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4 Simple New Year's Resolutions You'll Actually Be Able To Keep In 2021
5 Reasons Why You're Never Too Old To Start Martial Arts
5 Lessons To Learn From Chatri Sityodtong's Life Story
Suffering, Sacrifice & Success: The Chatri Sityodtong Story
According To Bruce Lee, This Is What All Martial Artists Need To Know
The 5 Biggest Wins Of Mike Tyson's Career
Is Muay Thai And Kickboxing The Same?
Here's How To Land An Uppercut KO In Boxing
6 Epiphanies You Will Have During Your First Week Of Muay Thai
Here's Why You Should End Your Day With A Muay Thai Class
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Here's Why You Won't Regret Finally Going To That First BJJ Class
3 Gi Chokes You Need To Know In BJJ
Here's How BJJ Strengthens Both Your Body And Mind
How To Develop Knockout Power For Boxing
Here's What You Need To Know About Throwing Leg Kicks In MMA
Here's What You Need To Know About Setting Up Knees In MMA
Here's What You Need To Know About Setting Up Head Kicks In MMA
3 Common Self-Defense Scenarios You Should Prepare Yourself For
4 Must-Know MMA Self-Defense Moves
If You Want To Learn To Defend Yourself, These Are The Martial Arts For You
6 Different Forms Of Wrestling Found Around The World
3 Wrestling Concepts All Beginners Should Know
6 Common Mistakes Wrestling Beginners Don't Realize They Are Making
5 Ab Exercises For MMA
5 Simple Resistance Band Exercises
5 Health And Fitness Tips From Martial Arts World Champions
3 Effective Circuit Training Routines You Need To Try
Here's How To Figure Out What's The Best Weight-Loss Diet For You
4 Ways To Stop Stress Eating
Everything You've Wanted To Know About The Paleo Diet
Beginner Training Tips For Those New To The Boxing Gym
Evolve MMA Remains Open Every Day During The Holiday Period!
NEWSFLASH: Evolve MMA Finishes 1st At The Dumau By Grapple Asia BJJ Competition!
NEWSFLASH: The Results Of The Evolve Competition Team Tryouts Are In!
Evolve MMA Stays Open Over Chinese New Year!
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Here's How Martial Arts Adds A Spark To Angela Lee And Bruno Pucci's Marriage
Here's Why The Evolve Fight Team Global Tryouts Is The Greatest Opportunity In MMA
Evolve University
Add These Armbar Finishes To Your Arsenal
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My Life As A Muay Thai Fighter : Nong-O Gaiyanghadao
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How To Protect Your Child From Singapore's Bullying Epidemic
4 Muscle Groups That Muay Thai Strengthens
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Muay Thai Evolve MMA Wednesday
There is no mistaking it, a Muay Thai class is the ultimate total body workout. Ask anyone who has trained in the "Art of Eight Limbs" and they will tell you it's one of the most intense workouts you can ever experience. It's fast-paced, deliberate, and explosive movements strengthen different parts of your body.
A Muay Thai class is truly a unique experience. That's why many people are drawn to the martial art to get themselves in supreme shape. For weight loss and muscle toning, Muay Thai has no parallel.
As a martial art for self-defense, Muay Thai is extremely effective. It can help you diffuse any physical altercation quickly and effectively. It will equip you with the combat skills necessary to protect yourself and those around you at all times, which is why many men, women, and even children study this discipline.
Moreover, Muay Thai helps you achieve the physique and athleticism of a well-conditioned athlete.
Have you ever seen the physique of a Muay Thai fighter? It's lean, flexible, but most importantly, strong. That's because the compound movements performed within Muay Thai's techniques strengthen all sorts of muscles that you may not even be aware of.
Let's take a quick look at the different muscles Muay Thai training directly engages. Today, Evolve Daily shares four muscle groups Muay Thai strengthens.
1) Arm And Shoulder Muscles
Muay Thai teaches you to set goals and stick to them.
Muay Thai deals with the science of punching much like the sport of boxing does. Although the stance is quite different because of the existence of kicks and knees, the fundamentals are pretty much the same.
Power is transferred from the base, through to the core, and to the end of the fist. It's a smooth, quick, and explosive motion. But people may not realize that power is usually transferred to the fist via the shoulders. The shoulders act like pistons, delivering punches with speed and velocity.
The major difference between Muay Thai and boxing, however, is the existence of elbows. In Muay Thai, fighters can use elbow strikes. Many of Muay Thai's boxing combinations include the use of elbows.
This, of course, stimulates different parts of the arm and shoulder muscles, particularly the triceps and biceps. It also explains why Muay Thai fighters have very cut and defined shoulders.
2) Hip And Leg Muscles
Karate World Champion Hiroki Akimoto training Muay Thai at Evolve MMA in Singapore.
A major part of Muay Thai's offensive maneuvers involve the use of kicks and knees. There are a plethora of different techniques from roundhouse kicks, push kicks, switch kicks, question mark kicks, and the like.
Taking things a step further, Muay Thai also features leg sweeps, dumps, and even the occasional flying knee.
Training Muay Thai helps you build mental toughness.
That being said, there's a lot of compound movements involving the muscles surrounding the legs and hips, such as the gluteal muscles and the quadriceps. Each muscle serves a different purpose in the execution of Muay Thai's many kicking techniques.
During training, you'll be kicking a lot. It's one of those things where the more you do it, the better you get. Repetition plays a massive role in Muay Thai training, and the more time you put in the gym, the faster you see improvements.
Strengthening these muscles separately, therefore, also improve kicking technique and power in Muay Thai.
3) Core Muscles
A strong core helps to provide Muay Thai fighters with power.
Much like in any sport, the core muscle group plays a massive role in the function of all connected body parts. Think of it as the engine that makes your body run. The stronger your core, the more explosive your movements, and in turn, the more powerful your strikes.
The core muscles include the internal and external obliques, upper and lower abdomen, diaphragm, and the like.
Muay Thai is one of the most effective forms of self-defense.
Everything from kicks, punches, elbows, and knees, and all techniques in between, draw power from your core. Which means this area of your body is trained constantly on a daily basis. Every technique performed in some way shape or form engages the core. That's probably why Muay Thai fighters are absolutely ripped.
Muay Thai also has you dealing with body shots. A lot of fighters like to dig to the body with roundhouse kicks, or even punches. So you're always clenching your abdomen to deal with the impact. This, of course, fortifies your midsection and makes you more resistant to body shots.
4) Back Muscles
Multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao training at Evolve MMA (Far East Square) in Singapore.
Last but not least, Muay Thai training strengthens your back muscles.
Typically, the muscles attached to the back of the spine help humans stand, as well as lift heavy objects. Just as you engage the core muscles during training, you equally engage the back muscles to complement and stabilize your movements, especially when executing kicks and knees.
The back muscles also help in allowing you better shock absorption, which in turn gives you better balance. And of course, balance is very important in any stand-up martial art.
Having a strong back enables you to deliver your techniques with good balance, and helps you stay upright with a good center of gravity. Having a solid base is essential in Muay Thai.
Another aspect of Muay Thai that engages back muscles is the clinch. When fighting for position and pulling your opponent off balance, strong back muscles will come in handy.
Start your Muay Thai journey today with a complimentary trial class.
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As the UK moves into the next phase of its Brexit negotiations, the estimated 2.38 million people from EU countries who are working in the UK will no doubt be questioning what will happen to their status once we leave the EU. This is certainly the case in schools who are increasingly relying on teachers from outside the UK to fill the skills gap.
There have been a number of proposals put forward since 29 March 2017, the date on which the UK triggered Article 50 and the 2-year negotiation before we are due to officially leave the EU on 29 March 2019. Here is a summary of what we know and what EU workers in the UK can do now to protect their status.
Currently, nothing has changed – all nationals of European Economic Area (EEA) countries still have the right to live, work and study in the UK – you just need to show your ID card or passport to your employer to prove this (the only exception is Croatian nationals who may require a Registration Certificate granting them special work authorisation to be employed here).
If you are an EEA national who is a qualified person (by studying or working or by being self-employed, self-sufficient or a job seeker in the UK) you can apply for a Registration Certificate to evidence your right to remain in the UK, although this is not mandatory. After living in the UK for 5 years as a qualified person you can apply for a document evidencing Permanent Residence (PR). This, again, is not mandatory but you do need it if you want to apply for British citizenship. Once you have had PR for 12 months you can apply for British citizenship and be a dual national, if your home country permits this.
Based on the Government's proposals, we expect that EEA nationals will need to "regularise" their status in the UK following Brexit by applying for residence documentation. Your rights in the UK will depend on whether you entered the UK before or after the "Specified Date" – this will be a set date between 29 March 2017 and the date we withdraw from the EU and is yet to be announced, but it may be 29 March 2019.
There is expected to be a 2-year "grace period" from the date of exit during which you and your family members must register to prove your ongoing right to be here. During the grace period, your right to live, study and work in the UK will be the same as now, if you entered the UK before the Specified Date, but you will need to register and if you do not you will no longer have permission to remain in the UK from 29 March 2021.
We don't know what the registration process will involve but the Government is promising a streamlined online process with the cost being no more than the cost of a UK passport. Unlike those applying for a Registration Certificate or PR now, you will not have to demonstrate Comprehensive Sickness Insurance if you are self-sufficient or a student.
You (and your family) will need to register online by 29 March 2021. If you have lived in the UK for 5 years or more then you should be able to apply for settled status, whereas if you have been here for less than 5 years you will need to apply for temporary status (and then settled status once you hit the 5-year mark). As it is not clear what will happen to those who arrive in the UK after the Specified Date, you will need to ensure you have clear original documentary evidence of living in the UK now (such as payslips, bank statements, utility bills etc).
Theresa May has recently indicated that you will be able to register before we leave the EU, from mid-2018 and that EU citizens with permanent residence will be able to switch to settled status for free. She also confirmed that EU citizens will have their rights written into UK law once all negotiations have concluded – these will be enforceable in UK courts and, for the next 8 years, UK courts can ask the European Court of Justice to interpret its case law if needed.
Whilst EEA nationals who currently hold PR status will still need to register under the new settled status scheme, there should be a simpler process for switching to settled status if you already have PR. Plus, if you have been living in the UK as a qualified person for 6 years or more, you could apply for PR and then British citizenship, if you wish.
So if you have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years or more and want to make the UK your home, you might want to apply for PR now. Equally, if you have been here for less than 5 years, you can apply for a Registration Certificate which may be helpful when you need to register under the new system. And even if you decide to do nothing until the registration scheme opens next year, it will certainly be sensible to locate and keep original evidence of your residence here such as original utility bills, council tax statements and other official letters showing residence in the UK plus your employment contract, payslips and P60s to evidence continuous work.
If you want advice on any of the issues in this blog we would be pleased to help – feel free to contact Liz Timmins, solicitor in the Education team at Doyle Clayton:ltimmins@doyleclayton.co.uk.


