text:
Lee Hyun's First Class
Lee Hyun got onto the bus.
'Whew, it's finally day to go to college, huh.'
For other people, their chests might be bursting with glee when they go to a university. The college life is one fill with a variety of good times: extracurricular activities, MT (membership training), and being part of the clubs. It's also a collection of various knowledge and education, a great place to gain experiences.
However, in Lee Hyun's view, it was crap.
Endlessness. Darkness. Despair!
He should have been fully devoted to Royal Road in order to make money instead of going to school.
As the sighing Lee Hyun continued, a conversation the female college students drifted into his ears.
"What courses are you attending for your major on Monday?"
"I enrolled in advance process of Regenerative Medicine, since I wanted to learn more about joint treatments."
"Really? That's great. I'm also going to it. Words going around that Professor Hanh Minsoo are really good at teaching it. What about you, Soyun."
"Major's Molecular Biology."
"Whew! That's tough. Bet the tests' are killers."
Three female college students are having a lively conversation.
There were many female college students coming to the University via buses so it wasn't a strange thing.
'They're probably medical students.'
'Pretty cute girls…'
'Good at studying also.'
Some passengers on the bus eyed the female college students with envy.
However, Lee Hyun thought the opposite.
'I pity them.'
That's six years of college!
The Medical field tuition is significantly more expensive than that of other majors. Even if one came from a decent household.
But in most cases, the Ministry of Education and the bank joined hands and prepare a system.
Student loans.
To receive student loans for nearly six years for the University; once you get out, it'd be debt piled on debts!
'Tsk.'
Unknowingly, Lee Hyun's tongue got cold.
Though unlike what really was happening, the female college student took it another way when she saw it.
"Ah Soyun, there's a man over there looking at you drooling!"
"He seems to be the best looking guy on the bus."
"Go and say something."
The two girls forcibly urged the girl named Soyun on.
Soyun then came over to Lee Hyun as she was told.
"Sorry. I don't plan to have a boyfriend since I want to focus on my studies."
She said carefully and soothingly, as to try not to offend him.
Lee Hyun sighed deeply and replied instead of a simple bow of the head.
"I apologize that my behavior was misleading. So here's my two cents on girls. You female college students drink coffee which is extremely expensive rather than just simply……"
Deed rooted prejudice against woman!
He deliberately and annoyingly explained just that bit and then slumped his head.
Sleeping on the bus helps plenty when you lack sleep while recovering your vitality! (as in quit drinking coffee and sleep more.)
Soyun watched the scene and didn't know what to do.
'She alright? Was it too shocking?'
Until they've arrived at the Korea University, Lee Hyun kept his head stationary like that.
"Deureureong, kuwuool." (snoring)
The girls' bitterness grew as he pretended to sleep.
'This makes it look as if we're the bad people.'
'Still, he was too severe to Soyun.'
'I want to ask for his contact info…'
The misunderstand increased when Lee Hyun arrived at the school and at his classroom.
The university's lecture hall was large and magnificent, and was stocked with various state-of-the-art equipment.
Lee Hyun victimized himself.
'This is where my tuition goes?!!'
Since the tuition money was already officially paid to the university, the cut was even deeper!
Since the money was gone, the resentment filled up quickly resolved.
'Hayan also, is taking classes.'
Lee Hayan has a different major, so she didn't have class on Monday. The only time where they were in the class was Liberal Arts on Friday.
'Anyway, let's enter the classroom.'
He did not know anybody in the class.
The senior student threw several welcoming parties and had invited him several times. The motive was that to have the students get acquainted with one another, form friendships from the curriculum, but Lee Hyun didn't go.
The fee was 20000 Won. (20bucks)
Nothing in this world exists for free.
He even skipped the Admission Ceremony a week before. Usually, for most, at the beginning of the new semester shouldn't be a time for them to be late.
In other word, the moment he first stepped into the class was his first time ever.
"Who is he? Don't seem to recognize him."
"Is he a returning senior?"
"I think he's on the waiting list. What his student ID?"
The students who were taking the class noticed him and whispered among themselves.
Lee Hyun steadfastly ignored them and took a seat, and then opened up his laptop.
An old, outdated laptop.
It was a relatively inexpensive item from the marketplace on the internet. It was heavy and crude, but the performance wasn't that far behind others.
However, Lee Hyun's face lit up with embarrassment.
'I don't have any books.'
The lecture was on the Existence of Virtual Reality.
He didn't know what kind of textbook to get so it had completely slipped his mind.
Lee Hyun was sitting there in embarrassment when a book slipped in the middle from the girl sitting beside him.
"You can share with me."
"No problem. likewise to Seonbae-nim too." (Senior classmen.)
Lee Hyun took a bit to explain.
"So you can be at ease. Im not a Seonbae."
The girl then, persisted.
"Seonbae-nim, please do not joke like that."
Freshman girls seemed to treat many males like poison, at the same while only be interested in their Seonbae. So she took what he said as a joke.
"I really am not a Seonbae……"
Suddenly the misunderstand became unpleasant.
Since he didn't show up at the Admission Ceremony, he didn't make acquaintances with anybody; and surely, the people in this class wouldn't want to hear this conversation.
'I have no choice.'
Lee Hyun gave up on it.
Letting the misunderstanding fizzle out on its own was the best method.
Shortly afterward, he dove into the lecture the professor was teaching. Since the subject the teacher was teaching caught Lee Hyun's interests.
"Many organizations, one in particular is the military, began research into the numerous advantages virtual reality poses. On their part, if they were to deploy a team of Special Forces on a dangerous mission, the survival rate wouldn't be very high; so to have them train on the same terrain in a virtual reality will increase their experiences. This will maximize their survivability, and……however, this notion then wasn't fully completed."
Lee Hyun more or less nodded in agreement.
'It was lacking in many ways. The earlier development placed emphasis on education and training. But to truly place a real being into another reality, it took a long time.'
The Professor spoke.
"Initially, the development of virtual reality then was insufficient; however, there was a lot of feedback on the subject regarding the looming possibility of increasing people' happiness via this method. Ultimately, many companies dove into researching virtual reality. Their goal was a simple one."
'Obviously it's the money.'
Lee Hyun's pet theory (simple logic) did not change.
Money is the thing that can make one either cry or laugh!
"Companies essentially gave birth of new societies within virtual reality and sold it to the consumers as a mean of reinvigoration. As technology develops, the field became more competitive. And from this, Unicorn surfaced from the ground to what it is today with its greatest game, Royal Road; which, in my opinion, is the most beloved by humanity."
The professor then went on to lecture about the history of VR, in which he simplified.
Lee Hyun then felt a surge of boredom. Ever since he decided to play Royal Road, he researched countless of articles before even actually playing the game. Thus, he already knew the basic contents of the professor's lecture.
"Euhaam!"
Lee Hyun unknowingly let out a big yawn as he ninja-stretched. He was already tired when he rode the bus, but now sitting in chair listening to the lecture, the waves of sleepiness splashed over him.
And he was reprimanded with eyes from every direction pouring in.
'Until now, he barely came to class on time……and now he doesn't look like he's in the mood to study.'
'Is he a student, or was he fired? Oh, then how was he able to come to our department?'
'Looks like he's a returnee……that must mean he got an F to be retaking this class. I don't want to be like him, gotta work hard and learn. Jjeutjjeutjjeut!' (the sound of pencil hitting paper)
Most of the students who are attending this class are freshmen, whom if not openly criticizing him, made unpleasant faces.
Lee Hyun regained his posture and pretended to be studying hard. But the book placed in between the two earlier by the girl who was next him, seemed a bit further away from him.
It was a subtle three centimeters from the previous spot!
Most likely, she too, reviled him.
The professor laughed.
"There are many other times to talk about VR's origin and development in the future to ensue dullness. So should we talk about what your favorite things are regarding Royal Road?"
"Professor, please do that."
Royal Road's popularity among the students was high. There are only a few of people in the VR Department that doesn't play the game.
"VR is fun, while it can also be use as a tool to study. So then, what is your action against someone who uses skills and of the art classes?"
The professor asked a rather random question. However, some astute students realized his hidden agenda.
The artistic classes in Royal Road are currently under reevaluation.
The troubadour, which is the Bard class, songs convey romance and adventuring together. Even when you did the same quest that many had done; when you have a bard participated during the event singing songs of praises, the rumor of your achievements will get spread farther, and you'll obtain more fame in the process.
If you participate in the Bards' special quest of creating songs, you'll receive an extra bonus in fame.
Due to these reasons, the Bards were accepted into many parties as people continued to do more difficult quests.
The highly skilled Painter.
Beraneo's 'Paintings of the Continent' were sought for desperately by many nobles.
When nobles have had it with an adventurer choice of action, they console with the painter's network. At that point, that adventurer's face will be plastered in every city; when that happens, that person usually won't be able to receive any special requests.
Only in some cases, where one's intimacy with the commissioner is extremely high, that the quest could be given. Or when one's current level's acceptable or not, it's up to the client.
The painters have a saying whether you can get quests or not, hence their values were reassessed.
Essentially, the picture determines whether you're an adventurer or not.
"Art in a nutshell, was like having an orc readily waiting in the front yard wanting to pounce you because of your uselessness. But now the Artist classes in Royal Road are being re-evaluated. Although this is a very tough path, walking down this road to become a true artisan is very much respected."
The students were convinced after the professor's proclamation.
"To be an artist who travels the Versailles continent, such a wonderful thing."
"Becoming the great soul that spreads art to an unknown land filled with chaos sounds awesome!"
Some students seemed to be dwelling in their fantasies.
Frankly speaking, even if they didn't choose classes such as Warriors or Paladins, there was no guarantee they'll be safe from monsters. Not only the Artists' attacking power was weak, the risk of traveling Versailles Continent was like that of a flame on a match, easily snuffed out.
So the occupation wasn't as impressive as he let on.
"Recently, I too had been thinking of choosing Artist as an occupation."
"Spreading art to people while earning their respect sounds incredibly attractive."
The students were murmuring.
Lee Hyun wanted to curse.
"You guys are living in an illusion."
If they go to the art city Rodium, they'll be made painfully aware of the harsh reality!
The people who resides there and painstakingly work on their arts; so they when do not receive good reviews, they suffers from aches and pain, and hunger!
Lee Hyun too, also experienced it when the statues he worked on didn't sell well and had to lower the price to a couple of Coppers. And when his statues were regarded as useless ornaments, he held himself back as much as possible to not pick a fight with them.
Having been through such trials he could not argue on behalf of it.
Of course in Lee Hyun's case, he got through to a couple of people by means of flattering; essentially suckered many people to buy his sculptures even if it was just a penny gained.
The vicious sculptor's going as far as getting every change from your pocket!
A while after the students' buzzing did the professor's words continued.
"The Artists struggle to create works; through the works' Artistic Values that their fame rises, as well as the rise in skill proficiency. Masterpiece, Classic, and Magnum are rankings upon successful completion of the art; so can anybody tell me what are the basis for establishing the Artistic Values and the ranking of the art?"
A student raised his hand.
"I'm Kim Hyun-jun, Gyosu-nim(Professor-nim. Isn't it directly related to the skill's level and proficiency?"
It was an obvious answer using one's common sense.
I.e. for fencing and archery, the damage output of any attacking techniques depended on the skill's level.
Lee Hyun shook his head.
'It's not fully based on skill level.'
Even when he was at the beginner level of sculpture, he sculpted a Masterpiece. And even though later on he reached the intermediate level, the other sculptures he sculpted had lower Artistic Value in comparison.
To say that skill level plays the direct role of determining the art, then when your skills are so far ahead beyond that to make Magnum pieces, the art will no longer be called an art. It could be from skill levels, use of the tools, or the amount of work put into the material; but to say it's absolutely depended on skill levels was wrong.
"No. If there any other students that would like to make an input please do so."
"I'm Park Sumin. Would the value change according how detailed the work was?"
This was it was a girl in sharp glasses who replied.
She was two seats away in Lee Hyun's row.
'That's not even an answer.'
If what she said was the case, then Bingryong could never be a Classic piece.
Fine details.
It's beneficial, but clearly has limitations.
Art can never be based around the technical aspect. Even with just a small portion, when tried to precisely imitate something as it is, it'll never be called a work of art.
Lee Hyun knows that the Royal road system was crappy.
'I can't stop them from randomly making wild assumptions. And since the ball will keep rolling and it's useless for me to stop it, might as well not give a crap.'
Many students answered the question, but the professors buried all their opinion.
Finally, after the professor realized there was no one else to comment on the matter, he spoke.
"So let's change the question. Leave Royal Road and its special circumstances behind; in reality, how do you assess a piece of art?"
Even before the students could come up with an answer, the professor continued.
"In reality, many people dream of stardom. But among the many, only a few can truly rises and live well through art. But even they don't understand the meaning of art."
Many dreamed of making a life through art. But unfortunately, without popular consensus from the public, not many people can achieve their goal.
"World-class artisans and their works are reputable, that meant many people know their names, and received lots of praises. They created works of art that are often overpriced. But a look at their works, even experts in the field sometimes said they don't feel an ounce of inspiration. But for many who really truly love art can no long walk those roads due to personal reasons or placed their family before themselves."
"To make a piece of art isn't difficult. A child first painting of his mother is art; or even paintings on a wall during prehistoric time, as a well wish from the hunter's family to return home safely, is consider as one. The art's value is only in the mind of the beholder. What art is, in addition to the beauty it depicts, are what people's heart postulates what the drawing or the statue represents; and there are boundless of possibilities."
The students quietly listened to the professor's rant. They were in the middle of discussing the Royal Road's system; and now random stories were flowing out that they could not keep up.
"Now lets go back to talk about Royal Road? Artists create their works and are subjected to the evaluation of Masterpiece, Classic, or Magnum with its own Artistic Value. But by this method that it poses a very difficult question regarding the piece upon its completion. In this example, the question is the mistake you made along the way when creating the piece. Or that is to say, you did not make a single mistake when working on the piece, and have made an identical representation; the system will still devalue the art."
Lee Hyun nodded his head.
He sculpted numerous of statues in Royal Road; even when he hadn't made a single mistake on a piece, that work still did not come out to be a Masterpiece. While some relatively well made pieces received more Artistic Value than the former, or some didn't receive any at all.
"In our world, from ancient times, there were many virtuosos. So imagine being evaluated based on their standards? So by which means does the Royal Road system assess your skills by taking in the inputs of our eras past artists, is there a specific method or notation, or something else?"
The students regarded the matter in an unbiased manner. Taking in all the expressions from all the works existed and set it on a standard. However, the professor denied their assumption.
"If you are not to create anything new but constantly acknowledging and compared to the past's expressions, essentially you're standing still. Similarly, others are forced to do the same and cannot overcome it. To be able to witness and create works comparable to past virtuosos, but cannot overcome them to achieve true greatness; is frustrating."
Silent swept the students.
Listening to the professor, it was too complicated.
Artists' works should be evaluated in a fair manner. The fact is the problem is difficult to resolve.
"Many experts praised works? The works will be judged subjectively, depending on the differences between the masses or within a niche of people. Many works of art faces rejection due to the point of view from the mainstream."
"Though, to speak of, the Royal Road system is under complete security. To evaluate a piece of art, it's classified information."
"Don't you know, professor?"
In respond to the student's question, the professor showed a slightly embarrassed smile.
"In fact, I do not know how the system process and give Artistic Values. Maybe in a percentage, the level of the skills effect the value, but perhaps there are more than hundreds of variables to calculate the score. Or possibly, thousands?"
"If it's that many…it'll be difficult to obtain a good score."
Shortly afterward, the many students who secretly fantasized about becoming an artist gloomed. If there was clear information regarding the criteria of how the value was given, it'd be easier to get a good score; but an unknown criterion with hundreds of variables would be difficult to solve.
The professor shook his head.
"I told you before, art isn't difficult. A look, a feel, and if you can enjoy it, that's enough. Rather than matching the hundreds of criterions, just go with what you think is better and create; because Royal Road is just a space in virtual reality."
"Royal isn't a simple game. Would it be that great if the skills were only at that level? Royal Road here is another world with a complete history from the beginning of its inception. In real life, is it possible to transform what you value in your mind to reality? Virtual reality realistically depicts reality, and it means something more. Not only can you, in essence, achieve your dream, but you can also enjoy it as the space hands out challenges to be flatten."
The professor had a job in Royal Road.
