inn.
Resorts Atlantic City
address: North Carolina Avenue & The Boardwalk
Sheraton Atlantic City
address: 2 Convention Center Way
Art Deco style hotel in central location.
Showboat Atlantic City
address: 801 Boardwalk
Closed in 2014; one hotel tower has reopened under new management, but the casino floor remains shuttered.
Tropicana Casino And Resort
address: Brighton Avenue & The Boardwalk
Ocean Resort Casino
The Claridge - A Radisson Hotel
address: 123 South Indiana Ave
Birch Grove Park
address: 1700 Burton Ave, Northfield
Atlantic City has many high rise condominiums and other major hotels along the Boardwalk and Marina Districts. The Atlantic City Police Department patrols the Boardwalk via bicycle and ATV details. Like any other major city, it is always wise to be aware of your surroundings in this heavily visited tourism district. Many areas away from the casinos are significantly less safe; as of 2012, Atlantic City has the second-highest violent crime rate in the state.
Like many cities that attract money and gambling, Atlantic City has a significant population of homeless beggars. The homeless aren't aggressive and are usually found asking for change on the boardwalk. Simply say "no" or ignore them. They'll usually move onto the next person.
The casinos themselves are very well-policed and if you run into problems, simply ask security for assistance. Be careful with your winnings! There's always a chance that pick pockets are waiting for an opportunity to cause trouble. If you're lucky enough to win at the slots, but feel uncomfortable carrying large sums of cash to your car or hotel room, ask the casino for either an escort or to receive your winnings via check.
Philadelphia, 1 hour away to the northwest
New York City, just over 2 hours to the north
Allentown, home of Dorney Park, 120 miles to the northwest
Cape May and Wildwood, only 30 minutes to the south
Ocean City, only 15 minutes south on the next island
Long Port 10 minutes and still on the same island
Brigantine 2 minutes away across the Absecon Inlet, bridge located next to Harrah's
Dream out loud

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Theater Reviews: Little Shop of Horrors & The Inheritance Part 1
Official Blurb: Get close — but not too close — to LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS when it returns to its off-Broadway roots this fall! Experience the iconic musical as it was meant to be seen, in an intimate 270-seat setting. This thrilling new production stars Emmy® Award winner Tammy Blanchard ("Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows"), Tony Award® nominee Jonathan Groff (Hamilton), and two-time Tony winner Christian Borle (Something Rotten!). Together they bring succulent new life to a show that has made three decades of theatergoers laugh, scream, and give up gardening for good.
Featuring a book and lyrics by Oscar® and Grammy Award® winner Howard Ashman (TheLittle Mermaid), music by Oscar and Tony winner Alan Menken (Aladdin), and direction by Tony winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening), this LITTLE SHOP will bring you within biting distance of musical theater's favorite man-eater.
My Take: I was really excited to see this. I had actually never seen Little Shop of Horrors live professionally and this cast just had me rushing for a ticket. I was not dissapointed. Jonathan Groff was excellent, everything I expected him to be and more as Seymour. Christian Borle was a hoot in all its characters and a pleasure to watch. The only performance that didn't reach my expectations level might have been Tammy Blanchard, i just didn't fully love her as Audrey and her Something Green was not as good as expected. It is not a creative re-imagining of the show, it exactly what you expect it to be, with exceptional acting and the wonderful music that you know and love. A must watch. Og and the plant is really well done! I was impressed by the maneuvering of it.
Two Alan Menken side notes. First, how is it that this is the first time that I realize that Something Green has the same melody than Part of Your world? Mind blown, clearly i hadn't watch this show in a while and its songs are not as fully played in my musicals playlist as the little mermaid ones? Second, Seeing this show was just another day, and another reminder of how amazing Alan Menken is. that is it, that is the note.
Funny fact, my last minute ticket attempt put me square in first show which was amazing for everything other than the fact that JG is a mayor spitter whilst singing, we were a bit showered.
The Inheritance Part 1
Official Blurb: It begins with a gathering of young, gay New Yorkers.
Each has a story aching to come out…
Profoundly touching and wickedly hilarious, Matthew Lopez' highly anticipated two-part play, THE INHERITANCE, asks how much we owe to those who lived and loved before us, and questions the role we must play for future generations. Brilliantly re-envisioning E. M. Forster's masterpiece Howards End to 21st-century New York, it follows the interlinking lives of three generations of gay men. In their search for belonging, they discover that when we connect, we thrive.This epic new play by Matthew Lopez marks the Broadway debut of one of America's boldest theatrical voices and is directed by visionary two-time Tony Award® winner Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, Netflix's "The Crown"). THE INHERITANCE is a life-affirming journey of tears and laughter, through conflicts and connections, heartbreak and hope. A new play, generations in the making.
My Take: this is a beast of a show. I'm on my first 3 and a half hours ,and have part 2 to go, so most of my thoughts will come then, but i think I've seen enough to give a first take. Its not an easy watch but its a wonderfully relevant and powerful show that should be watched. The performances are spectacular. I especially enjoyed Kyle Soller as Eric Glass and Paul Hilton as Morgan and Walter. It took a while for me to get fully on board, by the end of the third act I was hooked and I'm looking forward to Part 2. My only concern after seeing part 1 is, did it need to be this long? could it have been made shorter? or if it needed to be this epic, might it not have been the novel of a generation, with potentially even broader appeal? I am off to watch Howards end, before seeing part 2 so that i fully get the analogy as I've seen it so long ago i didn't get all the references.
Posted in TheatreTagged broadway, off-broadway
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Luna is the beautiful daughter of a successful black doctor and a white mother who have given her everything she could possibly want—except an identity.
Luna's grandmother lives in Harlem and is intent on giving Luna "The Black Experience" through the church, but the harder she tries to draw Luna in, the further Luna retreats.
Against Grandma's advice, Luna falls in love with Dex, an upper class white boy she meets at private school. Dex accepts and adores the ethnicity Luna loathes and fears in herself. But just as Dex's mature sensitivity begins to draw out the black woman in Luna, he is tragically killed in a subway mugging. His killers are black, and having witnessed the murder without being able to stop it, Luna feels responsible. Her feelings of self hatred increase as she is blamed for Dex's death by his mother. Luna gets stuck in an emotional impasse, unable to accept who she is. She would love to remain there—in denial, and for years she does, but Dex has left a part of himself behind—Dex Jr. and Luna realizes that in order to raise a well adjusted bi-racial child, she must undertake a journey to integrate and love both parts of herself.
She meets two "men" along the way: Neil, an Irish cop with baggage of a racist past and D. J.'s friend Snappy, a ten year old black poet living in poverty. Despite their obvious differences, Luna and Neil fall in love and find themselves discovering Snappy's brilliance and Neil's unlikely sensitivity. Luna begins to love and appreciate the aspects of herself that Neil and Snappy represent.
But there are problems: Neil's behavior becomes hostile and violent when outsiders object to their relationship, and this forces him to admit something about his past that could destroy his relationship with Luna. Also, as Snappy becomes closer to Luna, Neil, and D.J., he begins to reject his own mother, causing great animosity manifesting in child abuse.
As the four begin to grow as a family, they face serious opposition from all factions of society. They find that even though they genuinely love each other, the society they're forced to function in has rules that keep that love from growing.