A really simple Slow cooked turkey thighs.
Clean the turkey and dry it. Prepare all of the marinade ingredients together.
Mince garlic, and add all other marinade ingredients.
Place the turkey in the container (in my case a large pot) and pure the marinade over it. If you do not have a container that will encapsulate the marinade close to the meat, use a large plastic bag as a Cooking bag.
Get the meat out of the marinade and put it over the onion.
Before serving check that the meat is cooked enough, but slinging near the bone, or in the most thick section.
Slice a think section of the meat on to a plate while it's just our of the over and is still hot.


text:
@interface GLTagTests : XCTestCase

@end

@implementation GLTagTests

- (void)testTagJsonInit
{
    NSDateFormatter *formatter = [[GLGitlabApi sharedInstance] gitLabDateFormatter];
    NSDictionary *tagJson = [GLTestUtility loadJsonFile:@"tag"];
    GLTag *testTag = [[GLTag alloc] initWithJSON:tagJson];
    GLTag *knownTag = [GLTag new];
    knownTag.name = @"v1.0.0";
    knownTag.protectedTag = NO;
    knownTag.commit = [GLCommit new];
    knownTag.commit.sha = @"2695effb5807a22ff3d138d593fd856244e155e7";
    knownTag.commit.shortId = @"2695effb580";
    knownTag.commit.title = @"Initial commit";
    knownTag.commit.authorEmail = @"john@example.com";
    knownTag.commit.authorName = @"John Smith";
    knownTag.commit.createdAt = [formatter dateFromString:@"2012-05-28T04:42:42-07:00"];

    XCTAssertEqualObjects(knownTag, testTag, @"Tag initialized from JSON incorrectly");
}

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) on Monday said he has discouraged former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz from launching an independent presidential bid in 2020.
"I feel it would be an enormous mistake by Howard," Inslee, who is mulling a 2020 bid himself, said in an appearance on CNN's "New Day."
"He has had a successful legacy as a businessperson, and it would be tarnished beyond imagination if he does the only thing that his candidacy would do would be to help the reelection of Donald Trump Donald John TrumpTrump calls Sri Lankan prime minister following church bombings Ex-Trump lawyer: Mueller knew Trump had to call investigation a 'witch hunt' for 'political reasons' The biggest challenge from the Mueller Report depends on the vigilance of everyone MORE," Inslee added.
The governor pushed back against the suggestion that Schultz might not hurt a Democratic candidate, and could pull votes from Trump given his more conservative views on abortion, "Medicare for all" and government spending.
"Virtually every Democrat alive who can count votes" believes Schultz's candidacy would help Trump, the governor said.
"This would be a disastrous event," he added. "I have strongly suggested to Howard to keep your legacy intact as a businessperson who's done some decent things, and not engage in this ruinous project which only has one potential outcome."
Schultz, who served as Starbucks's CEO from 1986-2000 and again from 2008-2017, said late last month that he's "seriously thinking of running for president" as a "centrist independent."
Schultz told The New York Times he will make his final decision on a campaign after a three-month book tour. His announcement has drawn criticism from Democrats who have voiced concerns that he would pull votes away from the party's nominee in 2020 and boost Trump's reelection chances.
A number of Democrats have already entered the 2020 race or announced exploratory committees, including Sens. Kamala Harris Kamala Devi HarrisWarren unveils plan to cancel student loan debt, create universal free college Moulton enters 2020 White House race The Hill's Morning Report - Is impeachment back on the table? MORE (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann WarrenTrump pushes back on impeachment talk: 'Tables are finally turning on the Witch Hunt!' Warren unveils plan to cancel student loan debt, create universal free college Moulton enters 2020 White House race MORE (D-Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth GillibrandWarren unveils plan to cancel student loan debt, create universal free college Cory Booker has a problem in 2020: Kamala Harris Booker to supporter who wanted him to punch Trump: 'Black guys like us, we don't get away with that' MORE (D-N.Y.) and Cory Booker Cory Anthony BookerWarren unveils plan to cancel student loan debt, create universal free college The Hill's Morning Report - Is impeachment back on the table? Booker: Barr's suggestion of spying on Trump campaign 'eroded' public's trust MORE (D-N.J.).
The field is expected to grow larger and more progressive heavyweights, including former Vice President Joe Biden Joseph (Joe) Robinette BidenWarren unveils plan to cancel student loan debt, create universal free college Moulton enters 2020 White House race The Hill's Morning Report - Is impeachment back on the table? MORE and Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernard (Bernie) SandersThe biggest challenge from the Mueller Report depends on the vigilance of everyone GOP Senate campaign arm hits battleground-state Dems over 'Medicare for All,' Green New Deal Warren unveils plan to cancel student loan debt, create universal free college MORE (I-Vt.), are said to be mulling White House bids.