His class was Landscaper.
His job was to maintain and cultivate beautiful flowers and trees.
The reason behind this particular class was when he obtained a quest at the beginning.
It was thank to a child sitting while watching a flower withering. Then the professor offered the child with a piece of advice on how to bring up the flower.
Then a quest occurred!
The professor gave the flower fertilizers and watered it as it revived. He took it as a sign to be a Landscaper, to cultivate flowers and trees and make them thrive.
Sometimes he got jobs to look after extravagant gardens, but sadly, there weren't many of those. Of course, he was poorer than others, and he was proud but it wasn't anything to boast about.
However, one time, the flowers attracted butterflies with its aroma under a starlit night.
It was a beautiful sight as the flowers bloomed.
It bloomed and faded away; in just one moment, it gave a great impression.
Royal Road was filled with exotic sights, that was its purpose.
The professor said forcibly.
"A space where people can achieve their dreams. Future lessons will be on real life and virtual reality in combination."
After the lecture, the students left the classroom one after another.
"Oh I'm hungry."
"Lets go quickly to get food. I don't wanna be late and wait in line. What'll you do afterward?"
"The library?"
"I have club activities."
Other students were coming into class as it changes course. Lee Hyun then know it was the right time to leave.
Even though they were in the same department, nobody talked to Lee Hyun. He was essentially labeled as a returnee. In clothes that way past its prime, while bearing a face they didn't recognize, he was easily ignored.
'I got to eat lunch.'
Lee Hyun slowly moved alone.
Carrying his homemade lunch to the campus lawn!
Instead of being like the other who came and went to the cafeteria to get their lunch.
A picnic like relaxing tone. Some were eating in a relaxed mood, while others lying on the lawn to sleep.
College student romantic and atmosphere situation!
Many smiles on the faces of the students who were in the shades.
Lee Hyun, too, took out a lunch box to eat.
Ugokugok. (eating)
Radish kimchi and white rice!
A simple but tasty meal.
'The kimchi hadn't been soaked well.'
Nowadays, eating kimchi sold by the market was popular.
'But at least the ingredients are genuine.'
Lee Hyun was okay with the price because it'd be much more expensive if he was to soak the kimchi by himself.
Meanwhile, a brisk wind blew.
The students chatter and laughter from all around. Spring is coming.
'Sleepy.'
After the meal, he let out a stretch and yawns followed.
Two hours till next lecture!
He could go to the library but there was no particular book he needed.
'There's no internet at times like these.'
He's now on an adventure in the vampire's kingdom, so sooner or later he'll have to check on the prices of the items.
'Maybe it's telling me to take a nap?'
Lying on the grass as Lee Hyun closed his eyes.
Though the wind was a bit chilly, it was a beautiful sunny day and the weather was great for a nap.
He closed his eyes, and in a short while, he drifted off.
Then, after finishing off their meals in the cafeteria, the students from the Virtual Reality department came out and passed by him.
"Hey, is that not the Seonbae?"
"Yea, looks like him. Seems like he ate here."
"That must be right. But look at that."
"Eating and sleeping……"
"Ugh, so embarrassing!"
The students increased their paces to pass Lee Hyun quickly.
He was a sample of laziness and idleness.
Lee Hyun, more than before, was shunned by the students.
His afternoon course was about the Technological aspect of Virtual Reality. And he saw some familiar faces.
Choi Sang-Jun, Min Sura, and Lee Yu-Chong who were taking similar classes.
When Lee Hyun approached them, their faces stricken.
"Ah, Hello!"
"Did you want to sit here?"
"Is it alright?"
"We'll go to the back seat."
"You don't have to. I'll go back there."
"No no. We'll do it."
They deliberately rose from the front seat and moved to the back.
Similar with the two that showed up afterward. They were students of the martial art department, so it was even more shocking. At first, they spoke in low form(less honorific) until he looked up; then it became unbearable for them too look at him straight in the eyes.
There were many, but Lee Hyun sat alone.
Lecture time was approaching and students continued to pour in, but no one sat next to Lee Hyun. Most of the reason why was due to the two he faced earlier, everyone else simply avoided him in fear of the unknown.
Ddiriririri.
Four minutes until the lecture officially began, Lee Hyun heard the phone rang.
He purchased an old and used phone to keep in touch with his sister while in college.
The three dimensional images that was so common when one calls did not show up, nor was this able to get online due to it being a discontinued antique phone.
Through the phone, a cheerful voice of Shin Hye-Min came over.
- Hello, Lee Hyun nim.
During the KMC media Planning Committee.
Everyone who was involved in broadcasting Royal Road was to find new item. Trends were quickly becoming out-of-fashion; no matter how fresh the material was, after a week or so, the committee would discard said material.
"How is it going with the other day's precipitated proboscidean analysis?"
"Will be done before noon tomorrow."
"Too late! You're working on that overtime and get it finish before today end at all costs. Don't even think about leaving your office until it's done!"
"Keoheok!"
Director Kang Han-Seop was pushing the employees.
Broadcasting was the only thing, but it was busy every day.
KMC was growing as a media broadcaster, so one pretty much was expected to be working all day without sleep.
"Nowadays, there is an increase of beginners playing, so what do you think about programs directed at them?"
"That's not bad. Is the age group high?"
"Yes. The majority of them are seniors."
"Then the broadcasting contents are easily resolved. I think it'll be fine to place emphasis on the path of the adventure. Broadcasting time…lets make it at 10 in the evening."
"Overlap it with the Terrestrial Drama."
"To make it comfortable for the family to gather in order to watch."
The number of elders playing Royal Road was moderate, but shouldn't be overlooked; since the number increases proportionally as each month passed. They were beings slow to adapting to new changes, but the generation has the purchasing power that was very formidable if they ever get involved.
"We got to seize them from the beginning. If our broadcast captures their attention during their novice time, this generation of gamers will become loyal followers."
"Attach in advertisements you investigated that are enticing to the seniors."
"If you want the viewership and have the committee coming up with advertisements, then I don't think that's a good idea at all."
The rapidly growing KMC Media.
Due to and the increasing of the popularity of Royal Road, the advertising fee that gets attach to the program is also on the rise.
But due to the increasing birthrate of new channels broadcasting games, the competition was fierce. Even the channels which only specialize in Royal Road were scared of the increasing trend.
"But Director-nim, what would entail in this month's special program?"
One member asked silently.
He really didn't want to say have a rerun, but there was only a few days left until the date.
Unlike regular broadcasts, the special program ran once per month and featured a special story on the Versailles continent. The date, which loomed about in five days.
"How is the relationship between the two warring guilds, Legend of the Hammer Guild and the Silver Wings?"
"We already did two takes on them."
"What about the adventurer who traveled north?"
"It was late last month, I don't think he succeeded."
"Well, is there anything fresh?"
Director Kang and other members stricken.
Fresh events in Royal Road were dwindling, while KMC Media steadily continued its timely and accurate reports.
Newly discovered locations.
Quests.
Warring forces!
They were deep events of storytelling that builds the Versailles continent's history.
Nevertheless, the special programs did quite well for the station.
Director Kang and the others bound their heads in their hands and groaned, until a new suggestion entered the conversation.
"How about we intersect it with some of our broadcasts?"
"After all, would it be better to broadcast the people flocking to the north?"
"Ok, the north. It's still going through consecutive broadcasts, but there's probably something there the regular program didn't retell."
That suggestion was easily accepted, and time drifted on hopelessly. But suddenly, Director Khang's eyes followed the stream to an empty seat.
"Why is it I don't see Sin Hye-Min ssi?"
"Didn't you know? She's on an adventure in Royal Road, so she couldn't make it to this meeting."
"She's lucky."
Director Kang and the other members weren't really concern about Sin Hye-Min situation as they were so busy with the matters at hand.
However, Sin Hye-Min showed up at long last.
She arrived two hours before the actual broadcast, hence she would attend the meeting.
Director Kang inquired.
"Sin Hye-Min ssi, what are you so busy with?"
"I'm sorry. I don't have much time because of the quest. I just want to check up on you since I have a bit of time."
"What is the quest?"
Director Kang didn't expect much from the answer that followed after he asked.
"I'm on a quest together with Weed nim."
"Weed? Is that right. Which Weed?"
"You know which."
"How can you be sure who I know?"
"You can't not know. How can you not know Weed nim?"
"I only know of two that goes by that name. Are you talking about the Jeonshin Weed?" (it had many meaning, but the one that's resemble this story means: predecessor, antecedent, ancestor, original. Basically this prefix was for the 'Weed' of the previous game, which he sold the acc for 3 mill. I rather like the word antecedent.)
Director Kang jumped out of his seat.
"You're on a quest with that Weed?"
A common name for a very common grass.
Many users in Royal Road know of that name.
And as a broadcaster, he was the benefactor of such a handle.
The brutal orc Karichwi.
The battle against the Immortal Legion received a sensational audience.
There was a sense of urgency when he led the Dark Elves and Orcs to fight against Lich Shire!
To Kang, stereotypical siege was just a struggle, while he was on the edge of his seat during this event.
Since then, his name broadened as a broadcaster, and finally had dinner with a peace of mind on such matters.
Then from out of nowhere.
During the Northern Expedition battle against the dragon, he suddenly showed up and fought fantastically.
With a method nobody thought of.
Clearly proven he was the Jeonshin Weed.
"So you're on this quest with Weed…"
"To be precise, we haven't gotten there. But we've been through many adventures along the way."
"It's to reach the Vampire Kingdom, Todeum."
Director Kang and the other eyes filled with suspicion.
"Where is the Vampire Kingdom? Has it always been on the Versailles continent? Is it a newly discovered location in the north?"
"No. Actually, it's the place where a vampire named Tori grew…"
The director and others listened as Sin Hye-Min's retold the story.
The gates of the Vampire Kingdom only open once. If you die, everything ends.
The expedition left for the unknown world.
Their adventure!
As if he seemed to hear the number of audiences climbing.
Director Kang shouted.
"This is the special program. No, cancel that! On the other hand, they still have a month left. What if we schedule this as a regular program? Call him! Call Weed and persuade him to broadcast this!"
Lee Hyun was sitting in the classroom while on the phone cautiously.
"What you call me about?"
- Yes, actually, I want to talk to you regarding a broadcast.
"A show? What's this about? Are you saying KMC Media wants to broadcast my adventure as a program?"
As soon as the sentence left his mouth, the still growing crowd in the lecture hall became still momentarily.
The students stopped what they were doing and paid close attention to Lee Hyun.
The students of the department of Virtual Reality.
After graduation will be doing various jobs depending on their fields.
Even for those who current doesn't have Royal Road.
They want to learn about VR because they were motivated by Royal Road.
And the one place where the majority of them obtain news regarding Royal Road was KMC Media!
'What we did was not good, huh?'
'No way, couldn't be.'
They were dubious, but still listened to Lee Hyun's call.
- Yea, that's correct. I want to broadcast our adventure in the Vampire Kingdom, Todeum. But I need permission to do so.
"Hye-Min ssi need my permission?"
- Yes, because you're the one that leads the party as Weed nim. I saved the videos of everybody on the adventure, but it'd be morally wrong if I was to broadcast the clips without your permission. If you get the ok from the others, each can get a salary, and you'll also get the consultation fee.
The students were in frenzies.
'Hye-Min ssi? Couldn't be Sin Hye-Min?'
'Why would that returnee receive a call from Shin Hye-Min?'
'With that famous host?'
These people knew all too well about the name that came from Lee Hyun's mouth; the famous commentator of the Versailles continent, Shin Hye-Min.
The surprise filled students became unspeakable.
"Well, I get the jist of it. Fill me in more in the future."
- Yes. I hope to have an answer as soon as possible, since the station's members are in an uproar. Ah, actually, I forgot since they went so crazy about Weed nim's adventure in the Vampire Kingdom Todeum, but there a catch regarding the broadcasting schedule. They wanted to make an episode once every two days regarding this adventure. Take your time and we'll talk later with more details.
Lee Hyun hung up the phone.
Then came a flood of students who pretended to be close.
There was a competition to see who could get the two empty seats beside Lee Hyun!
*Triririri.*
Lee Hyun phone rang again.
The student' body stiffened.
'Is Shin Hye-Min calling again.'
'No way…'
'I want just a chance…'
They were quietly waiting with frustration.
But they still kept their mouth closed.
Lee Hyun lifted the phone to answer, but it was another voice that came out.
- Bored so I phoned you. What are you doing now?
Like a crystal clear voice tuned to musical instruments.
It was Jeong Hyo Lynn.
"Ah, Jeong Hyo Lynn ssi. I'm waiting for the lecture to begin."
- Please excuse me, did I interrupt?
"Nah, don't worry, the professor hadn't come yet."
- So you have a few minutes to talk.
"Well, yea. Oh, I heard you have a new song out?"
- How'd you know?
"It was an article on the internet. Something about Jeong Hyo Lynn's imminent release of the song."
- Yes, it's just a single.
The students ridiculed.
They were suspicious of the first call, but to get this second call from Jeong Hyo Lynn, who was a singer.
'I knew something was up.'
'Damn prank.'
'Psh, what do you do to receive a call from Lynn?'
'I saw through your bluff.'
The students continued to deride him. As implied, from that point onward, Lee Hyun's present was thoroughly ignored.
Wow, he beat the Rich Shire?
I didn't realize the Hobbits were so wealthy. Or that Weed massacred them.
Ha, I only thought about flied lice.
~sigh~ and we cant do much about it... well thats probably becos we are lazy, yup yup
hmm. for weed-nim to be portrayed so cunning and knowledgable, he's surprisingly dumb when it's about monetizing his adventures.
i wish the author would be a tad more coherent
I'm not sure if this is true but I read that the hobbits found Mithril after the ring was destroyed, so yes they are rich, its just like Weed to attack a peaceful place like that to loot it.
Bilbo Swaggins and the Rich Shire.
Yolo Swaggins and the fellowship of the Bling!
"hmm. for weed-nim to be portrayed so cunning and knowledgable, he's surprisingly dumb when it's about monetizing his adventures.
i wish the author would be a tad more coherent"
Holy shit, Anonymous, yeah! Finally someone gets it. Weed didn't even tried to contract with any company *by himself*, he always waited for other people to do that for him.
His ability to capitalize on his assets is bloody rubbish. He's just dicking around.
Shadybones October 13, 2016 at 2:17 PM
I initially thought the same as you guys: That the author was being inconsistent to make some comedy. But Weed, while smart, is always innocently simple minded ~ the author is indeed consistent about it. He thinks of money as a poor man would. His naivete regarding money comes from his pure heart.
Faust Voncleave January 11, 2015 at 10:03 PM
I wouldn't have believed it after the second call either, though I wouldn't have shunned him for it
Yeah, I've never been there but at least in fiction Korea is the cruelest place on Earth. The people in mangas and light novels are totally cool with almost killing classmates for little to no reason and generally being assholes. Although this is most rampant in Shoujo manga, it seems to be a common theme. It's like the authors really hate their country or something. I guess in this case it's done so that people don't get close enough to dislike Hyun Lee purely for his difficult and greedy personality. And comedy.
Korea is like that....running man is just the bright side....
According to my korean cousin, it really is like that o_O
To be fair, it was way too blatant.
"Oh, Miss Famous Person Full Name? Do you need something? Why am I speaking so loud?"
The author is giving blowjobs to his gary stu a bit too much.
Tuco August 31, 2015 at 2:14 AM
It's also worth noting that the "Gary-Stu" is actually a socially-inept idiot with a frankly creepy inclination to prejudicial misogyny.
these traumatized with weed hahahaha LOL
DAMN IT, CMON LET HYUN BE POPULAR!!!
Imagine if all the party come to his school!!!!!!!
It'd be fucking retarded.
Do the Geomchis include ? Well, if they do, then it will be worse.
Fantabulicious March 5, 2015 at 7:29 AM
I just can't wait for them to actually see the program, and subsequently see Hyun walking with a famous woman on either side of him and the rest of the group of rich, famous, and good-looking people. Everyone would end up like the martial artists on the preview day. "WE BOW TO THE HYUNG-NIM!"
Im still suprised that no one has noticed him yet. Even though HIS ACCOUNT LOOKS THE SAME AS WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE IN REAL LIFE.
That's because every time he's broadcasted he has a different form.(Karichwii and the Skeleton Soldier)
And this time, Black Knight..
I can understand why the don't hang around him. It makes since to hang around people who are seriose about their studies then with the guy who sleeps in class. Besides hyun shouldn't surround himself with people who only want to be with him to be famous
He doesn't sleep in class he slept during the lunch period.
don't vary the name...wasn't it jae lynn?...t's hard enough to read the names and you want us to memorise the changes too!?..c'mon
Korean have three consecutive name....moat of the time, they just call the last two
I'm surprised they don't have classes in virtual reality. It seems like such a logical step and would save buttloads on travel expenses, and by "buttloads" I mean bus fare ;)
The next step at education-from-home!
No longer do you need to log into skype to take lectures! y;
I had to skim through that chapter, i dont want to read about his damn lectures, thats what i went to college for. Although it was funny to read how everyone was treating him
i have been rereading the whole story to remember the story line and noticed in the last sentence
Lee Hyun's present was thoroughly ignored. shouldn't present be presence?
A common name for a common "grass" xD
Weed is simply socially and economically(on a long run) retarded (-__-)
Weren't the categories: fine, grand, masterpiece then magnum opus?
Caudyr August 10, 2019 at 8:13 AM
Been a few years, but...yes.
Fine Piece, Masterpiece, and Magnum Opus.
Then there's Grand, which is for very large sculptures, as well as Moonlight for the Moonlight sculptures.
I always hated how the site has absolutely zero consistency with regards to this stuff. -_-
Lee hyun really doesn't need to make friends with all the entitled assholes at school anyways. They can be useful in their own, but not as friends, im sure Hyun knows this because that is how it already is with Pale and co.