text:
Q: touchesBegan in static tableView not being called I have read several posts here about same problem, but could not understood them mostly because I am quite new in IOS development and I use swift. Also I couldn't even found a definition for term "subclassing", maybe it is obj-c only?
Anyway, I have a tableview controller with static cells, and a textfield in one cell. I need to dismiss the keyboard when the user taps on a different area while editing the textfield. After reading posts here, I changed my touchesBegan content as following :
override func touchesBegan(touches: Set<UITouch>, withEvent event: UIEvent?) {
        self.view.endEditing(true)
        self.nextResponder()?.touchesBegan(touches, withEvent: event)
        super.touchesBegan(touches, withEvent: event)
}

I still don't get the touches in tableviewcontroller which is defined as :
class addNew: UITableViewController, UITextFieldDelegate {

A: I had a similar issue on Swift 4 just to endEditing and hiding the keyboard with touchesBegan. I couldn't find a way around at first.
These two steps worked for me :

*

*To add gesture recogniser to table view in :
override func viewDidLoad() {
  super.viewDidLoad()
  tableView.addGestureRecognizer(UITapGestureRecognizer(target: self, action: #selector(hideKeyboard)))
}

*Ending editing in two ways in
@objc func hideKeyboard() {
  view.endEditing(true)
  //textField.resignFirstResponder()  /* This line also worked fine for me */
}

A: You can add a tapGestureRecognizer on top of you tableview.
Connect the tapGestureRecgonizer to a function/method.
Within that method, check if the textfield, is the firstresponder. If yes, then ask the textfield to resign first responder.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home News INDEPENDENT UGANDA
Nambooze accuses gov't of neglecting security of opposition leaders
by INDEPENDENT.CO.UG
in INDEPENDENT UGANDA
Betty Nambooze
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament Betty Nambooze Bakireke has blamed the recent invasion of her residence by unidentified machete thugs on the government failure to protect opposition politicians.
According to Nambooze, despite appearing on a list of people marked for assassination, she has never received any security protection. "There have been lists making rounds with my name on it of people that are going to be killed…. As one of the people on the list, I have never received any security detail to protect me from the wannabe assassins," she said on Tuesday.
Nambooze raised the concerns after unidentified machete-wielding thugs sneaked into her residence at Nakabago cell, Ntawo ward, Mukono municipality in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, and threatened to kill her.
"I was preparing to head to Kampala for a shadow cabinet meeting when an unidentified man stormed my bedroom and ordered me to say my last prayer as he had come to kill me," she said.
According to Nambooze, if the attackers wanted to intimidate and scare her, they successfully achieved their mission because at a certain point, she surrendered to fate.
"The man came into our bedroom while my husband was in the living room praying. He asked me to kneel down and make my last prayer before he could kill me as that was his mission," she said.
Some family sources indicate that 3 assailants, wearing black coats and armed with machetes entered their compound at around 5am. One of the attackers was seen waiting by the motorcycle while the other watched at the gate.
"They came with pangas which they left behind after a serious battle between Nambooze's husband and one of the assailants," the source told URN on condition of anonymity.
Robert Namugira who had come to meet the legislator for official business says that the assailants could have waited for Nambooze's guard to leave before they gained access to the house.
"The car which Nambooze was going to use to travel to Kampala for the shadow meeting was already in the driveway," he said. The legislator lacks security cameras which would have helped in the identification of the suspects.
Our reporter also saw two brand new pangas in a green sack that were dumped towards the end of the fence. Police sealed off the compound to comb the area for clues that might point to the attackers.
The Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Luke Oweyesigire, says investigations into the raid have commenced. "The territorial police is investigating the attack at Hon. Betty Nambooze's home," Oweyesigire said.
Adding, "two brand new pangas were discovered from the fence near a tomato garden to the legislator's home."
INDEPENDENT.CO.UG
The Independent is a newsmagazine published in Kampala, Uganda and online .
Sadhguru takes on Twitter for suspending Iskcon Bangladesh's handle
Nigerian star on raise Snazzy has released his single off his debut ep titled 'Mars'
Nigerian star on raise Snazzy has released his single off his debut ep titled 'Mars'
Cricket: Baby Cranes Target to Get Off the Mark Against South Africa


text:
EPA accuses VW of cheating on emission rules
by Chris Isidore and Peter Valdes-Dapena @CNNMoney September 22, 2015: 9:38 AM ET
Golf wins North American Car of the Year
Diesel cars from Volkswagen and Audi cheated on clean air rules by including software that made the cars' emissions look cleaner than they actually were, according to federal and California regulators.
The regulators say that the software on the cars turns on emission controls only when it detects that the car was being tested.
"The effectiveness of these vehicles' pollution emissions control devices is greatly reduced during all normal driving situations," said the Environmental Protection Agency's notice to the company. "This results in cars that meet emissions standards in the laboratory or testing station, but during normal operation, emit nitrogen oxides at up to 40 times the standard."
There are nearly 500,000 of these diesel cars on U.S. roads. The models include the VW Jetta, the Beetle and the Golf from model years 2009 through 2015, the Passat from 2014-2015 as well as the Audi A3, model years 2009-2015. The Audi luxury brand is owned by Volkswagen Group. (VLKPF)
Regulators say that Volkswagen and Audi cars were trying to evade emissions standards.
Photos - Cool cars from the Frankfurt Motor Show
Owners of the affected cars do not face health risks, according to the EPA, and can to continue to drive or sell them. But the EPA has ordered VW to recall the cars and fix the violation. No recall has yet been announced.
VW said it is cooperating with the investigation.
The EPA did not say how much VW would ultimately be fined for this infraction.
Related - Porsche, Audi unveil electric cars
Diesel cars generally get much better fuel economy than gasoline powered cars. For instance the Jetta diesel gets 36 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, according to EPA estimates, compared to 32 mpg in a gasoline-powered version. Controlling emissions from diesel engines has been a challenge for automakers, however. Emissions controls can add significantly to the cost of diesel-powered cars.
Representatives from EPA and the California Air Resources Board, which did the testing that uncovered the problem, would not say whether a change a software to correct the emissions violation would have a negative impact on the cars' performance or fuel economy.
The Volkswage Golf has won a number of awards, including Motor Trend Car of the Year, in part because of its wide range of available engine options including diesel and electric power.
CNNMoney (New York) First published September 18, 2015: 12:28 PM ET