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365 Days of Mike Patton: "As the Worm Turns," Faith No More (1985)
Mike Patton didn't originally sing "As the Worm Turns," which appears on Faith No More's debut album We Care A Lot. But like a number for tunes that were originally sung by the band's original vocalist Chuck Mosley, Patton took the song and made it his own.
The story of the end of the Mosley era and the beginning of the Patton era is a story of 1) annoyance and 2) a musical fork in the road.
As we explained in the "Introduce Yourself" passage, the rest of FNM just kind of got tired of dealing with Mosley as Mosley seemingly was moving in a different direction than the band.
"There was a certain point when I went to rehearsal, and Chuck wanted to do all acoustic guitar songs. It was just so far off the mark—I think I actually attacked him again," said bassist Billy Gould, who had previously punched Mosley on tour.
So, FNM basically fired Mosley and went on the search for a new singer—apparently Chris Cornell was considered because Soundgarden had opened for FNM on a few dates of a previous tour. But, as Louder Sound explains, after drummer Mike Bordin and keyboardist Roddy Bottum visited Cornell's house to jam, they discovered the chemistry with the singer wasn't there.
A few years earlier, Patton had met Bordin and had given him a Mr. Bungle tape. Bottum had listened to it—and he was not a fan.
"Mike Bordin really liked his Mr. Bungle tape he gave us," Bottum told Louder Sound. "So did Jim Martin. I didn't. Not my cup of tea."
Guitarist Jim Martin said that, among the other five singers the band had auditioned, Patton clearly had the most natural ability.
"We called him and told him to come down; we wanted him to go to work immediately," Martin said. "He was very hesitant, like, 'I can't do this right now; it's not a good day. I have a school box social to go to. And tomorrow is show and tell. If I had plenty of advance warning, I might be able to come down for a little while, but today is not good.' I told him he was at a crossroads in life—one way was to become a singer, the other way was to be a record store clerk in a shitty little town in Northern California. He really was like that. Very clean and shiny, nice kid. Milk and cookies type."
Patton eventually saw the light, joined the band, and eventually improved on many of Mosley's numbers.
Here's Mosley's version with really beautiful piano and synthesizers by Bottum.
Like usual, Mosley does more of his spoken-word style that I never loved. But I really love the song when Patton does it.
Here he is in 1990 during the You Fat Bastards video taping at Brixton Academy in London …
… And in 2010.
Whether it's Patton screaming it 25 years after the tune first came out or Mosley doing more speaking than singing, the song rocks pretty hard. Patton just makes it a little better.
Posted in Mike Patton
Tagged 365 days of mike patton, faith no more, Mike Patton
365 Days of Mike Patton: "On Top of the World," Patton/Jean-Claude Vannier (2019)
It's always lovely to get new Mike Patton music. This 365 Days of Mike Patton project has allowed me to experience songs that Patton recorded years ago that I never knew about, but it's also allowed me to write about the new music that's emerging now.
As such, Patton last week announced a new project with Jean-Claude Vannier, a French composer and musician who has a ton of credits that I know absolutely nothing about (mostly because it's all music from France). Anyway, Patton said the two share a love of Serge Gainsbourg, a French singer, composer and songwriter who (again) I know virtually nothing about. But considering All Music called Gainsbourg "the dirty old man of popular music" who had a "scandalous, taboo-shattering output," he certainly sounds like a guy Patton would appreciate.
"Jean-Claude and I met while working together on a Gainsbourg retrospective at the Hollywood Bowl in 2011," Patton said in a press release.
Said Vannier: "We bonded immediately. A formidable vocalist, with a sense of humor, Mike and I created a strong, beautiful and sincere collection of music, as well as a friendship."
So, it's nice that Patton is still making new friends.
The album, set to be released in October, is called Corpse Flower. The song is called "On Top of the World."
Here's what it sounds like.
My initial reaction: It's a little bit of gravely Patton, a little bit of 1970s disco-sounding Patton and a little bit of bodily fluid humor from Patton in the chorus. That last part is probably the reason why Vannier mentioned Patton's sense of humor. Either way, Patton was singing these kinds of songs with Mr. Bungle in the late 1980s. It's kind of fun he continues to do it (in a more mature way) 30 years later.
Tagged 365 days of mike patton, Mike Patton
365 Days of Mike Patton: "Last Cup of Sorrow," Faith No More (1997)
Aside from Faith No More's breakout hit "Epic" in 1989, I hadn't seen many of the band's official music videos. Not sure why. I guess when I stopped watching MTV in the mid-1990s, I stopped searching for music videos in general, even the ones from my favorite band.
But "Last Cup of Sorrow" from FNM's Album of the Year is an interesting one. The video is a parody of Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 masterpiece Vertigo. The video features Mike Patton in the Jimmy Stewart character. Jennifer Jason Leigh in the Madeleine character. Bassist Billy Gould dressed as a woman. And drummer Mike Bordin, for some reason, eating a bagel.
I've always loved the song—it was the album's second single, and it landed at No. 14 on the Billboard charts, better than the other two songs releases from the album—but until this very second, I don't think I've ever seen the entire music video.
That's kind of cool. And considering some of Patton's career revolves around his love of movies—his second Fantomas album is a cover of a bunch of old soundtracks, and he's produced a number of film scores in the past decade or so—it's interesting that his love for that artistic genre had leaked into his most successful band.
"I always thought Vertigo had an interesting music video feel to it because of the [rich graphics] in the film," the video's director Joseph Kahn told Billboard, via Faith No More Followers. "Also the of idea of FNM's Mike Patton playing Jimmy Stewart seemed funny to me. Basically you're taking this really subversive person and putting him in this clean, sterile, technicolor 50s world, yet pieces of the subversiveness of his persona keep coming through this world. It's like blending an old film with this totally weird 90s type of guy."
As for the song itself, it's dominated by Roddy Bottum's keyboards, Mike Bordin's crisp drumming and Gould's "dub-ish" bass. As for Patton's vocals, they're gritty at times and then his voice turns more pure on the chorus. Like many of his songs, I enjoyed the contrast.
As Gould told Keyboard magazine in 1997, "Mike can do a lot of wild things with his voice, for one. But, yeah, he sang through an old Telefunken tube mic and we compressed the living shit out of it."
Previously from Album of the Year:
"Ashes to Ashes" (Day 48)
"Naked In Front of This Computer" (Day 18)
365 Days of Mike Patton: "The Omen (Ave Satani)," Fantomas (2001)
On a Fantomas album filled with strong covers of movie soundtracks, "The Omen (Ave Santani)" stands out. Mostly because the lyrics are in Latin—and because it's about as metal as Latin can get (unless, of course, we're talking about "Pig Latin").
"Ave Satani" is the theme song from the soundtrack to the horror classic The Omen. The tune, composed by Jerry Goldsmith, was nominated for an Oscar in 1976, and according to the Through the Shattered Lens website, his idea was to take "one of the most holy rituals in Roman Catholicism and [invert] it to praise Satan instead of the Virgin Mary. Jerry Goldsmith took the rite of consecration and came up with what one could call the rite of desecration for a purported Black Mass."
Sounds spooky, yeah? Well, listen to the original version (which I had never heard until just now).
And now the Fantomas version.
While I love Patton's version, Goldsmith's original is more haunting while being much less in your face. Well, Goldsmith's version sounds like a movie soundtrack song, and Patton's version sounds like a metal song. Both are pretty great, but I almost lean toward the original.
Patton would probably agree.
"This bombastic score absolutely made the movie," Patton said, via Revolver. "If you watch the film with the sound muted, you will see what I mean. Beautiful choir textures that, over time, have become iconic in the horror genre."
The Fantomas version is good, but it's not quite iconic.
That song title, though, is. So what does Ave Satani mean? Translated from Latin, it means simply, Hail Satan.
Previously from Fantoma's The Director's Cut:
"Cape Fear" (Day 25)
"Charade" (Day 17)
Tagged 365 days of mike patton, fantomas, Mike Patton
365 Days of Mike Patton: "Kill the DJ," Peeping Tom (2006)
With the exception of a few Faith No More songs and an occasional Tomahawk tune, Mike Patton's work isn't known for going mainstream. But getting more radio play was part of the point when he created Peeping Tom, a band with a ton of collaborators and more of a hip-hop and electronica sound than he usually produced.
Patton started the band in 2000, but the one album it's produced didn't emerge until 2006.
"Kill the DJ" features Massive Attack, a trip hop group out of the U.K. that's still going strong after 30 years, and there are certainly some interesting elements to this tune.
As Patton explained during an interview circa 2007, he talked about creating the music for Peeping Tom by using email. For example, Patton could write or create some music. He'd email it to Massive Attack, which would then create its own part(s) of the song. Then, it'd send it back to Patton. Back and forth they'd go.
It worked well for teaming with a group like Massive Attack.
"It's the modern way of prostituting yourself," Patton said, via the Malocchio YouTube channel. "From my background, it's kind of about meeting people and getting in the same room, starting a band or doing a session and moving on. With technology being what it is these days, you don't need to do that. For certain projects and certain applications, it's a beautiful thing. Massive Attack is over in England, busy as hell. They're not going to fly over here and write with me. It'd be counterproductive. A lot of people these days, especially in the electronic world, are not guys you give a guitar or piano and say, 'OK, write a line.' They sit in front of the computers for hours and hours. It's a very different process."
Patton was forced to learn that process for just about every song on this album. Personally, I don't love the Peeping Tom project (though there are certainly some songs I like that I'll eventually get to). But the musical genre-switching that Patton can accomplish has always been impressive to me, and I've certainly enjoyed having Peeping Tom in my collection of Patton works.
Tagged 365 days of mike patton, Mike Patton, peeping tom
365 Days of Mike Patton: "Edge of the World," Faith No More (1989)
If you'd like a soothing, do-wop style song in the middle of the all funk and metal on Faith No More's The Real Thing album, "Edge of the World" is the song for you. It sounds like a jazzy love song, but beware: It's basically the opposite.
It's a song written from a pedophile's point of view.
So, the lyrics of "Come here, my love/I'll tell you a secret/Come closer, now/
I want you to believe it" and "You can trust me/I'm no criminal/But I'd kill my mother/To be with you/Be with you/Be with you/Be with you" all of a sudden, become that much more creepy.
As bassist Billy Gould—who composed the tune with drummer Mike Bordin and keyboardist Roddy Bottum—explained, via Song Facts, "The way we write is visual. We start by describing a scene to one another. Say there's a guy in a beat-up Cadillac with ripped upholstery. Empty Kentucky Fried Chicken boxes and malt liquor bottles in the back. And there's a baby seat. In fact, that image became 'Edge Of The World.' Mutated a little on the way."
Yeah, I'll say.
Previously from The Real Thing:
"Underwater Love" (Day 32)
"Epic" (Day 2)
365 Days of Mike Patton: "Ashes To Ashes," Faith No More (1997)
Posted on May 7, 2019 | Leave a comment
One of my favorite songs on one of my least favorite Mike Patton-led Faith No More albums is "Ashes To Ashes." And my ears didn't deceive me. According to FNM bassist Billy Gould, this song just clicked when it was being created.
"The bulk of that song was written the first week," Gould told Keyboard magazine in 1997, via Faith No More Followers. "We arranged it here, and then we sent Patton a tape. He was in Italy, but he came up with the lyrics and the singing right away. It was one of those songs that just clicked—one of those songs that we do most naturally. That's our sound."
It features Patton crooning, it features Patton shouting and it features Patton's intensity. Meanwhile, the guitar is heavy, the keyboard is haunting and the bass is brooding.
The Album of the Year record didn't get great reviews, and ultimately, FNM broke up soon after it was released. But "Ashes To Ashes" is a good enough song that it would have starred on any of FNM's albums (and the last 20 seconds or so of the tune is some of my favorite FNM music ever).
The band even made a music video for the single—which peaked at No. 23 in the U.S. and made the top 10 in Australia and Finland.
The song also made for a fantastic moment during FNM's reunion. Playing the Troubadour in L.A. in 2015, Patton did a little crowd surfing on his way to the bar while singing "Ashes To Ashes." Would have been pretty cool to be in the room that night. Make sure to check out 1:20 when he gives an epic scream from the top of the bar.
365 Days of Mike Patton: "Sweet Charity," Mr. Bungle (1999)
The first song off Mr. Bungle's third album, California, showcased the new direction the avant garde band was headed on what turned out to be its last record. The first album was cartoonish and juvenile. The second album was strange and dark. The third album, my favorite, was a little more mainstream with songs and melodies that can get stuck in your head.
Like "Sweet Charity," with its surf rock guitar sound, dramatic keyboard work, and its big-ass booming vocals.
Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn said California is his favorite album of the trio, telling Faith No More Followers, "I think that each of the three albums has its own personality and I don't mean to create some sort of hierarchy with them. The first record is the result of irreverent youth, and the second represents a sort of identity crisis associated with 'growing pains' and self-reflection. For me, California is the culmination of a lot of individual and collective thought and a deeper understanding of orchestration and song form."
In the opinion of Metal Archives, "Mike Patton's vocals are at their absolute peak here. The evolution from nasally teen on [Faith No More's] The Real Thing to 50s style crooner is complete with this album. I've always suspected there was autotune on Patton's previous Faith No More outing Album of the Year (released around the same time as the software), yet California was supposedly recorded analog and without any digital assistance, making the odds of pitch correction being used unlikely."
Either way, Patton sounds great on this track, and it's one helluva to start what turned out to be a fantastic album. For Patton, what's different about California is how much singing he had to record.
"There's a shitload of vocals, way more than I'd ever done before with Mr. Bungle," Patton told the AV Club in 1999. "The layering and stuff like that, not just with the vocals, but all the instruments… Like, if someone were going to try and remix 'Sweet Charity,' I'd pray for them. One track alone is a harmony vocal, then all of a sudden, it's a glockenspiel for two notes, then it turns into a hand drum, and then it turns into a guitar part that lasts for 30 seconds. It's a disaster."
A disaster in the best way possible.
Previously from California:
"Goodbye Sober Day" (Day 41)
"Ars Moriendi" (Day 14)
Tagged 365 days of mike patton, Mike Patton, mr. bungle
365 Days of Mike Patton: YouTube vocal coach reaction (2019)
I've discovered a few vocal coaches who react to other singers on YouTube, and I quite enjoy watching them dissect and analyze live performances from musicians of all genres. Earlier this week, the Rebecca Vocal Coach channel (with more than 400,000 subscribers) watched and commented on Faith No More's "Midlife Crisis" performance from The Tonight Show in 1993.
Naturally, she took a close look at Mike Patton to watch who she called "a fascinating creature."
Just a few seconds into the song, she said she was drawn in by his attitude and, I don't know, his essence.
"Straight away, I was blown away by the rhythmic, the beat, that pulse that you need inside your body when you sing," she said.
She also called him a "great manipulator" of the larynx, and she certainly appreciated his contrast in vocal styles in the song, going from a clean sound to plenty of distortion. She also called him a spider, because she doesn't know where he's going to go in the song. Then, she called him a wildebeest.
Rebecca seemed blown away by the performance though there are plenty of other Faith No more songs that show off Patton's vocal range and skills. Apparently, another one of the YouTube vocal coaches I watch, Beth Roars, is also going to create a video on Patton. I'm interested to hear what she has to say as well.