text:
War of the Rebellion: Serial 003 Page 0108 OPERATIONS IN MO., ARK., KANS., AND IND. T. Chapter X.
regiment of Mounted Riflemen; fourth, Colonel Greer's regiment of Texas volunteers; fifth, General Price's command of cavalry.
General Price will order the officer in command of his cavalry, as soon as he learns that the enemy is in force, to make a flank movement to our left, and the general will, as soon as the line of battle is formed, take command of the left in person. The four other regiments of cavalry above enumerated will at the same time make a flank movement to our right, and endeavor to take the enemy in flank.
All general officers will lead their respective commands wherever the larger portion of them are. The regiments and batteries of these respective commands which are detached will be led by the immediate commanders. This movement will take place in quietness. Neither shouting nor beating of drums will be allowed, and, especially on the march, strictest silence must be observed.
The canteens will all be filled before starting, and one day's rations (cooked) will be carried by each soldier. Each commander of regiment and company will see that a sufficient amount of ammunition is carried by each man.
No unarmed man will be permitted to march with or follow the army. No wagons will move with the command. Each regimental commander will leave a detachment of men too guard their respective wagon trains. The ambulances will move in rear of the army. The general and his aides will be distinguished by a while badge on each arm.
The general takes this occasion to say to his soldiers to look steadily to the front. Remember that the eyes of our gallant brothers in arms, who have so nobly acquitted themselves in the East, are upon you. They are looking for a second victory here. Let us move forward, then, with a common resolve, to a glorious victory.
By order of General McCulloch:
JAMES McINTOSH,
Captain, C. S. Army, and Adjutant-General of Brigade.
P. S.-Each captain of company will continually caution his men to take aim. As soon as the enemy are driven from their first position, colonels of regiments and captains of companies will at once rally their companies, and hold them in hand for further orders.
GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS WESTERN ARMY, Numbers 27.
Camp near Springfield, Mo., August 12, 1861.
The general commanding takes great pleasure in announcing to the army under his command the signal victory it has just gained. Soldiers sustained yourselves! Shoulder to shoulder you have met the enemy and driven him before you. Your first battle has been glorious, and your general is proud of you. The opposing force, composed mostly of the old Regular Army of the North, have thrown themselves upon you, confident of victory, but by great gallantry and determined courage you have entirely routed it with great slaughter. Several pieces of artillery and many prisoners are now in your hands. The commander-in-chief of the enemy is slain and many of the general officers wounded.
‹ Serial 003 Page 0107 Chapter X. BATTLE OF WILSON'S CREEK, MO. up Serial 003 Page 0109 Chapter X. BATTLE OF WILSON'S CREEK, MO. ›