text:
Bangkok to Pattaya Bullet Train Project is on Track
Posted on September 02, 2016 by Edwin Gramba in News Articles
One of the best things about living
in the Pattaya region is not only do we live by the sea and have access to one of the most robust and value for money real estate markets in the region, but we also get to take advantage of the region's world-class infrastructure and a wide choice of international features such as hospitals and schools. One of the most exciting infrastructure projects is the proposed Bullet Train link from Bangkok to Pattaya, which is, excuse the pun, right on track.
Bidding wars will begin early in 2017 for the contract to construct the rail link, which will give Thailand 4 hi-speed trains, penned in for completion by 2019, although some reports suggest it could be earlier. Although the Pattaya route from the capital is a certainty, plans are also in the works to extend the link to Rayong, which could take a further 2 years to complete.
The transport director general, Chula Sukmanpop, recently said that a host of suppliers will be presenting their technologies to the Thai government sometime this year, with companies from Japan, China and also Europe willing to stake their claim to supply the trains. China already has integrated similar bullet trains in their nations, so they are frontrunners at the moment to claim the contact.
The budget will also be used to link Bangkok with Phitsanulok in the North-East, Nakhon Ratchasima, Hua Hin and Pattaya by the end of this decade. Although no final decision has been made on which route will be launched first and the exact locations, the bullet train will happen.
There are a few questions from railway experts because of the time-scale given and the enormous money involved in the project and lack of profits rail links such as these generate. An official from the State Railway of Thailand recently stated, "No bullet train in the world runs at a profit with just fare-paying passengers. There will need to be a big switch from road to rail as regards freight, and we have no idea yet of the cost implications." He also noted that high-speed trains are not immune to flooding issues, which can cause railway links to close down from time to time.
Recently, Pattaya City Hall said that the proposed railway link is a very important for the city, as they are trying to turn Pattaya into a 5-star resort destination, which we can all agree with. Let's keep our fingers crossed that everything comes to fruition and that we can enjoy the fruits of this exciting new project.


New England Dance Center's award-winning team.
Over the summer, the dancers at New England Dance and Gymnastics Centers in Westfield, Mass. and Granby, have been taking home national titles and making their mark on the dance world. The competition teams headed to Starpower National Dance Competition at Mohegan Sun to compete against the best dancers in North America. Numerous overall and national titles were awarded to the NEDC dancers of all ages from the little petites to graduating seniors.
The title of top teen duo was awarded to Juliette Marzo and Marilé Marzo; the overall teen-advanced soloist was Alexandra Walz, the overall-teen national soloist was earned by Mchaley Cianfaglione, and Marlié Marzo achieved the overall senior soloist title. In addition, soloists, Juliette Marzo, Marilé Marzo, Madison Oh, and Emily Rickis achieved top soloist awards at both Legacy Nationals and Starbound National Dance Competition both held at Foxwoods.
To cap off New England Dance Center's tremendous summer, the dancers were awarded over $100,000 in college scholarships from varying organizations to continue their dance education. This was a fantastic way to end the 2017-2018 dance season and NEDC can't wait to see what this year will bring.
New England Dance and Gymnastics Centers offers a large variety of recreational and competitive programs, for all levels and any gender, from Tiny Tutus and Twinkle Toes Dance (combination classes for the younger dancer) through adults; and including styles such as Broadway jazz, hip-hop, tumbling, ballet, contemporary and tap. For a complete listing of classes and to learn more about the studio, please visit our website at newenglanddance.com or call the Westfield studio at 413-568-3731 or the Granby Studio at 860-653-1974. You can also email the studio at newenglanddanceandgymnastics@gmail.com with any questions.


text: Q: How can I enlarge the python input()? I just use input() in a .py file. I input many words in it, but it is always stuck after 1023 characters. I believe the limit in input() is larger than 1023. I want to input more words into it, and how can I do it?