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text:
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Q: Buffer is null when uploading to SharePoint Document Library This is my problem:
Scenario:
I have a word document. I edit it via code and then i try to upload it to a Sharepoint Document Library.
The Code:
using (MemoryStream msWord = new MemoryStream())
            {
                msWord.Write(wordTemplateBinary, 0, wordTemplateBinary.Length);

                using (WordprocessingDocument doc = WordprocessingDocument.Open(msWord, true))
                {
                     //do something
                }
                string docFileName, docUploadUrl;
                SPFile fileDOC;

                docFileName = Path.ChangeExtension("File", "pdf");
                pdfUploadUrl = string.Format("{0}/{1}/{2}", site.RootWeb.Site.Url, "GeneratedDOCs", docFileName);
                fileDOC = site.RootWeb.Files.Add(docUploadUrl, msWord, true);
            }

The Problem:
The last line fileDOC = site.RootWeb.Files.Add(docUploadUrl, docFile, true); throws an exception - the buffer is null.
What I tried:
I actually saved the document on my local machine. When I opened it it looked exactly the way I wanted. There is nothing wrong with the document as far as I know. How come this buffer is null and the file is ok.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Playtest Review: Exhumed
Jason	RPGs	 December 2, 2018 February 21, 2019
Every time I've run Exhumed—an RPG built on the Into the Odd rules, and inspired by Dark Souls—it seems to have worked more or less like I intended. Playtesters familiar with soulslike games tell me it manages to evoke the same feel, and players new to the genre assure me it's still interesting and accessible for them too. The version I've been playtesting is certainly playable, then—but that's a low bar. I'm playtesting it because that reveals what needs to be fixed, and I've certainly found plenty to fix.
It's possible—okay, probable—that I'm over thinking how much needs to be fixed. Just this week I stumbled upon multiple versions each of three complete, playable games, totaling over a hundred pages, but I haven't done anything with them because I'm too much of a perfectionist. I don't want to bury this game when it's so close to where I want it to be. I'm hoping it will give some perspective to try to explain what I'm thinking to somebody other than myself, though, and see if the ideas still make any sense out loud. And I hope anyone who happens to read this is as big a game design nerd as I am so you might find it interesting too.
Fair warning, though: This is gonna get wordy. I'm sorry. It is my way.
Exhumed as of now
I'm feeling fine about the (intentionally sparse and largely only implied) setting in my rough playtest document; it's the rules that give me pause. Here are the basics of those rules as of now.
Character abilities are like Into the Odd: A simplification of D&D's ability scores, ranging from 3–18, but only for Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), and Willpower (WIL). There are no classes, but in a departure from Into the Odd, spells and heavier items are only be usable if you have high enough abilities, with milestones unlocking new capabilities at 10, 13, and 16 STR and WIL.
Rolling dice works like Into the Odd: You only roll when attacking (roll a weapon damage die) or trying to avoid a threat outside combat (roll a d20 on or under an ability, called a "save" in Into the Odd). An enhanced attack rolls a d12, and impaired attacks roll a d4. There is no "to-hit" roll for attacks; if you get into a fight, you are probably going to get hurt.
Actions are where it really differs from most old school RPGs: You start with 2 action points (with an additional point at 10, 13, and 16 DEX). You can spend AP on your turn for whatever you want (as long as you don't repeat any action twice), spend on others' turns to react to their actions (e.g., dodge to mitigate an attack, or counterattack and hope you have better reach), hold to maintain ongoing effects (e.g., carry extra heavy stuff or concentrate on an ongoing spell), or augment any action so it has an extra effect (e.g., hit an enemy so hard you deal damage and knock them down). You get 1 AP back each round, or all your AP if you don't spend any on your turn.
Spells are categorized in 3 traditions (wizardry, miracles, witchcraft). You can cast any spell you know as often as you want as long as you have sufficient actions, meet the Willpower requirement, and equip a staff or other focus appropriate to the spell's tradition.
Health is equal to a character's STR score, and unlike Into the Odd, there's no ability score damage—at 0 HP, you die (and probably resurrect looking a little worse for wear).
Advancement requires spending souls (which are also spendable as currency), and grants +1 to an ability score and +1 level. At higher levels, you run the risk of going bad and becoming an NPC.
Monsters have the same array of stats as player characters (including HP equal to STR and spellcasting ability limited by WIL), but the GM has slightly more simplified rules for spending enemy AP (i.e., just act once on their turn, and spend from a shared pool of 1 AP per enemy to use special moves and cast more powerful spells).
There's a bit more to it, but that's the relevant stuff for the purposes of this review.
Things to address
I'm not sure that absolutely every item in this list demands a fix, but here are the things that have come up in playtests as potentially problematic.
Actions and turns are still a little tough to explain. People are really digging getting to spend AP in creative ways, but it's not always clear when you get to spend them, and the three states (available/held/spent) take some getting used to. That said, the rule is basically an expansion of "effort" in the well-established Stars Without Number, so maybe if I just dial back frequency or uses, it won't be so confusing.
Defending still doesn't feel worth saving AP to spend later—even after improving it for the latest playtest, nobody ever did it, preferring to save AP for attacking. This suggests to me that either defending needs to be even more effective, or—more likely—PCs need to be a lot more fragile, especially given how easy death is to bounce back from. I'll probably lower HP somehow, perhaps by decoupling it from STR.
Rounds can be tough for players to track (in terms of when they end and everybody gets their AP refreshed) when everybody varies in how many actions they each get.
Refreshing AP feels slow to some testers, who recommended either giving it all back every round or having DEX affect AP refresh rate instead of total AP. Nobody has ever chosen to skip their turn to regain all their AP, so I see no reason to include it as a special rule anymore.
Combat vs. small groups of enemies went way longer than intended, which I think is a function of minor enemies having too many HP (5 enemies with 10 HP each, plus their leader with 15). That, in turn, is arguably an issue with HP being coupled with STR, or with enemies being written up the same way as PCs.
Combat maneuvers see the target roll rather than the one trying to pull off the maneuver—e.g., if you attempt to trip or disarm someone on your turn, they roll, not you, and your stats are irrelevant. I like it fine for Into the Odd, but I get why it confuses Exhumed playtesters. It raises the question for me of whether all rolls should be player facing, especially since managing enemy AP is plenty of work on the GM side.
Advancement milestones sound simple enough on paper, but they're far enough apart that gaining levels kind of slows down play as players struggle to figure out how to allocate ability points. Making HP equal STR (and giving nothing equivalent to DEX or WIL) also means it's the only ability that gives an instant return on investment when leveling, which leads to a lopsided team favoring one stat—another reason to consider decoupling HP from STR entirely, and just leave STR governing weight capacity.
Passive item effects that only come up periodically might be something to use sparingly. One player spent a level's worth of souls to buy a belt buckle that should have affected every enemy's attack rolls for the rest of the game, and we both promptly forgot to ever use it.
Sharing spells between everybody who could learn them did please some players, but it bugged other players, and it definitely slowed down play significantly. I am not a fan (in this case) of spells being actual items taking up inventory slots (partly because I like STR governing carrying capabilities and WIL governing spell capabilities, partly because I want "magic items" to feel different and special), but I may want to continue experimenting with diegetic explanations for why only one person can learn a found spell.
Equipment damage is only kind of hinted at in the rules. I broke my own unwritten rule for it in my last playtest because I realized at the time it was too easy to permanently damage something and leave a player feeling screwed over in the first scene of the game. I wonder if I should be more explicit about how to handle this, or leave it to GMs to decide how harsh they want to go.
Enhancing/impairing attacks doesn't typically occur to players; it's only come up when I realize it should be relevant. I wonder if I should make explicit to players the guidelines I use as GM to rule on this so that players feel more empowered to suggest it themselves, especially given that some fights demand exploiting weaknesses to enhance attacks.
Rolling low on enhanced attacks really isn't fun, especially if you go out of your way to establish an advantage. I had one player experience this repeatedly. Yeah, the odds were on his side, but it's a swingy mechanic. I might consider changing how enhanced attacks work to be more like the new Electric Bastionland rules expanding on Into the Odd—roll a d12 in addition to whatever you would roll otherwise, and take the highest result.
Heavy item capacity is currently phrased somewhat confusingly: The way I do it now, players assume they can't carry any heavy items at all unless they have 10 STR, and that the STR-based milestones are a hard limit. I should consider swapping it to explain that you need to hold an AP for each heavy item you carry, but STR-based milestones let you carry a few heavy items without holding AP for them.
The working title of the game is kind of boring, but it does the job. I hope someone suggests a better one. I'm still considering using the working title of the scenario I'm working on as the title of the game itself, but I have a hard time even taking myself seriously when I say "Black Crown of the Damned" out loud unless I'm actively pretending to be a talking corpse. (I'm also sensitive to the history of using 'black' as what appears to be a negative adjective, like in 'black magic,' even though I specifically meant it like 'charred,' which doesn't have the same ring to it. Like most names I come up with for this game, the more precise term 'Blackened Crown' is, of course, already taken by a metal band.)
I'm kicking around a lot of different ideas about how to approach these issues, but let's focus on the most potentially disruptive ones. Maybe I'll talk myself out of them!
Experiment A: Reframe actions & turns
From day 1, this game's action system has been based on the premise that every action costs 1 AP. I've changed a bit about how you can spend those AP—notably, introducing limits so players can't instantly spend all their AP as attacks to kill a boss before the boss gets to act—but when you can act on others' turns with ease, it's tough to internalize what your turn really represents.
So, I'm considering switching it to something more familiar to players with traditional RPG experience: On your turn, you can take an action and move a few steps; and optionally, you can spend AP to get extra actions on your turn, to augment actions, or to react to actions on others' turns. If you skip your turn, you get all your AP back, but otherwise, you're stuck with just that 1 action per turn.
Functionally, this is almost exactly how things work already, but framing it differently might help players understand how it works in practice. It might also make them more likely to hoard AP if they see it as a special resource to only spend as needed, rather than a thing that's spent every time they do something. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I do think it would speed up play, though.
I did say this is almost exactly how it works now, though. The change would introduce two significant other changes to play:
Defending might be even less likely, as you're not regaining AP at the start of every round, but another action at the start of your turn.
Holding AP might become less likely, too, with fewer AP to go around. That might not be a bad thing, though—that is, after all, just how "effort" works in Stars Without Number.
I may give this a try next session just to see how it works.
Experiment B: Ability scores run 1–10
Making stats range 3–18 is an artifact of starting from Into the Odd, which keeps it as an artifact of D&D. If I decide I don't need this constraint, it could introduce a few interesting possibilities.
Advancement rewards become more frequent and predictable with closer milestones on even numbers (6, 8, and 10 instead of 10, 13, and 16).
Combat maneuvers could be handled like attacks: Roll a die with as many sides as your relevant stat (e.g., a d4 if you have a 4, a d10 if you have a 10) over an enemy's stat to pull off the maneuver. You could still best even powerful enemies by figuring out ways to enhance your roll to a d12 (and only "boss" enemies would have stats over 12).