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This page shows businesses on Kingscote Park. Click on a business to bring up its details and a map showing its location.
Angel is a firm of electricians offering a variety of electrical services to homes and businesses.
R S Guest is a firm of electricians offering a variety of electrical services to homes and businesses.
Map showing Kingscote Park in Bristol.


Page 106 of 365: LouiseLIVE – Sprinkle of Glitter show!
I've blogged about Miss Louise Sprinkle of Glitter before (Inspirational Sprinkle of Glitter, page 18 – a post she liked on tumblr!) but I got tickets to her show LouiseLIVE today and I want to talk about how much I love Louise and how excited I am for the show.
I love Louise and I'm so excited for the show.
I'm joking, I'm joking, but in all seriousness – there's no way this blog would have made it 106 days into the project if it weren't for her blog and her style; I'm so excited about the book she's releasing because I love how her chatty and friendly tone shines through her writing and I can't wait to learn about how to be a proper girl with her book.
I learnt most of this from Sprinkle of Glitter, doddleoddle Dodie Clark and making so many mistakes.
I was really disappointed not to go to her shows in Northampton last year as they were only a few weeks before my interview at the Uni there but I'm so excited for the show this year.
I'm going to London on June 20th, which is the day after my last ever school exam and the day before I go to meet my friend from America (also the week before my prom, but irrelevant). I'm excited for the audience interaction and seeing Louise in person – she's such a big inspiration to me and my sister and being able to see her in real life is going to be really motivational for me and hopefully I'll have blue and purple hair at the time!
I'm really excited to go with my sister, Laura. I've been to a few concerts with her but we enjoy concerts in very different ways so we tend to go with different groups of friends but neither of us have ever been to a YouTube show like this and we both adore Louise – I see a lot of Louise in my sister and I feel like she'd fit in well with the YouTube community, even if she doesn't make videos.
I'm excited to spend the day in London with her as well – it'll be an adorable sister's day out, we've already planned to have some form of pizza for lunch before the show and maybe a trip to Covent Garden – I'm so excited!
Blogging drinking game: how many times have I used the word 'excited' in this blog post!
Let me know if you're going to LouiseLIVE, especially if you're going in London!