Dietary nitrate (NO3-) supplementation and ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) can independently improve exercise performance. The purpose of this study was to explore whether NO3- supplementation, ingested prior to an IPC protocol, could synergistically enhance parameters of exercise.
Ten competitive male cyclists (age 34 ± 6 years, body mass 78.9 ± 4.9 kg, V̇O2peak 55 ± 4 mL·kg·min-1) completed an incremental exercise test followed by three cycling trials comprising a square-wave submaximal component and a 16.1 km time-trial. Oxygen uptake (V̇O2) and muscle oxygenation kinetics were measured throughout. The baseline (BASE) trial was conducted without any dietary intervention or IPC. In the remaining two trials, participants received 3 × 5 min bouts of lower limb bilateral IPC prior to exercise. Participants ingested NO3--rich gel (NIT+IPC) 90 min prior to testing in one trial and a low NO3- placebo in the other (PLA+IPC). Plasma NO3- and nitrite (NO2-) were measured immediately before and after application of IPC.
Plasma [NO3-] and [NO2-] were higher before and after IPC in NIT+IPC compared to BASE (P<0.001) but did not differ between BASE and PLA+IPC. There were no differences in V̇O2 kinetics or muscle oxygenation parameters between trials (all P>0.4). Performance in the time-trial was similar between trials (BASE 1343 ± 72 s, PLA+IPC 1350 ± 75 s, NIT+IPC 1346 ± 83 s, P=0.98).
Pre-exercise IPC did not improve sub-maximal exercise or performance measures, either alone or in combination with dietary NO3- supplementation.
Lower limb ischemic preconditioning combined with dietary nitrate supplementation does not influence time-trial performance in well-trained cyclists. / McIlvenna, Luke C.; Muggeridge, David J.; Forrest, Laura; Monaghan, Chris; Liddle, Luke; Burleigh, Mia C.; Sculthorpe, Nicholas; Fernandez, Bernadette O.; Feelisch, Martin ; Easton, Chris.
In: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 26.01.2019.
N2 - ObjectivesDietary nitrate (NO3-) supplementation and ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) can independently improve exercise performance. The purpose of this study was to explore whether NO3- supplementation, ingested prior to an IPC protocol, could synergistically enhance parameters of exercise. DesignDouble-blind randomized crossover trial.MethodsTen competitive male cyclists (age 34 ± 6 years, body mass 78.9 ± 4.9 kg, V̇O2peak 55 ± 4 mL·kg·min-1) completed an incremental exercise test followed by three cycling trials comprising a square-wave submaximal component and a 16.1 km time-trial. Oxygen uptake (V̇O2) and muscle oxygenation kinetics were measured throughout. The baseline (BASE) trial was conducted without any dietary intervention or IPC. In the remaining two trials, participants received 3 × 5 min bouts of lower limb bilateral IPC prior to exercise. Participants ingested NO3--rich gel (NIT+IPC) 90 min prior to testing in one trial and a low NO3- placebo in the other (PLA+IPC). Plasma NO3- and nitrite (NO2-) were measured immediately before and after application of IPC.ResultsPlasma [NO3-] and [NO2-] were higher before and after IPC in NIT+IPC compared to BASE (P<0.001) but did not differ between BASE and PLA+IPC. There were no differences in V̇O2 kinetics or muscle oxygenation parameters between trials (all P>0.4). Performance in the time-trial was similar between trials (BASE 1343 ± 72 s, PLA+IPC 1350 ± 75 s, NIT+IPC 1346 ± 83 s, P=0.98).ConclusionsPre-exercise IPC did not improve sub-maximal exercise or performance measures, either alone or in combination with dietary NO3- supplementation.
AB - ObjectivesDietary nitrate (NO3-) supplementation and ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) can independently improve exercise performance. The purpose of this study was to explore whether NO3- supplementation, ingested prior to an IPC protocol, could synergistically enhance parameters of exercise. DesignDouble-blind randomized crossover trial.MethodsTen competitive male cyclists (age 34 ± 6 years, body mass 78.9 ± 4.9 kg, V̇O2peak 55 ± 4 mL·kg·min-1) completed an incremental exercise test followed by three cycling trials comprising a square-wave submaximal component and a 16.1 km time-trial. Oxygen uptake (V̇O2) and muscle oxygenation kinetics were measured throughout. The baseline (BASE) trial was conducted without any dietary intervention or IPC. In the remaining two trials, participants received 3 × 5 min bouts of lower limb bilateral IPC prior to exercise. Participants ingested NO3--rich gel (NIT+IPC) 90 min prior to testing in one trial and a low NO3- placebo in the other (PLA+IPC). Plasma NO3- and nitrite (NO2-) were measured immediately before and after application of IPC.ResultsPlasma [NO3-] and [NO2-] were higher before and after IPC in NIT+IPC compared to BASE (P<0.001) but did not differ between BASE and PLA+IPC. There were no differences in V̇O2 kinetics or muscle oxygenation parameters between trials (all P>0.4). Performance in the time-trial was similar between trials (BASE 1343 ± 72 s, PLA+IPC 1350 ± 75 s, NIT+IPC 1346 ± 83 s, P=0.98).ConclusionsPre-exercise IPC did not improve sub-maximal exercise or performance measures, either alone or in combination with dietary NO3- supplementation.


See photos of the stained glass windows.
A tract of land, a gift from John Nail and wife, for the consideration of one dollar ($1.00) was deeded to Elders Daniel S. Redner, Israel D. Maloney, and Elbert Early of the New Hope congregation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The CPC was organized in the latter part of the year 1850 in the town of Ladonia, Texas.
The deed stated that the property be held in trust of the said congregation and they shall cause to be built for the use and benefit of the same church on said lot, a two-story structure, the upper story to be used for public worship and the lower story to be used for a school.
The two-story building was shared with other denominations. Professor S. D. Lowry was the first to teach in this building in 1861, and U.S.A. Presbyterian Church held its services there one Sunday each month. Beginning in the 1860's Rev. Robert Dunlap served as pastor, and remained for 25 years. At the close of the morning service he would always say, "There'll be preaching here tonight at early candle lighting".
The present brick edifice was erected from 1910-12. The building committee opened bids for the structure, and on July 18, 1910, the contract (which did not include windows, doors or stoves) was awarded to W. H. Markley, Commerce, Texas for $6,400. There were 16 3x7 stained glass windows at a cost of $75 each and two 9x14 large grouping of stained glass windows at a cost of $125 each. These windows were gifts from families active in the church, which included the Jacksons, Redners, Scotts, Wises and several others.
The outside trim is accented by a row of egg and dart pattern which measures nine inches wide and is in four foot sections of molded plaster. Horse hair is visible where it has broker. The egg and dart pattern is repeated in the 18" x 20" ceiling squares. This same trim exists on the Hunt County Museum in Greenville, Texas. Inside the sanctuary, the chair-organ area is separated from the main room by an arched panel of decorative fretwork.
The bell, which hangs in the Presbyterian, U.S.A. Church - now Heritage Hall - was bought in 1871. The women of the town and surrounding community gave musical entertainment, suppers, and bazaars to help raise money to purchase the bell. The balance was raised by public donations. The bell was hauled from Jefferson, Texas on a wagon as it was several years before Ladonia had a railroad. Thanks to Jim Crofford and Sid Davis, we now know more about the bell. From their reports, observations, and calculations, we know the bell is 24" tall, weight 2700 pounds, has a wooden sheel, 36" in diameter, is made of 3" cast iron, and has the number "36" on it.
The church placed an order for a pipe organ, costing $2,587.50. The pipe organ was originally built by Carl Barckhoff and installed in the Ladonia church in 1915. More than half of the cost ($1,500) was paid by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, which left the church with a balance of $1,087.50. The organ has been restored and is in regular use at the First Presbyterian Church in Mesquite, Texas.
The Ladonia Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., originally organized in the mid-19th century, erected this structure between 1910 and 1912. The building contract was awarded to W. H. Markey of Commerce for $6,400. An excellent example of 20th century mission revival style adapted to an ecclesiastical mode, the structure exhibits fine detailing and proportions with the simplicity of form. The congregation was dissolved in 1976. The character defining central parapet was reconstructed in 1997.
Location: In Ladonia at Church and Paris Streets.


You will work in a Danish private orthopaedic surgery clinic with stable surroundings, attractive working conditions and solid financial situation. You will have a better work-life balance and secure future. You can also become clinic owner in one of Europe's top welfare states, in Scandinavia, which will provide great financial potentials.
The clinic has a built-up patient circle and loyal and experienced staff. You will work in friendly atmosphere with colleagues as well as patients. Your primary tasks will be to perform front-foot and hand treatments.
Our partnering company is a Danish recruitment agency, working with recruitment of Health Care professionals to Scandinavia since 2007, and has recruited more than 100 doctors to Denmark. They have been authorized by Danish Hospitals to recruit, qualify and integrate European physicians. They offer intensive language training, good working conditions, high salaries and a family-friendly integration program.