Derived statistics feel a lot more manageable on a 1–10 scale than a 3–18 scale. Saying "you can know as many spells as your WIL" is a real limitation when your WIL starts around 3–5, as it would for most characters; it's a lot less pressing when WIL starts around 8–10. (not that I'd necessarily introduce that rule, but it'd be interesting to have the option.)
Other games I have in mind for down the line fit this ability score model nicely (e.g., a game inspired by Fallout, whose stats always range 1–10). This really shouldn't impact my decision, but I'm trying to be completely honest with myself here about why this idea appeals to me.
I did call this experiment "disruptive" for a reason, however: It also requires rethinking how rolls to avoid danger should work, as "roll under the stat on a d20" feels a lot less reasonable on that scale. In fact, it makes it a lot harder to imagine a reason to use a d20 at all (other than some overwhelming sources of damage), which strangely might be a deal breaker for me. I really like using every die in the set, and that d20 roll especially helps evoke a certain tactile (and, I admit, nostalgic) aesthetic that I would be sad to lose. I've considered a few ways a d20 might still be used regularly:
Knave style ability checks are built for this scale: Roll d20 + your ability vs. the enemy's ability +10. A personal goal of mine for this project, however, is for roll results to just be the number shown on the die, as much as possible. (Defense values subtracted from attack rolls get a pass because it's usually only 1–2, and rarely 3, which isn't too bad.) When you have a potentially complex action economy, any extra steps you can cut out of each roll can noticeably speed up the game and prevent those extra rules from feeling too clunky.
A d20 range with partial success could also work with this scale: Roll on or under your ability for a full success, or the enemy's ability +10 (but over your ability) for a partial success. The GM has enough to deal with already with enemy AP, though, so I'm hesitant to add to the cognitive load with rolls requiring extra, creative improv calls.
Overwhelmingly enhanced attack rolls might skip right past a d12 and onto a d20. "Enhanced" rolls are for when one side has the high ground; an overwhelming advantage is when one side is a giant made of stone. This change (especially coupled with the lower HP) would make bosses especially deadly … unless you save some AP to defend.
Really, though, the simple solution is to just handle "saves" like attacks and combat maneuvers: Roll the die matching your ability over the enemy stat (or 3 by default). I probably need to think a bit further about what other knock-on effects such a change might have, though.
To be honest, I'm not sure what my next step is for this one. Revising the game around this before my next playtest (in a couple weeks) is no mean feat. I may try Brad Murray's scaffolding testing technique ("a piece of a game can be tested without the presence of the whole game") just to see how it feels, if I can find some time and some willing guinea pigs.
I want to have a plan for a few things just in case this doesn't work, though, so for future reference:
Have players roll on or under their own stat when executing and when trying to resist combat maneuvers.
Decouple HP from STR. Make starting HP lower all around—probably 3 for minor enemies, 5 for most PCs.
Keep thinking about how advancement milestones are placed. Could they be on even numbers over 10, raising from 3 to 4 (or even 5) milestones, or is that overkill?
Experiment C: Mechanize narrative details
I'm working on another game system, and the concepts from it are seeping into this one from time to time. One of those concepts might actually fit here, though. Rather than putting the burden entirely on the GM to identify when attacks are enhanced or impaired, I could tell players that they can enhance an attack (or impair one against them) by exploiting a relevant detail already established in the ongoing narrative. And, crucially, I could spell out that one use of an action is to establish new details.
This is kind of "RPGs 101," but I find it can still be helpful to spell it out for many players—especially players coming from newer editions of D&D that don't really emphasize fictional context in the rules. I don't want to have to create an extensive list of conditions and modifiers; I want players to use common sense. If you have the high ground, for instance, go ahead and enhance that attack! If you don't have the high ground, then hey, maybe it's worth spending an action point to get it!
I wonder, though, if I'm just adding extra rules jargon that fits in some other game, but doesn't need to be in this game. Maybe I'll mention this in my next playtest to see if it encourages different behavior, but it's low on my list of things to worry about.
This is an embarrassingly long post.
My hope, though, is that all this public navel-gazing will compel me to actually finish this game, and that getting all this verbosity out of my system now will result in a tight, concise rules text in the end.
Please feel free to hit me up with questions or comments, and wish me luck.
Design Diary
Playtesting
Published December 2, 2018 February 21, 2019
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9 thoughts on "Playtest Review: Exhumed"
Michael Bacon says:
I don't understand why you can't spend AP to repeat an action. That would break immersion for me and doesn't resemble a soulslike. I think AP makes sense otherwise.
This is one of those changes I was really nervous about doing because I too worried it would feel distracting or artificial, but it went surprisingly well in play. I will probably experiment with this a bit more, but I added that limitation for a couple reasons:
1. When you spend multiple AP at a time, it represents a everything you are doing in that single moment. If you're making an attack with a dagger, you're already presumably getting as many quick swipes in as you can, represented by a single d6 roll; if you're making an attack with a mace, you're getting in one slower attack, also represented by a single d6 roll. You CAN make an extra attack if you are dual-wielding (as each of your hands is doing a different thing), but otherwise, you can only do stuff that would be feasible to accomplish at the same instant as an attack, like charging someone. This concept DOES break down, however, when you allow spellcasting and attacking at the same time, so I'm not 100% sold on this approach for fictional reasons. There is a mechanical reason for this in addition, though….
2. Before I made this rule, if the PCs won initiative, they won the fight, unharmed, period. Even against a boss. They would just pile all their AP into as many attacks as possible. Now, there are other ways to mitigate that, though each introduces its own issues: I could build enemies to have more HP or armor, but for reasons noted above, that would make fights unacceptably long for my purposes. I could give more enemies attacks for different ranges so they wouldn't be helpless as PCs pick them off from, before enemies can close to counterattack, but that's a lot more work on the GM side. (I probably will need to make rules for "how to make a good boss" eventually whatever the case.) I could introduce something like action/attack speed, limiting how many times you can spend AP on something in a turn, but that's really more fiddly than I want—this game is supposed to move FAST.
For now, I thought I'd experiment with this approach, but I'm still thinking through options.
Another possibility for turns and action points—which I've been kind of nervous about even considering—is to basically have "phases" in which everybody acts simultaneously, but the ones winning initiative get to declare their actions first if they so choose (see: https://spellsandsteel.blogspot.com/2018/10/phased-real-time-combat-solution-you.html). This might require rethinking how enemies' AP works, though.
For instance, let's say there's a group with PCs Ash (2 AP), Sun (3 AP), and Oath (3 AP), and a group of enemies with 6 AP between them:
• PCs win initiative. Ash rushes into battle (-1 AP, down to 1) and uses the momentum to smash an unsuspecting enemy with an enhanced attack (-1 AP, down to 0); Sun casts a spell to attack from afar (-1 AP, down to 2); Oath hangs back with a great shield raised in defense (hold 1 AP, down to 2), ready to react in case defense is needed.
• The enemy Ash attacks tries to counterattack with a spear, hoping their attack lands first with their superior range (-1 AP, down to 5); the enemy Sun attacks tries to dodge (-1 AP, down to 4); 4 other enemies surge forward to attack Sun and Oath (-4 AP, down to 0).
• Oath reacts by blocking the enemies' path with shield raised (1 AP, plus still holding 1 AP), preventing Sun from being attacked.
As round 2 starts, Ash and enemies are out of AP, raising the question of whether everybody regains some now or at the end of the round (and how many), and whether it would be unfairly asymmetrical for enemies to only use AP when they act in reaction to others' actions. I still have things to think about. It's an interesting alternative, though.
Luven says:
I've read your blog post and read a bit of the rules for Exhumed. I find it an interesting game-design experience and I hope you'll tell us more about what's working and what's not later. I am curious about the AP thing. Also I might use your list of spell/object for my own game someday, thank you ! Not saying much more because it's late here.
Thanks! I'm running another playtest tomorrow—I'll report on changes as soon as I'm able!
Just had another playtest tonight—part 3 of the ongoing campaign I'm testing. I might write up some things as their own post, but for now, I just wanted to get some quick thoughts down:
"AP" ARE ACTIONS: We tried "experiment A" above. One returning player liked that it encouraged her to think about AP differently, and used an AP to defend for the first time ever during play (after being reminded it was an option—and it was definitely the right call here, even though she got killed anyway). The other two returning players felt like having that action being effectively "invisible" on the table made it harder to track what you'd done, though, and I felt the same. I think that if part of my concern with every action being represented by an AP may have just been that it feels like a lot to track at the table, though, and I might be happier if I could just figure out a way to do it with fewer game pieces. Maybe next time, I will just have everybody use a d6 to track current AP, and when you are holding AP, you could rotate it 90ª.
MILESTONES NEED TWEAKING: I kept the 3–18 ability range, but adjusted milestones to be at 12, 14, and 16. Starting higher definitely worked as intended, as especially evident in the thief's player saying she was able to focus more on the stuff she wanted to use on her character sheet rather than spells just because they were available. It does feel weird that you could be casting the most powerful spells in the game by level 5 (with a soft cap at 10), though, so I am considering adjusting where the upper milestone falls. I kind of want to try a milestone on even numbers 12–20, even though it might be kind of nutty—anybody who actually raises a stat to 20 would get to carry around 5 heavy items, or take 7 actions per round, or … force me to reexamine what WIL gives at milestones. I wonder if instead of unlocking all novice, adept, and master spells, at WIL milestones, you might instead increase your capabilities with spells of a single tradition. (Like, congrats, you're at 12 WIL, choose to cast either novice wizardries, novice miracles, or novice witchcrafts. Hey, you're at 14 WIL, choose to either cast novice spells in another tradition, or adept spells in the one you already know. And so on.) And this leads me to consider that I might reexamine how other milestones work, too, rather than just offering a straight +1 heavy item capacity or +1 AP every milestone. I'll think on it.
UNHEALTHY IS THE NEW HEALTHY: Lower HP went over pretty well. (I just made it half STR rather than decoupling from STR.) It encouraged one player to actually use the defense rules (intelligently, at that), it resulted in a PC death that nevertheless still took multiple attacks (against only 4 HP!), and it enabled a combat scene against six enemies (with clever positioning and spell use) to wrap up in a single round. These are all desirable for the kind of pacing I'm shooting for, so I am glad.
"ALLIANCES" ARE WORTHWHILE: I've been experimenting with something not in the rules text—"alliances," akin to Dark Souls "covenants" and Into the Odd "guilds," offering an alternative track for advancement with narrative implications. I had to take away some goodies from one character whose alliance needed very badly to be nerfed because a mistake I made with it was interfering with playtesting efforts, and that nerf led to some frustration (I basically gave one PC 9 levels worth of ability upgrades at level 1, which … man, what was I thinking?), but the general concept is otherwise working pretty well. This campaign is borrowing some alliances from Cold Ruins of Lastlife, but I think I should put my own rules for this right into the draft text soon.
That's enough for tonight. I'll update the shared draft text again soon. Thanks to anyone following along.
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Find out what it means for your relationship when your synastry chart contains the male partner's Saturn in conjunction to the female partner's Uranus.
This aspect shows a Neutral Influence, which means that it presents mixed potentials, opportunities or challenges that will manifest depending on additional factors.
The man is trying to stabilize the woman's restlessness which she may find restrictive.
He is wise enough to direct her ideas and inspiration the right course.
She provides his stereotypes with new impulses which may unbalance him, but also inspire him to make any necessary changes.