text:
K-ON! – 09 »« K-ON! – 07
K-ON! – 08
Filed under First Impressions, K-ON! by jaalin | 63 Comments
Mouse over screenshots for captions
It's the start of a new school year, and the new crop of freshmen are coming in… most importantly, Ui is now a high schooler! Thus making it ok – or at least not so illegal – to fantasize about her in more places than the kitchen. One would think that her amicable disposition and responsible attitude would make her the school idol (Minami Haruka comes to mind), but when faced with all-trick juggernauts like Mio and Mugi, it's understandable that legions of fanboys aren't throwing themselves at Ui's feet. Not yet, at least. Maybe Ui will learn how to play the castanets.
Yui, Mugi, and Ritsu end up in the same class, which leaves lil Mio a victim of the Kagami Konundrum – you're all aloneeee, there's nobody there beside youuuu…. except Nodoka, but she's purposely drawn not as cute as the other chars and therefore an afterthought. Unless you're into short-haired seito kaichou meganekko that aren't as good looking as the rest of the cast.
The amount of time that transpires between each episode is a bit startling at times, as only eight episodes in and we've gone full circle back to club recruiting again. It seems like they were able to do this by combining episodes – onsen ep with beach ep, for example, and by completely skipping the "visit the rich girl's house" ep. It's not necessarily a bad way to go, it's just a little disorienting at times. Especially when it comes to Yui's guitaring ability. More on this later.
Sawachan-sensei provides them with some costumes, which don't really make much sense as they show off absolutely no skin (unless you've got fetishus domesticus), but immediately salvages it with maid costumes worthy of a good design award. Ui brings along her not so cute friend, which is probably the most accurate indication that there's no way in hell the girl is gonna join the club. She's also kinda fat by anime standards. You know, her BMI is somewhere between "IRL skinny" and "healthy weight", which is way past "borderline anorexic" and "it's no wonder you're concerned about your cup size". Regardless, the keionbu puts on a rather horrific performance – perhaps intentionally, which has the fat chick running away in disgust.
Fast forward to their next live performance – this time, they've got a lineup of four songs, all with some trademark Mio frilly name like "My Love is a Stapler". I should point out that the Japanese word for stapler is "hochikisu" – hotchkiss – some old school stapler company, which was probably adopted into the Japanese language because it sounds a lot more moe than "su-u-i-n-gu-ra-in". Yui owns the intro riff but forgets to sing again, but Mio is there for the rescue.
After such an epic performance, you'd think the club room would be filled with eager schoolgirls, but nope – they're just there to enjoy the show, not be a part of it. Save for one… the loli Kana-chan looking chick, whose name is actually Azusa, but until she does something terrifically cool, Kana-chan she will always be compared to…
Up next on K-ON!: Azusa dress-up
A lot happening in this ep – Ui shows up, a new character is introduced, Mio gets some good screentime, the girls dress up in uncool and then very cool costumes, there's a pseudo-performance prefaced by a pseudo-track meet (har har), a gratuitous shot of Azusa's ankles, then a real performance with Mio saving the day, and then Ritsu tackles the poor freshman. Whew.
A couple points need addressing:
- Ui's popularity, or apparent lack of: it seems like in every other non-KyoAni anime, girls of Ui's mold would be the school idol or at least extremely popular – Minami Haruka, Shirakawa Kotori, that Hirano Aya imouto in Akane-iro, but those in KyoAni always seem to slip under the radar. Or, if they really are popular, we never really catch wind of it. Perhaps KyoAni understands that these girls are too perfect, too invulnerable that they seem unreal – and this is why Mio reclaims the top spot on our unofficial K-ON ranking:
1. Mio-chan
2. Akiyama Mio
3. MioMio
4. Big Drama Akiyama
5. Ui
- Frequently used plot devices, like ostracizing Mio to another class just to get a rise out of her: love it.
- Mio's affinity towards photography: I guess it's just there to add another dimension to her character, but sometimes I hope they expand a bit more upon it. Not really sure how… just a passing thought.
- Maid outfits: what a perfect opportunity to cut Mio's dress short and have her moe moe kyun, but that wasn't even mentioned. I guess that's why she's the best.
- Azusa's feet: they are TINY!
- Mio's clutch save: this is an important point and one that I've made before, and will probably keep making – Mio is a much better singer than Yui. Like, leagues beyond. Like, Adam Lambert over Kris Allen. And yet, Kris still wins because VoteForTheWorst is hilarious and America doesn't want a gay guy to be Idol, just like how a clearly cooler and vocally superior side character can't be lead singer. It was made quite obvious in this ep when Mio started the song but then Yui took over and just butchered it. BRING MIO BACK!
- Bringing back the music: many of the comments from the previous episode had viewers wanting more music. KyoAni knows what they're doing – this ep was all about the music, and it turned out great. The fact that the girls performed four songs for this live means we got ourselves a full-blown K-ON album coming eventually. Here's to hoping that the Mio character single will have her singing all these songs herself without Yui's annoying voice fuxing it all up.
- Club recruiting: in all seriousness, why do they want new members? What would the new members do, clean the drums? Pyrotechnics? Do the laundry? A band can't have more than four or five members… what exactly is Azusa gonna play? Well, I'm sure all of you already know the answer to that, so let's just treat it as a rhetorical question. Should you feel the need to spoil, please take advantage of the spoiler tag lol.
- Our good man Josh Garrado over at YouTube has already posted the piano versions of several K-ON tracks, with sheet music soon to come, on his channel.
May 24, 2009 at 1:42 pmMaka
Mio's Shimapan FTW
May 24, 2009 at 1:49 pmstarss
Took long enough!
SECOND POST!! *does Second Post Dance*
May 24, 2009 at 1:55 pmNyfe
I love how sensei is carrying Mio flying through the air to go change her into a maid costume. Mio's Moe level was > 9000 when she came back.
http://randomc.net/image/K-ON/K-ON%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2018.jpg
May 24, 2009 at 2:08 pmEri
New recruits: Fan boys and Fan girls. Lol.
May 24, 2009 at 2:17 pmZeru
I personally think Yui is a much better singer then your giving her credit for, sure, Mio IS better, but Yui is far from bad.
and even though I don't really keep track of American Idol, but I really didn't see either singer being blatantly better over the other from what I have heard from them.
May 24, 2009 at 2:19 pmkairuu
I feel like spoiling. Cause it's 11:19AM and I'm cool like that.
Show Spoiler ▼
Azusa's been playing guitar since 4th grade.
6 years of guitar playing + keiionbu (sp?) = lead guitarist of the band, kids.
There, I did it. And I feel awesome.
May 24, 2009 at 2:34 pmAlphonse
I think the VA for Yui needs to tone down the cutesy when she's singing a bit. Too much is too much. She is a good singer though, but Mio's voice is more pleasing to the ears.
May 24, 2009 at 2:38 pmNull_x
Ohhh!!!! jaalin you dirty ankle bastard xD well like always it was a moexplosion like always and OMG!!!!!!!!! i`m on first comments page, this is a good day yeah!!!!
May 24, 2009 at 2:41 pmHorus
To be honest I feel this is the best episode so far. You get a full LIVE and 1/20 of one, imouto screen time, new character time, focused plot time, Mio time, maid time, cosplay time, and a duet. Awesome stuff.
As for Azusa…well let's just say Yui has some competition. Compared to the manga I feel they made Azusa too reserved. We'll see come this week how it all turns out.
Anyways, there's 5 more eps left. Next one is integrating-Azusa-into-the-group focused and the 10th is most likely another beach episode!
Hope they continue to another season but don't make us wait 3 more yrs for it.
May 24, 2009 at 4:16 pmmegalith
Here I was thinking you dropped this. Anyway. My fate has been restored I'm going to watch this till the end now. This was a fair dose of quality(or more than enough)to keep me watching this series.
I SAY MOAR!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 24, 2009 at 4:19 pmillu
Jaalin, I understand your woes of the difference of vocal abilities, but I do not think it is absolutely clear cut as to who the lead singer will be. If they really want to put up Yui, then this episode there really isn't any reason why she has to forget the lyrics – in fact Yui could have just pulled it through and we will all think that is fine. Instead we see Mio comes up and saves the day, which in my opinion shows that her role will not be less important than Yui's.
May 24, 2009 at 4:24 pmgeneva
LOL Yui's voice really did stick out like a sore thumb. It was almost annoying if I didn't think it was extremely cute…and typical of her character. Its too bad the other girls, even riichan, are WAY overshadowed by a goddess. They get a bad rap in my opinion.
I am not sure if anyone noticed, but in K-ON not only there are no male characters, there are also very few of them on backgrounds. In fact, with the exception of a FEW cases (so few that I might be able to count them with my two hands), on a random shot with a lot of students you will only see girls.
Take this episode, for example: just take a look at pic 8, 9, and 12.
@illu > Yea, I noticed that too, though, it's not surprising since they go to an all-girl's high school. At least, that's what I picked up after several episodes. Aside teachers you don't see any male students, and the only time you actually do is during a public event such as the school festival in EP 6:
I would agree that if the girls did go to an intermixed school and the animators only showed the girls, this series really is a prime example of moe-moe anime. I still love it though!
May 24, 2009 at 4:46 pmAya Reiko
@Eri & illu
How can there be fanboys when it appears to be no guys at their school. Look at the screenshots for all of the past episodes, there are no male students!
May 24, 2009 at 4:46 pmExia
"My love is a stapler" is a pretty nice song, especially with that guitar rift at the beginning and during the middle.
May 24, 2009 at 5:42 pmMeery
The costume captions were funny. I can't believe our girls are growing up so fast. >_< I already like Azusa more than I do Yui. Heh.
@lack of males comments: *references the camera flash scene after Mio's fall* O, they're there; they're there when they need to be.
May 24, 2009 at 6:11 pmAlgester
as for Mio she goes full time vocal and part time bassist perhaps
May 24, 2009 at 6:14 pmtokugawa
"A band can't have more than four or five members"
Who says that? Musically that statement is definitely wrong.
May 24, 2009 at 6:22 pmSilivious
So very moe, it's almost criminal. XD
Also; "except Nodoka, but she's purposely drawn not as cute as the other chars and therefore an afterthought. Unless you're into short-haired seito kaichou meganekko that aren't as good looking as the rest of the cast." Yikes, so harsh.
May 24, 2009 at 7:01 pm[PW]Sync
haha! "sorry had to do it?" haha! nice one
May 24, 2009 at 7:07 pmRawrgh
B-but… I love Ui … :(
She has to be more popular :)
Is it an all-girls school? When does it say that?
May 24, 2009 at 7:25 pmKaris
I can't say what is the matter with Ui's figure Jaalin pointed out, and I can't really understand the majority of Jaalin's anklebone fetish has.
The bird flu caption made me roftl.
Yui won over my heart to my surprise ever since this show came on. But I do admit, Mio is indeed moe…!
May 24, 2009 at 8:00 pmTrillian
link | my site | registered
the K-on club at my (Japanese) HS has probably like 30 or more members. They just split into a bunch of different bands.
May 24, 2009 at 8:05 pmUrs
Woooow you just made my day by mentioning Adam Lambert! I love him!!! You rock :)
May 24, 2009 at 8:20 pmKönig
What to do with more members:
1. Clean
2. Back up
3. GUITAR ORCHESTRA!!!
Am I the only one who loved YUI sing in this ep? :(
@illu > They don't but it is pretty much implied by the fact that there are no male students whatsoever, though there are male teachers. Plus every class is made up of girls.
May 24, 2009 at 9:03 pmcalde
@illu
The gate of the school has a nameplate and it says it's a private school and its official name is Sakuragaoka girl's high school.
I think this school is kinda like a prep school in the US.
May 24, 2009 at 9:05 pmNerroth
Well, if it's any consolation for Mio (and Adam), they'll almost certainly be far more successful after the fact than their opposite numbers are likely to be…
…though you never know, I guess.
Nice calde. What episode did they show that one?
May 24, 2009 at 9:54 pmfragbet
Hooray for more music!
Glad to finally see Yui doing vocals and I'm very happy for that. Still I find it it ridiculous that they had to choose a vocalist within SECONDS of the performance. What kind of band does that? It felt like they just wanted to pimp more moe time out of Mio.
As for Azuza, she doesn't feel right. She's too….serious. I guess that's the point though, I can foresee her being the sole voice of reason among the among the crazy(but moe) band.
May 24, 2009 at 11:34 pmLQY
Well, I think 12 episodes is the only weakness of this show…>_<
May 25, 2009 at 12:58 amSamurai Pumpkin
What exactly is "Moe Moe Kyun!" ?
I remember them pointing it out on an earlier episode but is it a reference to another Japanese culture thing?
From what I can tell it basically means "super moe". I dunno though.
May 25, 2009 at 1:30 amFeenix
Mugi = lesbian
May 25, 2009 at 1:41 amcalde
@Horus
ep.7, when the four and Nodoka discussed upcoming Chrismas party. It was all written in Kanji though.
@Samurai Pumpkin
When you get a sight of a girl you love so much, you might feel your heart squeezed with the magnitude of your emotion.
Kyun is meant to be an expression of that kind of state of mind.
So, "super moe" is quite accurate I guess.
May 25, 2009 at 2:18 amMinnie
link | my site
Your Adam Lambert comment seriously made my day.
But enough about American Idol, I am glad I am not the only one annoyed at Yui's singing. Her voice is too cute. Unless people love overly cute voices, they will all prefer Mio's voice better. However I think Mio saving Yui right there actually tells us that she might be taking over the vocalist position from now on… maybe. ^^;;
May 25, 2009 at 2:49 amAnt
I think Yui sings just fine. But then again, I'm not proficient in Japanese.
May 25, 2009 at 2:54 amGod~Knows~
We need more people to pour tea,Mugi is tired.
May 25, 2009 at 7:34 amcakepie
YUI HAS A BETTER VOICE THAN MIO
May 25, 2009 at 11:10 amNaqel
Rape time. XD
May 25, 2009 at 12:24 pmbrianleung8912
hmmmmmmmm…. if she plays saxophone that be good >:) ….she did go look at jazz club :D
May 25, 2009 at 12:57 pmKinny Riddle
Oh c'mon Jaalin, Yui's singing isn't really that bad. Cut her some slack.
May 25, 2009 at 1:10 pmpsyborg
I'm into short-haired seito kaichou meganekko that aren't as good looking as the rest of the cast.
May 25, 2009 at 1:13 pmjaalin
link | author
kris allen's singing isn't that bad either, my point is that mio's is much better. but yes, i know, it's mainly a matter of preference, and those overly cutsey voice just makes me shudder.
May 25, 2009 at 2:07 pmDeadMonkeys
I didn't mind Yui's voice too much when it was both Yui and Mio singing together. Both of them sing in character, which is generally not easy. The main thing is that the way Yui's voice is, all the overtones are far apart, which makes her voice sound "clean" when speaking, but also kind of "thin" as a singer. Quite possibly an artifact of the nature of the character voice portrayal. Mio's voice has more low-end harmonics to it, and sounds a little more from the diaphragm when she's singing, which makes her voice sound thicker and seem like it has more "body" to it. That sort of difference, though, makes for a fairly good harmony between the two of them. May not be as "full" as a hypothetical duet between Mio and Mugi, but it fits well with what would widely be considered as an aesthetically pleasing harmony to hear.
Well, I suppose it could be worse. Can you imagine if they got a whole load of people on board and became a sort of anime version of Morning Musume or Dream? Moe overload.
May 25, 2009 at 2:20 pmchris
Stop picking on Yui! She has her own appeal. And yes Mio has a more full bodied voice but Yui also has her own niche. EX. I dont think Cagayake! GIRLS whould have been anywhere near as good with Mio singing..on the other hand Yui could never pull off Dont say "lazy", let alone the sweet bitter beauty song.
My point is there are situations where a certain type of voice is needed and with Mio and Yui they have most of their bases covered.
May 25, 2009 at 3:54 pmRaze
Who says Ritsu's not moe enough? ಠ_ಠ
May 25, 2009 at 6:13 pmJaran
I could see Azusa being the lead guitarist and Yui being rhythm guitarist. Since Yui is the de-facto lead singer, it'd be easier for her, since she gets very concentrated when doing the riffs. Although to be honest, I prefer Mio's voice, even though Yui's voice just drips with kawaii and moe~
Very fun episode. :D
Well, they're all there to fill in a particular moe pigeonhole. If not for that, there wouldn't really be sites dedicated to some individual's perceived moe superiority of Yui or Mugi and so on.
Yui fills that "airheaded ditz" moe niche. Ritsu is the "genki fun girl" moe. Mugi is the "sweet elder sister" moe. While Mio is the "delicate flower," which apparently has the greatest draw. A certain factor in Mio's appeal, though, is how she has both Ritsu and Sawako-sensei to serve as sort of mortal enemies who bring her weakness out to light. If she didn't have these counterparts, she'd probably appear to be an otherwise normal character.
Azusa, for that matter Show Spoiler ▼
has that ever important tsundere + tsukkomi role to fill, which kind of makes Yui her natural enemy. Though there are other aspects to Yui's character which makes Azusa all the weaker in her presence. This is mildly foreshadowed in the earlier scenes which highlighted the shimai-ai between Yui and Ui.
BTW, I also vaguely remember the name of the school being mentioned in earlier episodes where "jogakuin" was included, which pretty much said it was an all-girls school. One thing that didn't quite add up about that, though, was Sawako-sensei's history in that school in the K-ON-bu, where she had a crush on some guy. How does that work if he's in another school?
May 25, 2009 at 10:48 pmHorus
I must learn how to read kanji to pick these things up! >.<
I thought Yui sang very cutely. Mio was the better singer in my opinion. The duet was amazing.
May 25, 2009 at 10:51 pmRikou
Dude, Azusa plays guitar. Haven't you read the manga? :O
May 26, 2009 at 2:45 amjeffng9
hmm.. nice episode but then i expect a more cute voice for Azu-nyan~
i like her alot~ :P
Rumor has it that new OP and ED of K-ON! will come out soon, possibly ep.9 this week, and that all 5 members of the band including the newcomer Azusa are credited to both songs.
It's still possible this is total BS, but we'll see.
May 26, 2009 at 7:00 pmShin
Yes! Mio! Azusa! And… ankles?! Ankles!
new opening? cool~! looking forward to it~
i expect a lot of new songs from this anime~~~~
Ok I'm sorry to tell you it turned out the rumor was false, almost.
OP song is basically the same but Azusa plays guitar on the screen and the song itself has Azusa's guitar part.
ED hasn't changed a bit.
I'm pretty sure you will be shocked how small Azusa looks standing next to Mio.
Saw Episode 9.
If Episode 8 did not show much of Azusa's personality, there's a good reason for that. Episode 9 is all ABOUT her.
May 31, 2009 at 12:09 amEx14
i got a favour to ask do you have any tabs for all these new songs?
June 11, 2010 at 11:23 amBlacksun88
i lol-ed at this XD