Tiny Titans: The First Rule of Pet Club… – Now Read This!
DC's Cartoon Network imprint was arguably the last bastion of children's comics in Americaand consolidated that link between TV and 2D fun and thrills with stunning interpretations of such television landmarks as Ben 10, Scooby Doo, Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory and others.
The kids' comics line also produced some truly exceptional material based on TV iterations of their proprietary characters such as Legion of Super Heroes, Batman: Brave and the Bold and Krypto the Super Dog as well as material like Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! which was merely similar in tone and content.
Perhaps the imprint's finest release was a series ostensibly aimed at beginning readers but which quickly became a firm favourite of older fans and a multi-award winner too.
Superbly mirroring the magical wonderland inside a child's head where everything is happily mixed up together, Tiny Titans became a sublime antidote to continuity cops and slavish fan-boy quibbling (erm, uh… I think you'll find that in…) by reducing the vast cast of the Teen Titans Go! animated series, the greater boutique of the mainstream comicbooks and eventually the entire DC Universe to little kids and their parents/guardians in the wholesome kindergarten environment ofSidekickCityElementary School.
Collecting issues #19-25 (spanning October 2009 – April 2010) of the magically madcap and infinitely addictive all-ages mini-masterpiece, this fourth volume begins on a romantic note with Deep in Like.
Art Baltazar and co-creator Franco (Aureliani) have mastered a witty, bemusingly gentle manner of storytelling that just happily rolls along, with the assorted characters getting by and trying to make sense of the great big world having "Adventures in Awesomeness". The method generally involves stringing together smaller incidents and moments into an overall themed portmanteau tale and it works astoundingly well.
After a handy and as-standard identifying roll-call page 'Imagine Me and You…' finds scary blob Plasmus and tiny winged Bumblebee brighten up each other's drab day before a similar cupid moment affects the Brain and M'sieu Mallah whilst the diligent Robin finds his attempts to finish his homework disturbed by a succession of pesky lasses including Starfire, Batgirl and Duella all caught up in a 'Like Triangle'.
'Dates' sees Bumblebee and Plasmus inadvertently cause chaos during an afternoon movie monster mash and even the 'Intermission' after which a sly sight gag for the oldies derides the company's many Wonder Girls in 'Jump Rope'.
The hallowed anthropoid obsession of DC is highlighted in 'New Recruits' when Beast Boy chairs a meeting of the Titans Ape Club after which The Kroc Files finds ultimate butler Alfred, roguish reptile Kroc and Plasmus each demonstrating 'How to Enjoy a Lollipop'.
There's a brilliant vacuum-packed bonus pin-up of the Tiny Titans in space from Franco before Hot Dogs, Titans, & Stretchy Guys! finds the kids back on solid ground and wrapped up with the DCU's many flexible fellows as 'Offspring into Action' introduces Plastic Man's excitably bonny boy.
In 'Just Playing and Bouncing' when Bumblebee spends some time with the diminutive Atoms Family she loses control of their Teeny-Weeny, Super Duper Bouncy Ball and accidentally gets Plastic Man, Offspring, Elongated Man and Elastic Lad all wound up before helplessly watching it bowl over Principal Slade and Coach Lobo in 'Coffee Dog Latte'.
That compressive cow-juice causes more trouble in the 'Epilogue' before a Blue Beetle puzzle clears the mind prior to an outrageous ending in Superboy Returns! in a fairly cosmic crossover – with additional scripting from Geoff Johns.
When Conner Kent shows up all the girls are really impressed and distracted, whilst across town Speedy is trading a lot of junk he shouldn't be touching to Mr. Johns' Sidekick City Pawn Shop and Bubblegum Emporium in 'Brightest Day in the Afternoon!' When Starfire and Stargirl then buy the seven different coloured "mood rings" from the shop they and BFFs Duella, Batgirl, Wonder Girl, Terra and Shelly, are turned into Green, Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Violet and Indigo Lanterns!
Soon the Tiny Titans are up in the air again and ticking off the Guardians of the Universe and their Green Lantern Corps.
Despite being ostensibly aimed at super-juniors and TV kids, these wonderful, wacky yarns – which marvellously marry the heart and spirit of such classic strips as Peanuts and The Perishers with something uniquely mired and marinated in pure comic-bookery – are unforgettable tales no self-respecting fun-fan should miss: accessible, entertaining, and wickedly intoxicating. What more do you need to know?
Previous PostPrevious Benny and Penny in Lights Out!


Affect and effect are often mixed up. With only one letter difference, it can be confusing. However, if you remember that affect with an a is a verb and effect with an e is a noun, it helps immensely.
Affect means "to influence," so if you ask yourself when writing if this is the meaning you want, you'll probably use the proper word.
The book affected me deeply.
Effect is like a result. If this meaning fits what you're writing, use the e.
Of course, like most things, there are exceptions to this rule.
If you are using affect in regards to psychology, you can use it as a noun. It is often used in this way to describe a mood in psychological terms.
Her face reflected a sad affect.
Likewise, effect can be used as a verb in special cases when you want to "bring about" something.
The mothers hoped the nurse-in would effect the change they wanted.


text:
Q: How do I skip a breakpoint a set number of times in Java's jdb? How do I skip a breakpoint a set number of times in jdb?
jdb's help provides this hint:
!!                        -- repeat last command
<n> <command>             -- repeat command n times
# <command>               -- discard (no-op)

When I attempt to skip breakpoints n number of times however, like this:
80 cont

or like this:
80 run

jdb barfs:
main[1] 80 cont
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.

Breakpoint hit: main[1] > Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.Exception in thread "event-handler" java.lang.NullPointerException
        at com.sun.tools.example.debug.tty.TTY.printCurrentLocation(TTY.java:212)
        at com.sun.tools.example.debug.tty.TTY.vmInterrupted(TTY.java:189)
        at com.sun.tools.example.debug.tty.EventHandler.run(EventHandler.java:86)
        at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)

> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.
> Nothing suspended.

What is happening here? How can I get the desired behavior?
Version:
> version
This is jdb version 1.6 (J2SE version 1.6.0_16)
Java Debug Interface (Reference Implementation) version 1.6
Java Debug Wire Protocol (Reference Implementation) version 1.6
JVM Debug Interface version 1.1
JVM version 1.6.0_17 (Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM, mixed mode, sharing)

To clarify, I am debugging remotely. For example, my first window starts like this:
% java -Xdebug -Xrunjdwp:transport=dt_socket,address=8000,server=y,suspend=n LZWDecompress

and my second window starts like this:
% jdb -connect com.sun.jdi.SocketAttach:hostname=localhost,port=8000

A: Unfortunately, the breakpoints in jdb do not offer any fancy features, such as conditional breakpoints or "stop every n iterations".
However, since you are connecting remotely anyway, you might want to consider using the debugger in your editor, since most editors will let you connect to remote machines. Since most of the debugging work is done in the JVM, and only display is done by the editor, it won't be that much slower than using jdb.