Manchester United is one of the world's most iconic sports teams in the world with one of the most recognizable logos, even if that isn't the case stateside. I'm a big fan of their logo as I feel like it possesses plenty of the elements that create a strong logo.
First of all, this is more of a crest than it is a logo, which is the case with most international futbol clubs, particularly those in England. With the scroll peeking out the top-right and top-left, the crest creates an old-fashioned English feel to it.
The badge in the middle of the crest features the red and yellow in dual ways—each as the background and the object. A vessel rests at the top of the badge, sailing from right to left in yellow with red skies behind it. The ship represents the Manchester Trade Center's port, unique to the area. I love when a logo's features have special meaning unique to its region subtly injected like Manchester United's does.
Below the ship is the symbol of the team's nickname, the Red Devils. This Red Devil, known as Fred, is, fittingly, red, gripping its trident in front of a yellow background. With its sharp tail standing tall behind the body, the Red Devil has a hollow, yet aggressive facial look offer the typical look of intimidation so appropriate for an organization that's involved in athletics.
In addition to these two central objects, the logo's top and bottom arches present the club's name, Manchester on top, United on bottom, with soccer balls connect them at the hips. For several decades the lower arch spelled out "Football Club." The present form took over in 1988 when the Manchester United became purely a football club, eliminating the need to identify it as such.
The red and yellow colors play well off of each other, never merging too much so as to trick the eyes into seeing orange. I typically prefer when a color dominates a logo and establishes a clear second fiddle and while I'd offer red the title of primary in this image, it isn't dominant in holding that claim.
I like the simplicity of the name presentation's font as it is spelled out in both arches. I'd even suggest that the font could have a little more personality if it wanted because the rest of the logo is busy with images here and there and whatnot. However, it stands out and I like the choice to letter with yellow—the color that pops more—and back it up with the red.
Overall, I give this logo a 7.2/10. I love how the ship represents something unique to Manchester's culture and appreciate the color combination, too. There's a lot going on with the logo but international logos often feature different styles with the crest template.
At Awesome Sports Logos, we have several great soccer t-shirts to choose from including the Arizona Pricks, the Tequila Worms and if Manchester United has you in the English spirit than we offer the London Beefeaters Cricket Club t-shirt. Of course, all of these can be purchased at great discounts by joining the T-shirt of the Month Club.
Thanks as always for reading and keep being awesome!
Posted in Manchester United by Gavin on 8/21/2014 at 9:26:32 pm.