text:
1929 Chicago Cubs Starters
Here's a bit of info on each member of the Cubs starting lineup. Links on their names will go to photos of each player. You can click on the pic above to see larger view.
CATCHER: The Cubs had a disastrous season behind the plate, as numerous catchers went out with injuries. Zach Taylor will be their starter for game 1, but Mike Gonzalez, Earl Grace, Johnny Schulte, and Gabby Hartnett all played in more than 20 games as well.
FIRST BASE: Charlie Grimm mans the bag at first. "Jolly Cholly" as he's known actually began his career with the Athletics in 1916 as a 17 year old. Ironically, while he is now playing against a team many consider the best of all time, that 1916 squad was the worst of all time. A .298 hitter, he's even better known for his defense…and his vaudeville act. He's a skilled left handed banjo player.
SECOND BASE: Rogers Hornsby may be 33 years old, but he certainly shows no signs of slowing down. Five years ago, in 1924 with the Cardinals, "The Rajah" had one of the most remarkable hitting seasons of all time, batting .424. That's a record I don't foresee being broken for some time to come. He and Cobb are the greatest pure hitters in the history of the game. And though he doesn't have as much power as Ruth, he can still pop that old sphere over the fences, hitting 39 homers and knocking in 149 Runs this year, his first season with the Cubs. The only knock on Hornsby is his attitude, which is why he seems to bounce around the league. But make no mistake…he's still one of the premiere players in the Bigs, and he'll have a big impact on this Series.
SHORTSTOP: Considered the clubhouse leader, even at the young age of 23, Woody English is one of the few players on the squad who gets along with Hornsby, and his diplomacy has been vital in keeping the squad on even keel. A contact hitter and an average defensive shortstop, he batted .276 this season.
THIRD BASE: The Cubs have journeyman Norm McMillan at third, probably the weak link on this team. He is an average hitter (.276 this season) and not particularly good in the field (led the NL in errors this year). His biggest claim to fame is that just over a month ago he hit the shortest home run in MLB history. The Cubs were playing the Reds, and the game was tied at 5 with the bases loaded. Let's let Norm tell the rest: "I hit a ball that bounded over third base. It bounced foul and into the Cubs' bullpen and slipped up inside the discarded jacket of relief pitcher Ken Penner, which had been lying on the ground about ten feet behind the base. As it turned out, the ball went up the sleeve of the jacket and while the Reds' left fielder, third baseman and shortstop were all looking for the ball, we all raced home."
LEFT FIELD: The Cubs outfield is incredible, as all three outfielders had over 100 RBIs this season, the only time in baseball history that has ever happened.* In left, they have Riggs Stephenson. Riggs is a question mark defensively thanks to a bad shoulder, but there is no questioning his offensive prowess. He put up a .362 average with a .445 OBP, with 17 homers and 110 RBIs.
CENTER FIELD: There are few legends in baseball bigger than Hack Wilson. As sportswriter Shirley Povich once wrote: "He was built along the lines of a beer keg and not unfamiliar with its contents." Hack has even admitted, "I never played drunk. Hungover, yes, but never drunk." Hack hits even harder than he parties. This year, he hit .345 with 39 dingers and 159 RBIs.
RIGHT FIELD: Out in left, the Cubs sport the fast, brash, and excellent hitting Hazen "Kiki" Cuyler. He began his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was part of that Pirates team that won the 1925 World Series, so he's got experience in these big games. He was traded to the Cubs in 1927, and has done a stadnup job, batting .360 this year with 15 Homers and 102 RBIs.
*As of 2012, it still has never happened again.