A: This is not exactly answering your question, but a quick workaround could be to set some global counter variable and do
if(counter>=num_skips)
    {counter++;} //set breakpoint on this line
else
    {counter++;}

A: Would using an ide like eclipse or netbeans be acceptable for you?
Both offer hitcounters and other forms of conditional breakpoints.


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text:
In these literal and figurative dark times, what we need is the light of Our Lady of Dungeons & Dragons to shine forth upon us. In that vein, I'd like to run a campaign of D&D online, Wednesday lunchtimes, 12-2pm UK time. It will be a weekly game, probably starting next week (the 20th) or, failing that, the week after.
I would like to run a megadungeon inside a giant tree, which I am currently mapping and keying.
If you are interested, contact me at noismsgames AT protonmail.com. You get special priority if you were in my Cruth Lowlands game from days of yore (you know who you are; I've lost everybody's email addresses).
Megadungeons on A1 Scrolls
Yesterday, I discovered that my stationery cupboard at work has a huge stash of A1 notepads. Of course, work stationery exists only to be pilfered, so I will help myself to one sooner or later, but a great idea (great to me, at any rate) popped into my head as well the moment I saw them: megadungeons on A1 scrolls.
I have experimented in the past with mapping dungeons on A3 paper because it allows you to easily include both map and key on the same page (the latter either situated in a box in a corner or as notes within/next to rooms), with space to breathe, cutting out the need to flip between pages or files. How much truer would this be of A1 paper? Especially if the whole thing (or at least an entire, sprawling level) could be made to fit on one sheet. If so, it would be a simple matter to carry round a megadungeon rolled up in a tube, whether as one sheet or several. Pop a sheet of house rules in with them, and you're ready to go. The advantage of the scroll is also that one does not need to unwind the whole thing - just the cross section where the action is happening.
I would much prefer to run a dungeon from a scroll than from a book, if only for the vibe, man.
The Forgotten Hobbit
I went with the family to visit my aged mother over Christmas. Having finished all the books I'd brought with me earlier than I expected, I was at a loss for bed-time reading, so I rooted through the shelves and discovered this old 1970s edition of The Hobbit:
You have to love that old school cover.
I probably last read The Hobbit about 7 or 8 years ago - enough time to forget lots of little details. As these came back to me, it gave me cause to reflect on the evolution of the fantasy genre; a lot of Tolkien's ideas have been picked up and run away with during the course of the last 50-70 years, but there are a number which simply haven't. Indeed, as you read The Hobbit now, you encounter many little throwaway lines that have had almost no impact on the development of the fantasy genre and which, if they had, may have altered its flavour considerably. For example:
Wicked dwarves allied with goblins. For some reason dwarves being the enemies of orcs and goblins has become a trope, but here on p. 58 of my edition we find: "[Goblins] did not hate dwarves especially, no more than they hated everyone and everything, and particularly the orderly and prosperous; in some parts wicked dwarves had even made alliances with them." Although there are shades of Warhammer chaos dwarves and their alliance with hobgoblins, here.
Weapons which gain power when a particular foe is around. We're used to depictions of elvish weapons glowing to reveal the presence of orcs, and we're also used to weapons which eat souls or gain power from shedding blood, or whatever. But Glamdring gets sharper just because goblins are nearby. From p. 60 - "It burned with a rage that made it gleam if goblins were about; now it was bright as blue flame for delight in the killing of the great lord of the cave. It made no trouble whatever of cutting through the goblin-chains and setting all the prisoners free as quickly as possible."
Gollum wears trousers. Okay, so not exactly a trope, but I think everybody now has the image of Peter Jackson's Gollum in their heads when they now imagine the character. But he originally had pockets, and thus surely trousers. From p. 73 - "[Gollum] thought of all the things he kept in his own pockets: fish-bones, goblins' teeth, wet shells, a bit of bat-wing..."
Giants. Even Tolkien himself seemed to forget that there were giants in Middle Earth once - they don't appear in The Lord of the Rings or The Silmarillion unless I am horribly mistaken. But they're there in The Hobbit. On p. 88 - "'I must see if I can't find a more or less decent giant to block it up again,' said Gandalf [referring to a mountain pass through which goblins are coming], 'or soon there will be no getting over the mountains at all.'" They appear to be good giants as well.
Animal Fantasy. On p. 115 - "Inside the hall it was now quite dark. Beorn clapped his hands, and in trotted four beautiful white ponies and several large long-bodied grey dogs. Beorn said something to them in a queer language like animal noises turned into talk. They went out again and soon came back carrying torches in their mouths, which they lit at the fire and stuck in low brackets on the pillars of the hall around the central hearth. The dogs could stand on their hind legs when they wished, and carry things with their fore-feet." Later there are sheep serving dinner and ponies helping set the table.
Talking giant spiders. We're all used to giant spiders, but Tolkien's talk. Not for him the boring concept of 'Animal (1)' intelligence. On p. 145 - "[T]hen in the silence and stillness of the wood he realised that these loathsome creatures were speaking one to another. Their voices were a sort of thin creaking and hissing, but he could make out many of the words that they said. They were talking about the dwarves! 'It was a sharp struggle, but worth it,' said one. 'What nasty thick skins they have to be sure, but I'll wager there is good juice inside.'
Elves who like a piss-up. On p. 164 - "Then Bilbo heard the king's butler bidding the chief of the guards good night. 'Now come with me,' he said, 'and taste the new wine that has just come in. I shall be hard at work tonight clearing the cellars of the empty wood, so let us have a drink first to help the labour.'" They end up getting shitfaced and blacking out. These are not your father's elves, are they?
The tone of The Hobbit is different because it's for children, of course, but also because Tolkien's ideas clearly developed a lot in between its publication and writing The Fellowship of the Ring. Who knows what would have emerged if The Lord of the Rings had never been written and The Hobbit had remained the genre's ur-text?
An Old Friend for a New Year
This year, I intend to do some real work on the Fixed World. Probably released via a Patreon (or similar) model, with each release being a segment of the map, pre-written content, and tables for generating more - enough so that you could easily run an entire campaign with the material provided in each one.
Here is a work in progress world map, at a 50-mile per hex scale. Not finished, because as if the whole idea wasn't absurdly ambitious enough, I want ultimately to try to detail the seas and oceans as well. I also need to fiddle around with the position of things and add pack ice and so on - and, more importantly, the 'time zones'.
Of Sparse and Dying Earths
There is a spectrum of sparseness for fantasy and SF worlds.
On the left hand side is 'For a Breath I Tarry', the Zelazny short story in which an entire planet is populated by two robots. On the right hand side are the high fantasy worlds of D&D and modern commercial fantasy fiction, which are crowded and thronging with life. Some other examples off the top of my head, going roughly from left to right: Viriconium, Hyborian earth, Urth, Bas-Lag, Mystara.