text:
Fears for the next generation
By Jared Silverman October 4, 2017, 12:00 am Edit
I am making, or may even have completed, a metamorphosis that we all sometimes fear but will inevitably undergo. I have become my parent — either one — concerned whether my children and their children, representative of the next generations, will have the benefits of the world I grew up in and whether their interests and values will be similar to mine.
One of my areas of concern is Israel.
I am five years older than the State of Israel. Its birth came at the beginning of my formative years. Israel was an integral part of my Jewish education through high school.
As more American Jews become secular and intermarry, what happens to their identification as Jews and their relationship to Eretz Yisrael?
In the American Jewish Committee's 2017 survey of American-Jewish opinion, 50 percent of respondents said they had not been to Israel. When asked whether "Caring about Israel is a very important part of my being a Jew," 72 percent strongly or somewhat agreed. Asked whether being Jewish was very or somewhat important to their life, 80 percent said yes.
I was surprised to see that despite over 70 percent of American Jews stating that Israel is a very or somewhat important part of being a Jew, only about 50 percent had been to Israel. I understand that part of this has to do with personal finances, but if you have the wherewithal to spend a week in the Caribbean or take a 10-day cruise every year, going to Israel would not seem much of a financial push as much as a decision made on preferences.
I further appreciate American-Jewish ambivalence toward Israel. Despite my exposure to Israel, in my early adult years I had difficulty making a connection. I had problems with Israelis, whom I found demanding. They seemed quick to criticize diaspora Jews and quick to ask for financial support. I supported Israel, but I was not an advocate.
That changed when I was 45 and was invited to join an Israel Bonds anniversary mission to Israel. It was an epiphany on many levels. I went to places I previously had only read about, saw history in context, learned about Middle East geopolitics, and had emotional experiences at Yad Vashem and the Kotel.
And I learned about the psychological make-up of Israelis.
The moment it all came together was when we toured the area of the Kinneret to learn about the importance of water to Israel and the region. We were in the Golan Heights, looking down on the sea and the Hula Valley. There, 10 meters from the headwaters of the Kinneret and a pumping station, was an old Syrian machine gun pillbox. Others dotted the hill.
It hit me: Imagine having to live in the shadow of this gun emplacement. What sort of life would it be and what type of person does it take to live there? The words "Never again" took on a different meaning.
I have been back to Israel many times, including a stint with the Sar-El volunteer corps during the First Gulf War, to celebrate my daughter's bat mitzvah at Masada, and as a member of a mission after 9/11.
I personally can attest to the commitment to Israel that a physical presence evokes. This is why I commend philanthropists Michael Steinhardt and Charles Bronfman for establishing the Taglit-Birthright Israel program to expose young Jews to their Jewish heritage through sponsored trips to Israel. To date, some 500,000 Jewish youths have gone to Israel through the program.
But some Jews do not see the Birthright program as a good thing. "The Algemeiner" journal reports that two efforts to erode American support for Israel have been launched over the last six months by the anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) with financial backing from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
With the start of the fall college semester, JVP rolled out its #ReturnTheBirthright campaign, boycotting Birthright "because it is fundamentally unjust that we are given a free trip to Israel, while Palestinian refugees are barred from returning to their homes." JVP's claim is wrong on many levels and is tantamount to Palestinian propaganda.
To demonstrate JVP's mindset, in April it rolled out its "Deadly Exchange" campaign partially blaming cooperation between American and Israeli law enforcement officials for "discriminatory and repressive policing" against people of color in both countries, and condemned "U.S.-based Jewish organizations" for "making this deadly exchange possible." ADL strongly denounced this allegation.
As you can see, there is a battle for the minds and hearts of the next generation of American Jews. Education and positive personal experiences are the best tools for making sure the next generation advocates for Eretz Yisrael.


In 2016, APPA conducted a pilot program, limited to just Wilderness School, and students at other schools invited by Wilderness.
Interest in APPA's 2016 Schools Short Film Competition also came from students at Pulteney Grammar and at Walford.
The five short-listed finalists were screened at an awards ceremony at Wilderness on Friday 9 September. Fittingly, four of the five finalists were from Wilderness. The competition unearthed not only some talented young film-makers, but also a passion in the next generation to protect our city's rare heritage.
Overall winner, Mirelle Galagher, is pictured above receiving her $500 winner's cheque from APPA President Ian Gilfillan after the screening of her entry "Our Adelaide Parklands"
A full list of the 2016 finalists and their awards, together with the judges' comments is available here.
We have uploaded the winning short film. and the first runner-up to APPA's YouTube Channel.