Letter from Pte Joe Burn, Ypres, to his Mother.
Letter from Records to father of Capt H N Constantine.
Letter from ex Battalion CO to father of Capt Constantine.
Letter from Capt Newcombe, POW camp, to father of Capt Constantine.
Letter of Condolence to Mrs Constantine From Ray Chapman.
Note from RSM Wilkinson, POW camp, and a Newspaper cutting re Capt H N Constantine.
Letters of Condolence from King George V and Lord Kitchener.
Letter from Buckingham Palace to a returning Prisoner of War.
First World War "Silk" showing the Yorkshire Regiment Badge and Embroidery from Palestine.
Telegrams reporting A/Capt A L Goring missing and then a POW.
Letter to local Cleveland MP, dated 1958, claiming for First War injuries.
Letter dated Aug 1921 reviewing War Pension payments.


text:
package main

import (
	"github.com/kataras/iris/v12"
	"github.com/kataras/iris/v12/core/netutil"
)

func main() {
	app := iris.New()

	l, err := netutil.UNIX("/tmpl/srv.sock", 0666) // see its code to see how you can manually create a new file listener, it's easy.
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}

	app.Run(iris.Listener(l))
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A trio of Melbourne-based music veterans have teamed up to form an exciting synth-laced outfit. ATOM, which features members of Crime and the City Solution, The Moll Flanders Band and REPAIRS, is premiering the debut single from its forthcoming record In Every Dream Home. 'Run Out' is the name of the track, and it paints a grim picture of the inevitable finality of our system's rampant excess.


text:
Robin Williams Remains A Comic Genius In Time Life's Unprecedented 22-Disc Collection
Vic Shuttee
| Comedy |
Vic Shuttee | August 8, 2019 | 5:00am
Robin Williams: Comic Genius may be the new gold standard for comedy retrospectives
Photo by Time Life
Like many of those who will pick up this Robin Williams retrospective from Time Life – I entered with one overwhelming question in need of resolution: Why? Why would such a creative brilliance extinguish his own flame from a world that seemed to love him so? Why after five years does this loss cut so deep for millions around the globe? Why did Robin Williams take his own life?
That answer of "Why?" is no more clear after thoughtfully chewing on this insanely comprehensive 22-disc retrospective of one of America's greatest entertainers. There may be no greater answer than the obvious, but the continued reporting of his various diagnosed (and misdiagnosed) illnesses would appear to be to the agreed-upon source of blame.
Yet another question is what this collection Robin Williams: Comic Genius attempts to bathe in light – how? How did one classically trained thespian single-handedly rewrite the book for the modern comedian, movie star and yes, icon? How can even a gifted mind take one germ of external stimuli and weave it into a yarn that stretched across night clubs, arena stages, television performances and motion pictures for years on end. How did Robin Williams change the game and become Robin Williams?
What Time Life has assembled in its exhaustive culling of stand-up spots, late night appearances, home videos, stints at award shows and much more attempts to answer the query. Even those with dedication in the era of VCRs and round-the-clock scouring of YouTube would be hard pressed to have assembled a vault of a more diverse and fascinating set of clips and cameos spanning across more than 35 years in Hollywood. The oldest material dates back to pre-Mork and Mindy days in 1977, while the latest in Williams' lifetime come from 2013, with various retrospectives and new materials created after his passing.
The full collection offers an overwhelming amount of material – it took this reviewer more than three months of dedicated binging to view the estimated 3,126 minutes (52+ hours) of content across four volumes. The experience was both a microscope and a cassette stuck in fast-forward. Knowing the eventual tragic end in store, the journey was as moving as it was hilarious.
Broken into volumes mostly based on content, the quality of Williams' gags does vary wildly – but that's no slight. Like watching your favorite indie band grow to national prominence, the duds can be as rewarding as the champions in the grand scheme. But be prepared – experiencing Williams' improvisational gifts in such close proximity can offer a translucent image of how the sausage gets made. To see the evolutions of the punchline "I'm so excited I could drop a log" for example, grow from stage performances on HBO to a guest spot on Laugh In with Frank Sinatra and later on talk show couches in the 21st century may have the unintended side-effect of demystifying the jester's aura to a degree. On the other hand, seeing nothing become something before your eyes is nothing short of breath-taking.
Comic Genius is divided into four volumes, across 22 discs.
Photo Courtesy of Time Life
While Williams began his career on stage, it was initially in plays, not stand-up. Sadly, no footage appears to exist of the actor taking on an early production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream – a production alongside Christopher Reeve which he references frequently. Beyond this wish list, the first volume of the collection focuses on Robin the Comic with the full productions of the five stand-up hours released in his lifetime (1978's Off-The-Wall, 1983's An Evening with Robin Williams, 1986's An Evening at the Met, 2002's Live on Broadway and 2009's Weapons of Self Destruction). Certainly much ballyhooed at the time, these specials are far from undiscovered gems – in fact, they stand as the essential building blocks of Williams' immense legacy as comedian proper. They offer the viewer a chance to see how Williams managed his comic verve and go-for-broke instincts in rooms of various shape and size.
The free-wheeling night club fun of Off-The-Wall is infectious, as Robin climbs rafters and even suckers some of his famous friends in the audience onstage for fun and games, almost Fallon-eque in a form. Sitcom legend John Ritter tries his best to keep up in some improvised scene work – and this is exactly the type of not-good-enough-for-traditional-television that makes this special feel more like a peek into the real LA comedy scene of the time, as opposed to the more sanitized product form mostly captured.
Evening is similarly manic, if not a little sweatier – metaphorically speaking, as Williams always works to a lather across his decades onstage. The highlight of the comic's second special may be the filmed bookends of Robin Williams meeting a roughed up version of himself, an oddly poignant creative decision, perhaps itself a commentary on the enormity of Williams' continually growing stature in show business. It also juxtaposes nicely with his repeatedly stated goals: to make an audience feel something. These segments, in earnest, show the very earliest signs of Williams' future as an Oscar-winning dramatic performer – they'll choke you up, and they bravely don't chase the laughs.
Live at the Met remains one of the most revered hours of stand-up, winning Williams his second Grammy for Best Comedy Album and a Television Critics Association Award of Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials. It's a masterclass on stand-up and true step forward for Robin's material as he's forced to bring a different level of performance to the enormous Metropolitan Opera House. Without the ability to easily see his audience, the riffs off-topic are more contained, and thoughts on bigger issues such as substance abuse, politics and then-modern masculinity are more distilled and cutting. The special begins with such wonderful unabashed glee as the entertainer bounds across the backdrop of larger than life wagon wheels, and ends with another sweet note as Robin addresses his young son Zak.
It is not until a new century dawns that Williams feels the urge to return to the stage, this time on Broadway.
Here we see the most noticeable transformation, as the lights of movie star status have carried Williams to new personal and professional heights. Adding to the element of "what will happen," this special really pushes the fact that it's to be recorded LIVE on HBO – a move that adds even more juice to an already revved 98 minutes of mania. Clearly, this lust for stand-up has been percolating a long while in the actor so by 2002, Williams lets loose to overwhelming acclaim as this special nets another Grammy and also claiming five nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards.
If the spark is what first brought Williams to prominence, his undeniable stamina is what propels Broadway and his next special, Weapons of Self Destruction. But while his 2002 outing is a high, the 2009 jaunt could be considered a low as the accomplishment seems to be more that Williams can still physically do the task, after suffering several setbacks including a 2006 break sobriety from alcohol, a 2009 emergency cardiac surgery and soon-to-be finalized divorce from his longtime second wife in the span of just a few years. The special does have a few highlights, including some extended take downs of Bush-era politics and the rise of prime comedy targets Sarah Palin and Arnold Schwarzenegger. But undeniably, this is a more subdued Robin and as the final dedicated stand-up special released in his lifetime, a quiet send-off.
Yet Comic Genius is far from finished with Robin's stand-up – the Time Life set also includes several unreleased performances in full involving the comedian's continued dedication to performance for the United States Armed Services through the USO. Like Bob Hope before him, Williams did a number of dates overseas for over a decade during the American conflicts in the Middle East, and included here are Robin's star studded USO Christmas Show with appearances by Lewis Black and Kid Rock, as well as extended appearances in Bahrain, Iraq and Kyrgyzstan.
Additionally, the set includes a full evening at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas from 2007, which includes material to-be seen in Weapons, as well as jokes not recorded elsewhere on the set. This inclusions, while in no way rivaling the canon inclusions, are yet another treat for those who feel like they've seen all the Robin available – many of these are exclusive to the box.
The set also comes with a myriad of bonus clips and often full programs from additional sources. Highlights include excerpts from The Catch A Rising Star 10th Anniversary Special (featuring Robin cutting up with fellow comics Billy Crystal and Richard Belzer), The Comedy Store's 11th Anniversary (where a bearded Robin shares the stage with legend Richard Pryor), two HBO Young Comedians specials including Williams' first appearance in 1977 and later, as a success story on the All-Star Reunion event in a full 59 minutes of best-of revelry with the likes of Steven Wright, Howie Mendel, and a young Ellen DeGeneres.
Beyond stand-up, the collection wields an array of appearances on Robin checking in with various chat shows across both the American airwaves, and the globe. These vary in presentation, offering one of the bigger questions marks on the set. Williams appeared on Jay Leno's Tonight Show an impressive 27 times, yet only four of those episodes are catalogued here. While disc space limitations may be the culprit, the episodes themselves appear uncut (aside from musical appearances), which offer roughly 25 minutes of non-Robin Jay Leno material each episode to sit through.
On the other side of the equation, Williams appears on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live ten times, of which 9 (!) are included on the set. The catch is – included here are ONLY the moments of Robin, with most of Kimmel's monologues from 2004-2013 discarded. Your mileage will vary as your weigh the pros and cons, as the Leno shows offer a fuller time capsule (with appearances by Kevin Nealon and Billy Crystal thrown in), where the Kimmel appearances offer a full picture of the focus of the set. Sadly, no spots of Robin on the couches of David Letterman, Conan O'Brien or Jon Stewart make their way to disc - a loss, to be sure.
Robin was equally prolific on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, and three full Carson episodes have been included here – though wisely, not the much circulated and readily available penultimate episode featuring Bette Midler which has likely entered any conceivable television hall of fame. The curators should be commended for including an absolute gem from 1991, where Williams appears alongside an in-character Jonathan Winters. Other volumes also include a singular episode of Oprah for which Williams promotes the upcoming film The Fischer King (and the episode absolutely does tread into personal territory as was Oprah's agile gift), a rarely seen pre-tape segment of the blink-and-you-miss it Whoopi Goldberg talk series and two full episodes of the really fun UK panel series Graham Norton (which features Robin alongside Happy Feet co-star Elijah Wood).
For a more thoughtful look at Robin's creative mind, some of the most substantial conversations occur on Charlie Rose's PBS program, of which yjtrr interviews are included – including the rare comparison of Williams right before winning the Best Supporting Actor trophy for Good Will Hunting in 1998, and a return in 2002 to see how that honor changed Williams' life. A 2001 appearance on Inside the Actor's Studio with James Lipton remains one of the most enduring deep dives, with over two hours of material that probes the performer's id and contains a number frequently YouTube'd sound bites that resonate years later.
One of the crowning jewels of the impressive set are all three of the (nearly) complete Saturday
Night Live episodes hosted by Robin Williams in 1984, 1986 and 1988. Even today, uncut classic SNL episodes remain a hard thing to come by both on disc and via online streaming. It's remarkable that, while never a cast member himself, Williams claims a number of unique designations for a host including a one-off stint hosting Weekend Update (or as it was known during the '84, Saturday Night News) as well as playing the President in the now-iconic sketch "Earpiece" where Williams' gives his best Ronald Reagan. Even when some sketches fall into less remarkable territory, it is a sight to behold to watch Williams playing with future superstars Eddie Murphy, Dana Carvey, Jon Lovitz, Phil Hartman and Julia Louis Dreyfus.
The set's fourth and final volume focuses extensively on Robin's appearances at Award Programs, both as a host or presenter or as a recipient of a prize. The various academies behind The Oscars, The Emmys, The Golden Globes, The American Comedy Awards, The Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize, The American Film Institute, The People's Choice and TV Land Award have all provided the bulk of their Robin-centric moments to the set. While some moments cut through the pageantry, most are simply what you'd expect: a man either accepting an award graciously or tossing off a few one-liners before presenting.
The major exception may indeed be the funniest clip across 22 discs when Willams, nominated for Best Actor in One Hour Photo at the 2002 Critics Choice Award alongside heavy hitters Jack Nicholson for About Schmidt and Daniel Day Lewis for Gangs of New York, is smacked with the shocking reality that he has lost the award… to BOTH men. In an upset, Nicholson and Day-Lewis tied for the prize, leaving Robin as the category's only loser. Never shy, Robin turns an invite from Jack to say a few words on his behalf into a rollercoaster 12-minute affair roasting the entire industry and leaving behind a performance certainly worthy of a later Critic's Choice, if not a second Oscar. It is unbelievably funny.
There are lesser inclusions whose disc space may have been better served elsewhere - the collection includes two discs of a Best-of Mork and Mindy, which while interesting, are easily purchased in full elsewhere with more economic means. But the disc includes some truly remarkable antiques like Robin's appearance at Norman Lear-produced celebration of the American Bi-Centennial in which Williams gives a slam poetry style monologue as old glory herself. Another treasure is Robin rocking out with jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin, or an extended cut of a seemingly real-life promo made for a certain film director who could claim the accomplishment of wrangling a usable take out of the tangent prone actor. Both gems were apparently from the comedian's extensive private tape collection. Sadly missing is any of Williams' famed work on the semi-annual telethon Comic Relief with Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg, a pretty obvious omission that is thankfully on disc elsewhere. Also, from my personal wishlist, the improv Robin does on Who's Line Is It Anyway would have been a very nice addition of something not readily available elsewhere.
With so much content presented in this collection, Time Life ensures that Comic Genius offers more than enough brilliance to chew on for the rest of your life. But perhaps the most affecting piece included in the collection may very well be why there is a set in the first place, the expansive 2018 HBO documentary Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind. You can imagine how much of this thought-to-be-lost material was being uncovered with the intent to help visualize the narrative of the high profile event directed by filmmaker Marina Zenovich, who also helmed a similar projects about Richard Pryor entitled Omit the Logic.
Here is where the set does it's best to answer that original "Why?" question on some many viewers minds. The two hour-telefilm does so - if not conclusively – then artfully. The documentary, along with the set, includes new interview with comedians like Martin Short, Jay Leno, Lewis Black, Paula Poundstone (who Williams fought to get her a stand-up spot on one of his episodes of SNL), agent David Steinberg and more. It is a comprehensive retrospective worthy of a generational figure like Williams, and doesn't gloss over the unsavory chapters of his life: adultery, drug abuse and his eventual suicide.
Come Inside My Mind is a tasteful culmination of the man's life, and almost serves as the medicine that you've dreaded after enjoying disc after disc of comedy candy. Robin Williams was human, after all, and his pain is merely hinted at in his work. By taking his own life on August 11, 2014 – he left behind a world that misses him to this day without much of a good-bye.
Even as the special alludes to with its title, Come Inside My Mind dates back as far as his earlier comedy record, Reality… What A Concept. As Williams riffed it back in 1978, the joke emerges after a few zingers jokes bomb outright: "Come inside my mind, and see what it's like when a comedian eats the big one." Acting out his inner conflict, a schizophrenic scene follows. Voice One boasts, "I'm doing brilliant! I'm improvising like crazy!" to which Voice Two counters, "No you're not you FOOL, you're just doing pee-pee ca-ca [with] no substance. You're not talking about any truth, no realities. Why don't you change the nature of man instead of talking about drugs and passing out? Help the world!"
Whether he intended to or not, Robin Williams did help the world. His humanity is soaked into so many performances he left behind. Through his gifts, as well as his struggles, Robin was a great role model and advocate for individuality and freedom of expression. As he preached in character during Off-The-Wall: "You've got to be crazy, it's too late to be sane. Too late! You've got to go full-tilt bozo, because you're only given a little spark of madness. And if you lose that, you're nothing. From me to you, don't ever lose that. It keeps you alive."
Five years after his passing, we're all still learning to live without Robin Williams around.
Vic covers the comedy scene, in Houston and beyond. When not writing articles, he's working on his scripts, editing a podcast, doing some funny make-em-ups or preaching the good word of supporting education in the arts.