An observation: as the genre has matured, its settings seem to have tended more towards the dense than the sparse. The big commercial fantasy worlds nowadays are often filled with peoples, cultures, complex societies and economies. (Think A Song of Ice and Fire - there is a lot going on in that world, isn't there? An awful lot of Sers and Houses and people being murdered in novel ways or shagging their sisters.) Those of long ago seem comparatively empty. (At times you almost feel as though Tolkien knows the names of literally everybody living in Middle Earth.) Is this perhaps to do with the influence of D&D and other fantasy RPGs, and the explosion of interest in world-building and monster creation which followed? Indeed, is there a 'structural bias' in D&D towards the dense setting, because of the assumption that there is a large pool of low-level murder hoboes roaming the land, and an infrastructure to support them?
Another: not wanting to start a politics flame war, but is there a tendency for conservative writers to more readily embrace the sparse setting? A sparse setting is one which is in decline (Middle Earth, Lyonesse), or dying (Urth); a dense one is developing, optimistic, fresh. A sparse setting is one which a rugged individual can make his (or her) own; a dense one is one which leads more naturally to stories of intrigue, politicking, sociality. I've often thought that Jack Vance's old school libertarianism manifested itself most strongly in the geography of his settings, which are big, open, and often so empty of people that there is almost nothing to constrain the ambition or freedom of his heroes.
A third: this may seem a banal point, but dense settings naturally lend themselves to nerdish pursuits and 'geeking out', because there is just so much more stuff to learn about, to memorise, to know. Middle Earth is perhaps an exception here, because its history is so detailed (and also because after the Peter Jackson films there was an explosion of spin-offs), but generally speaking older, sparser settings are easily summarised and understood, and neither require nor inspire much in the way of homework.
I feel the attractions of both types of setting. I love the sheer exuberance of a Mystara or a Bas-Lag. But I feel the pull of the near-empty sword and sorcery world, in which every single NPC is larger than life, special, rare, dangerous. One does not need to restrict oneself to beer or wine for all eternity.
Ok, let's do this.
Best Blog: The age of the dinosaurs has ended, and the blogosphere is now roamed only by furtive ancestral mammals and scraggy feathered things that will one day approximate birds. Still, Age of Dusk promises the dawn of a new age of mighty beasts whose size may one day rival the titans of yore. This year was a good one for him.
Best Review: The aforementioned's review of Veins of the Earth, which manages to be both readable, detailed, fair, and constructive in critique. (Part I is here; there are two others.)
Best Blog Entry by Somebody Else: It might actually be this, although making it a recent one feels like cheating.
Best Entry of Mine: I have to be honest: this was not a vintage year for my blog. Looking back at the entries I wrote this year, I have the feeling that I was phoning it in half of the time. I'm sorry for that. I quite like this entry though, and this one.
Best RPG Product: The only game product I think I bought and actually read and used in 2020 was Ryuutama, so it wins by default, even though I found it disappointing.
Best SF, Fantasy or Horror Book Read: Jack Vance's The Palace of Love. I read all of the Demon Princes series this year; I liked this one best. Here is my Goodreads review (add me if you like):
There is something profound at work in this book, which like all of Vance's fiction is a deliciously sweet slice of pulp that hints at something much deeper. A meditation on love, identity, sex, power, insecurity, vanity, monomania, and meaning? It's all of those things, and the fact that you can never quite see the results of that meditation - just glimpse them from behind an opaque glass screen, like Falusche's face itself - makes them all the more important. (*What*, though, to those who have read the book, is the meaning of the druids and their tree?)
Best SF, Fantasy or Horror Viewing: Does 'The Inner Light' count?
Best Gaming Experience: Without doubt it has to be my 'Riding A Giant Tadpole Over a Massive Waterfall and Falling Into a Plunge Pool Full of Giant Pikes' mini-game which I created for Ryuutama (I will put up the rules for this onto the blog one day). Sometimes something you create for next week's session really just pays off.
Best Cancellation: It has to be the Adam Koebel thing, which even I heard about. I am not a fan of the concept of cancellation, but there is just something too precious about a self-righteous proponent of 'safety tools' in games live-streaming a session in which one of the PCs is sexually assaulted and the entire group quits in disgust. To quote GK Chesterton's introduction to Aesop's Fables: "[S]uperiority is always insolent...pride goes before a fall...and [there] is such a thing as being too clever by half. You will not find any other legend but this written upon the rocks of any hand of man. There is every type and time of fable: but there is only one moral to the fable; because there is only one moral to everything."
The Allure of the Apocalypse
I've just finished a bit of light Christmas reading - John Carey's The Intellectuals and the Masses: Pride and Prejudice Among the Literary Intelligentsia, 1880-1939. Despite the intimidating title, it turns out to be an amusing, sometimes even laugh-out-loud funny read, but also rather blithe and superficial. Carey's thesis is simply stated. It is that the modernists (DH Lawrence, Ezra Pound, TS Eliot, Virginia Woolf, Wyndham Lewis, Jean Rhys, EM Forster, etc.), were almost all dreadful snobs who often entertained fantasies of genocide perpetrated against 'the masses' - and that Hitler's own such fantasies stemmed from a similar kind of snobbery. And, naturally, Nietzsche was to blame. The book is mostly a gleeful collection of quotes cherry-picked for evidence in support of this (deliberately) provocative idea.
The book is vicious and lacking in generosity. Yes, undoubtedly many of the people Carey skewers were elitists and said silly things in the course of their lives (who hasn't?). But as this goes on, chapter after chapter, one increasingly begins to feel some sympathy for those, like Wells, Lawrence, or Eliot, who worried about the ecological devastation that would follow from overpopulation and economic development, and the corrosive effects of mass consumerism on the culture. Those worries were often expressed in sweeping and over-exaggerated (not to mention ridiculous and sometimes disgusting) ways, but it is hardly absurd to have had them at all. Moreover, I think there is something entirely normal, maybe even natural, about entertaining fantasies of being able to escape from 'the mass' and have the world to oneself. Who hasn't, at times, thought fleetingly about how great it would be if there were no, or very few, other people in the world? (Except perhaps a few attractive and promiscuous specimens of the sex of your choice.) Who hasn't occasionally in an idle moment been struck that it would be wondrous if one could experience, if only for an afternoon, a world after people?
There is nothing wrong with that thought - it doesn't make you an incipient Nazi or psychopath. It is the inevitable, occasional flight of fancy of an individual member of a social species living in conditions of hypersociality in which it can be difficult to feel as though one is important and distinct, combined with an undoubted yearning which each of us feels - some more than others - for connection with a natural world from which we are increasingly alienated.