Huntsville Dance Company, Nicolay Dance Works, invites audiences on a holiday journey to the Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy in their upcoming production – A Wynne Home Nutcracker. Bringing Christmas joy, fantasy and action to the Huntsville community, six performances will take place daily from Dec. 10 (Thursday) through Dec. 12 (Saturday).
Featuring a magical blend of ballet dance, festive costumes and Tchaikovsky's enchanting music, The Nutcracker is a holiday classic enjoyed by young and old alike. According to choreographer, Dana Nicolay, in the Wynne Home Nutcracker production, audiences will experience an intimate 1890s style holiday gathering within the surrounding beauty of a 19th-century mansion now known as The Wynne Home Arts Center.
"Unlike the traditional setting of a performance space, in this unique production audiences will be surrounded by the dance rather than sitting outside the performance," explained Nicolay.
Moving throughout the historic home from room to room and even outdoors on the grounds of the Arts Center, audiences will partake in the magical world of the Nutcracker story, helping to trim the Stahlbaum family tree and witness the climactic battle of the Mouse King and Nutcracker.
A total of 17 dancers representing Nicolay Dance Works along with additional SHSU dancers, will portray the enchanting, colorful characters that make up the Nutcracker holiday experience including the Stahlbaum family, Drosselmeyer, The Cavalier, Dancing Snowflakes, Sugar Plum Fairies, and many more.
Six performances, approximately 40 minutes in length, will take place daily starting at 5:15 p.m. with the final performance each evening beginning at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance online at www.nicolaydanceworks.com.
Info and photo provided by SHSU.


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Former Indian Administrative Service
Trained as a Doctor of Medicine (MD) at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Dr Kumar has been serving the country: firstly, as a physician, and, subsequently, with the Indian Administrative Service since 1992. He held several senior positions in India such as District Magistrate in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand states, including Nainital and Dehradun, for a period of 8 years; Secretary to the State Government holding charge of School Education, Medical Education, Women & Child Development, Rural Development and Disaster Management. He was also deputed to the Union Government where he served as the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt of India, as he led the largest Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) portfolio globally, amongst other several key assignments. He also served as the Additional Country Director/Chief Advisor of UNDP India, the most senior national official of United Nations in India, wherein he led the 2030 Development Agenda (SDGs) at the national and state levels. In his role as an IAS officer and subsequently as a UN diplomat, he has established and developed several significant institutions, teams and programs that have contributed to building transparent and stronger systems both across the country and globally.
Dr Kumar was instrumental in establishment of six new AIIMS (Medical & Research Institutes of Eminence) in India. He successfully led the polio eradication (2014), maternal & neonatal tetanus elimination (2015), and was the chief architect of world's largest immunization program-Mission Indradhanush (Rainbow), and also expanded the basket of vaccines by introducing six new vaccines in India in a record period. He also pioneered the concept of Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) and then scaled it up across India. Both Mission Indradhanush and eVIN have been adjudged as best practices in the field of global health. His pioneering work and policy decisions around maternal, newborn and child health have helped achieving a record decline in maternal and child mortality in India.
He is recipient of several prestigious fellowships and national and international awards such as fellowship by National Neonatology Forum (NNF); Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP); the SKOCH Challenger Award, the highest civilian award by an independent organization for his contribution to public health in India; and the South-East Asian Public Health Education Institutions Network (SEAPHEIN) Leadership Award for his contribution to public health in the WHO's South-East Asia Region. He also honed his skills further and got prestigious fellowships from Harvard School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, USA. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine had chosen him as a Gates Fellow for the prestigious Fellowship in Global Health Leadership Program in 2019.
He has also served as a global expert member of Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on MNTE at WHO Geneva, and Regional Technical Advisor of WHO-SEARO on validation of PPTCT of HIV in Thailand. He has authored 30 research papers in peer-reviewed journals and has penned down 20 Op-Eds on public/global health in prestigious newspapers in India. As a thought leader and motivational speaker, he has been invited as a keynote speaker on global health, SDGs/development and governances at various forums including universities and institutions across the world. While serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, and Chief Advisor UNDP, he has effectively represented India on numerous occasions.
He has also served as the Advisor to Hon'ble CM of Uttarakhand state; Expert Member of the Advisory Board to His Excellency, the Governor of Rajasthan state; Strategic Advisor to the Rotary International's CALMED program in United Kingdom; Principal Advisor to Global Health Alliance (UK); and Principal Advisor to Urban Health 360, United States. In his last assignment, as Chief Advisor to Population Services International (PSI), he led the USAID's flagship Urban Health agenda in India and was the architect of Covid Vaccination Learning Exchange Program (CoVLEx) in partnership with 11 countries in African and Asian regions. Dr. Rakesh Kumar assumed charge of Chairman, Uttarakhand Public Service Commission, on 24th December 2021.
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If you get a negative Rating Decision from the VA, you have two choices: give up or appeal. The VA makes mistakes - a lot of them. It is for this reason that you should not give up before talking to a VA-accredited Veterans Attorney. Contrary to popular belief, the VA doesn't automatically say "no" to every claim - they're usually just missing some of the information required to say "yes." If the information is there, we can help you find it.
4. Proof that #3 caused #2.
I have dedicated my professional life to helping Veterans in their fights with their VA appeals. Working as a Veteran's Attorney is both an honor and a privilege that I will never take for granted. I'm a Veteran of the US Navy like my father before me. My father-in-law and an uncle are both Marine Corps Veterans, another uncle served Proudly in the Air Force, and my nephew and cousin are also Navy Veterans. Strong military blood runs through my veins, and do what I can for as many Veterans as possible.
Navigating the Department of Veterans Affairs claim and appeal process was complicated and frustrating as I struggled unsuccessfully for over 9 years with the system. When Daniel Shawl became involved he clearly understood Veteran law and what steps needed to be taken. It was 18 months from the time I met Dan to when my claim was granted. Dan collected and submitted critical information for my case, accompanied me to a hearing in Detroit, and represented me with the utmost respect and wisdom before a judge with convincing opening and closing statements. My claim was granted and has changed my life. If it had not been for Dan, I would have given up.
Dan is not just a veterans law attorney; he is one of us. He could doubtless make more in another legal specialty but chose to help his fellow Vets, and that shines through in all of my dealings with him. Dan teaches and explains at every step of the appeals process, so that I am never in the dark about The who, what,when, where or why of the next step along the way. He is friendly and respectful to my wife and acts as if the claim is a family matter, which it is. Communications are responded to quickly and in detail. Dan Shawl gets this Army/Guard retiree's highest recommendation.
The VA is a complex organization all together with lengthy processes, deadlines and justification. I was frustrated from the initial claim application and would have probably given up after the first rating the VA gave me if I didn't find Mr. Shawl on the web. Representation from him has not only helped with the stress but entitled benefits were obtained. Mr. Shawl knows the system, how it is supposed to run and how it actually does run. I sat down with him just a few times. Only minor communication was needed between him and me after our first few meetings. Once he had the information he needed, the process started and other than waiting on the VA, it was a smooth process.
Seeing the judge is not a big deal. It sounds intimidating but is not that bad.
Search for all of your records even if you think they are minor.
Keep original copies in a safe place and a set for you to review on occasion.
The VA is pretty decent…..it is just going thru the process set in place.
The process takes time so be patient.
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What are the best steam apps for Android? It's not easy task to find the best steam software. Here are top and most downloaded steam applications of all time.
Check out following categories and popular steam apps or jump to the latest steam apps.
Which steam app is best for Android? Download steam app for Android like Steamy Window, Train Simulator 2016, G2A - Game Stores Marketplace. Try to decide for yourself.
Steamy Window is a free app by Swiss Codemonkeys. It is fun, entertainment, steam, windows, phone, screen app in v3.50 ready to download.
Get your phone steamy with this fun new app.
That were all of the steam apps in our archive. Jump to the best steam apps or go back to all Free Android Apps. Don't forget that top apps like Steamy Window, Train Simulator 2016, G2A - Game Stores Marketplace are free for download.
Are steam apps safe? All steam APKs uploaded to our mirror are scanned for malware and virus free. You can download steam APK files safe and secure. If there is no APK mirror available go to Google Play and download safe from there.
Browse media content about top steam software or shop steam apps. You can also watch videos of steam apps.