text:
All-New 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
Mitsu adds a wee crossover to its range.
MARK GILLIES Published: Apr 1, 2010
PATRICK M. HOEY, THE MANUFACTURER
The latest industry trend to be spotted at the New York auto show was the incredible shrinking crossover, exemplified by the Nissan Juke and this Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. Both vehicles were making their North American debuts, having premiered at the Geneva show last month. (The Mitsubishi is known as the RVR and ASX elsewhere on the planet.)
Of the two, the Juke is the cute but weird-looking one, whereas the Outlander Sport looks more substantial. We also have to say it's more handsome than the bigger Outlander that's already in the Mitsubishi lineup. With an overall length of 169.1 inches, it's just over a foot shorter than its big brother, although the wheelbases are identical at 105.1 inches.
The Mitsu is underpinned by Galant-based running gear, with a 148-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Now, that might sound a little puny in a jacked-up small station wagon, but Mitsubishi has tried to make this Outlander Sport as light as possible. A base model with manual transmission weighs in at an estimated 3050 pounds, thanks to features like recycled-plastic front fenders and extensive use of high-strength steel. Weight reduction is going to be important going forward as automakers balance performance against government fuel-efficiency requirements. Mitsubishi claims that the Outlander Sport will get an EPA number of 31 mpg on the highway.
Like the regular Outlander, the Sport is front-wheel drive, with an optional all-wheel-drive system. This is a simple on-demand arrangement, transferring torque to the rear wheels when slippage occurs at the front. The base ES model has a five-speed manual; a continuously variable transmission with paddle shifters is optional on this trim level and standard on the uplevel SE.
Unlike the Outlander, which has interior plastics that wouldn't look out of place in a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, the Sport has soft-touch materials on the doors and instrument panel, surprising in view of its expected $19,000 starting price. The uplevel SE model has features such as automatic climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated front seats, and a keyless entry system as standard. Options on this trim level include a monster sunroof, a navigation system with a seven-inch screen, and a kicking 710-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system. The Outlander Sport goes on sale at the end of 2010 as a 2011 model.
New York Auto Show
2023 Nissan Leaf Fields Simpler Lineup, Pricing Up
SangYup Lee on the Future of Hyundai Design
Deus Vayanne Hypercar Out in 2025, Claims 2200 HP
Chrysler's Airflow Looks Sharp in Black and Copper
2023 Telluride: New X-Line, X-Pro Trims, More Tech
2023 Niro Makes U.S. Debut; EV Gets 253-Mile Range
2023 Hyundai Palisade Has Bold Face, New Features
Subaru Tweaks 2023 Outback, It's Still an Outback
Jeep Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L Are Longer
2023 BMW X7 Arrives with More Power and a New Look
2023 Nissan Pathfinder Adds Rock Creek Package
GT Holman Moody Car Honors Ford's '66 Le Mans Win


text:
HIV Testing Rates Lag Among Millennials
By George Citroner
The CDC finds people between the ages of 15 to 44 are significantly more likely to have never been tested for HIV.
After years of getting the word out about the benefits of HIV testing, it seems like things are beginning to change, for the worse.
HIV Is No Longer Considered a Deadly Threat
Although infection was once considered a death sentence, the advent of antiretroviral therapies (ART) in the 90s suppressed the virus, making it a manageable condition.
A January 2018 Health Statistics Report released by the CDC finds people between the ages of 15 to 44 are significantly more likely to have never been tested. The most common reason for never having been HIV tested was the belief that exposure to the virus was unlikely.
"There are probably a few answers to that question," Dr. Sharon Nachman, MD, Division Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Professor of Pediatrics at Stony Brook Medicine, told MD Magazine as to possible reasons why. "Are we dealing with a population that has always heard about HIV being a matter of taking meds and you'll be fine? So, the idea of risk behavior and acquisition of HIV isn't so worrisome. I think that's part of the problem. The other part of the problem may be that there's so much going on in their lives that this may not be perceived as their biggest worry."
More Than One Approach Needed
Almost 40% of millennial-aged women and more than half of men surveyed for this report say that they've never been tested for HIV outside of blood donation. Narrowing the age range to only 15- to 24-year-olds, even fewer had ever been tested. Overall, almost 75% of men and more than 60% of women responded that they had never been tested.
"I don't think there's 1 action plan that can go across multiple levels of providers," Dr. Nachman says we need more than 1 approach to this problem. "Who are the medical providers millennials are seeing? They're not going to regular physicians; they're going to urgent care centers."
Nachman recommends changing how urgent care operate. "They need to offer HIV testing to everyone who walks in, every time. That's 1 opportunity that we can't afford to miss. I also think that we have to bring down the price of self-testing. If it's affordable, there is a better chance that they'll do it. While those are the best things that we can do, we also need better PR campaigns to get the message out in a format similar to a news report; I don't think conventional TV ads will do it."
HIV Infections and the Undiagnosed
Close to 15% of people with HIV are undiagnosed, and about 30% of new HIV infections are transmitted by individuals uninformed of their HIV status.
Nachman says increasing awareness is critical, "I do think the lack of awareness of the need for HIV testing is concerning. About 15% of individuals aren't aware of their HIV status and, therefore, can unknowingly transmit infection."
The Take-Home Message
"We can't be subtle about getting the message out," Nachman adds. "We should take advantage of multiple venues. For example, sending texts out asking people if they've been tested this year. The way we've proceeded over the past few years needs to be updated. I believe the problem isn't that we've failed at the task, it's just not the right approach now."
This article was originally published by MD Magazine.


Who knew making homemade oatmeal bath is this simple?!
Using rolled oats (old fashion) & working in small batches, grind. I used the milling blade on my baby food processor. Oatmeal bath for less than pennies! I make a big batch for my son's baths and store in an airtight container. Works great for eczema, diaper rashes and itchy skin.