An apocalypse would be dreadful. But there are moments when it has its allure. I was struck by this thought earlier today while walking with a friend and fellow blogger on a local tidal island. Windswept, desolate, silent of traffic noise, it was easy to imagine the feeling of being alone in such a place in the aftermath of a war or plague. Just you and the grass, the beach, the sea, the golden sunlight streaming through the clouds onto the hills in the distance - and a few cormorants, oystercatchers and a stray heron minding their own business nearby. Bliss. No, I wouldn't like to live on Gamma World. But it might be nice to visit for a day.
Pathfinder and the Appeal of Crunch
In the comments on this post, Patrick Stuart asks:
Do you think Pathfinder is finally uncool enough that we can adopt it and do the pretentious version?
This was in a response to the suggestion that Pathfinder is struggling, 5th edition D&D having basically eaten its breakfast.
I have no idea whether this is true or not. What I do know is that Pathfinder's 2nd edition, despite billing itself as being "easier to learn and faster to play", comes in a core rule book 640 pages long, so it really wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't exactly selling like hot cakes. Was this game ever going to appeal beyond the niche of disgruntled players of 3rd edition D&D still upset about 4th edition? It was, in essence, their OSR, so would one really expect it to be much more than a tiny corner of the market once Wizards of the Coast got its act together?
With all of that said, I do occasionally find myself vulnerable to the siren song of playing complicated and crunchy games. I think this is the wargamer in me. A detailed combat system like Cyberpunk 2020's makes tactics really matter in a way that in a faster and looser game they simply can't, and there is a lot of enjoyment to be squeezed out of even very simple fights when what happens is messy and difficult to resolve. You don't get many of those combat encounters you get in D&D (which are a feature of every campaign I've ever been involved in, as a player or DM) when it's late in the session or everybody is keen to move on from the fight and everything just descends into "Ok, I roll to hit...and miss...the orc rolls to hit...he hits...take 2hp damage...now I roll to hit..." When combat rules are gritty and complicated, that often serves in itself to make combat feel like it has high stakes.
At the same time, though, the beauty of crunch is that it provides mechanical variety. In the end, there isn't really a great deal of difference between creatures in an OSR variant of D&D except at the aesthetic level. An orc is basically the same as a hobgoblin, an elf, a dwarf, a bandit, etc. There are, of course, ways to make them interesting, and we've been talking about that for well over a decade now in this neck of the woods. But the fact of the matter is, when monsters have lots of stats and abilities - when, in short, a game is crunchy - then the differences between them are readily apparent, and matter. This has its advantages. It elevates the stakes again; these hobgoblins may look like orcs, but they are not the same, and the differences might surprise you.
I don't have the time or inclination to sit down and read a 640 page long RPG rule book and properly digest it. But if I did, I have a feeling I might in the end enjoy it.
The Romance of Central Asia
When I was 18, I spent a summer in Kyrgyzstan working as a volunteer with street orphans. This sparked a romantic flame in my heart for Central Asia which, although dimmed by time, has never been extinguished.
For a person from a small, wet, green and crowded island on the edge of a continent, there is something unspeakably exotic about the Eurasian landmass to begin with - the empty vastness of it is about as distant from one's geographical experience as it is possible to get without going under the sea, or to the South Pole. Everything about Britain is modest. Our highest mountains are really just big hills. Our biggest lakes are mere ponds. Our mightiest rivers would barely register as minor tributaries of an Amazon or a Mississippi or a Volga or a Nile. Our summers are not hot. Our winters are mild.
Central Asia is the opposite. Never mind the scale of the mountains, the hugeness of the steppes, the lakes (Baikal, Balkash, Caspian) which dwarf entire countries. The sky itself is bigger there: a great blue gulf that hangs above you, distant and endless and coldly beautiful, under which your affairs can only feel as though they have the most trivial significance if any at all. It's no wonder the steppe peoples of long ago - and today, indeed - made it into their god. How could one not, when it is so manifestly and ineluctably there wherever you go?
Finding oneself unmoored in this colossal ocean of land, one has the sense of entire societies, peoples, civilizations (Tocharia, Dayuan, Kwarezm, Massagetae, Alans, Xiongnu...) becoming lost in its emptiness, like flotsam borne away on the surface of the sea - slowly but inexorably growing ever distant from each other and all around them as the decades, centuries, millennia unfold. A feeling that human history is nothing more than the comings and goings of items borne on tidal currents washing from East to West and back again, a process with neither beginning nor end nor meaning in between. Scythians, Greeks, Sogdians, Mongols, Turks; there and back again, and the earth enduring under their hooves. This is the truth of it everywhere, of course, but it is only on the galling scale of the Eurasian landmass that one cannot escape it by losing oneself in the crowd, as we in Western Europe do.
This map above all excites me. The Eastern hemisphere in 200 AD. Who needs a fantasy setting when this lies before you?
But these images manage to do it too:
The State of OSR Adjacency
I am very positive and hopeful about the future of the OSR and those, like me, who are "adjacent" to it. (I hate the word "adjacent", by the way. Partly because of the daft way it's used, but mostly because of how it looks on the page. It's aesthetically nasty. "Eels" is another one, when the initial E is capitalised. It just looks wrong. But anyway.) It is true that blogs are not what they were and there is much less dialogue taking place between the big ones. And G+ has gone. But this is all to the good. For me, the disappearance of "community" and all the crap that went with it is a mercy. (Possibly it exists on Discord, but I never go there and am not really sure what it is.) We can now concentrate on playing and making things for games, and abandon gossip, drama, and social signalling.
The OSR has won its war. D&D is now free from the clutches of any one company, 'gatekeeper' or owner and is, instead, a freely available and universal pastime like chess, knitting or squash. (Melan has already pointed this out.) This is no mean achievement. No, it doesn't matter a jot in the grand scheme of things. But it is a significant psychic victory in humanity's endless war against the forces of overbearing technocratic order and control. D&D is for anyone who wants it. It has become part of our common heritage.
The beauty of this is that, ironically (because undoubtedly the OSR is partly a market phenomenon and indeed in a sense created a market where there was none before), it means that D&D has become a space unmediated by the market. You don't need to buy anything to do it now. You never did, of course, not really, but now one can say it with a bit more conviction. It is something we can simply share in as human beings. On the level. Together. Me and you and whoever wants to join in. This is a good thing. Just as good is that if one wants to try to make a living at it one can do that too: that it allows one to take advantage of the very humane and beautiful impulse that underpins markets and ultimately capitalism - to trade a thing of value for something one values in return, and thus to make both parties better off from the exchange. That the OSR is both not about money but also about money at the same time is part of what will make it last.