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William & John Kellogg: American Revolutionary Entrepreneurs
Founder Series
Pioneer Entrepreneur
Read more about the Kellogg brothers' invention that revolutionized today's American breakfast and the lessons from the Kellogg brothers' business feud.
Birthplace: Tyrone, Michigan and Hadley, Massachusetts
Industry: Food
Success: Kellogg's original cornflakes
Influence: W. K. Kellogg Foundation
Let the corn-flict begin! 🥣
Brian Hadi Attarbashi
Kellogg Cereal: Breakfast is Ready!
You wake up early in the morning, and you get a bowl of cereal and milk and wonder what you suppose you'd eat for breakfast if you lived at the turn of the century?
There were no special breakfast foods, and breakfast was the same as any other meal: meat and eggs. However, by the end of the 1800s, things had improved. Everyone's morning started with a bowl of cereal. Aside from the various name-brand cereals available, people enjoy several sorts of grains. For example, there are crunchy, no-sugar, soggy, and marshmallows varieties.
The crunchy cereals are the most popular of all grains. These cereals come in various shapes and sizes, including stars, little spherical balls, and many more. These are the most popular in America because they do not go mushy when added to milk.
The crisp sensation of cereal on one's tongue enhances one's enjoyment of the bowl of cereal. Even if the bowl contains either too much or too little milk, the sensation of crunchy cereal by the last mouthful makes it preferred to most individuals.
We have John Harvey and Will Keith Kellogg to thank for this breakfast convenience. Few people know how two Michigan brothers invented and promoted Kellogg's Corn Flakes, one of the most popular cereals in America.
Kellogg Brothers' Early Life
Kellogg Family
The birth of the first flaked breakfast cereal in the small town of Battle Creek, Michigan, is a story of sibling rivalry, a new church, and a health-food obsession.
Pun time: How much does a cornflake weigh? 1 Kelloggram.
80 miles from Grand Rapids' Anna Bissell were brothers from Battle Creek, Michigan, William Keith Kellogg and John Harvey Kellogg. The eldest Kellogg son, John Harvey, was born on February 26, 1852, in Tyrone, Michigan, and William Keith was born on April 7, 1860, to John Preston Kellogg (1806-1881) and Ann Janette Stanley (1824-1893).
John Preston, the Kellogg Patriarch, was born in Hadley, Massachusetts, and his family lineage may be traced back to the earliest days of Hadley when a great-grandfather ran a ferry.
In 1834, John Preston Kellogg and his family relocated to Michigan. This was after the death of his first wife and his remarriage in 1842, to a farm in Tyrone Township.
John Preston Kellogg and his second wife, Ann Janette Stanley, had five children, including John Harvey Kellogg and his younger brother, William Keith Kellogg. John Preston Kellogg had 11 children from both of his marriages; in addition to six children from his first marriage, John Preston Kellogg joined many revivalist organizations, including the Baptists, Congregationalists, and Seventh-day Adventists.
John Preston was one of four supporters who helped convince Seventh-day Adventists James Springer White and his wife Ellen G. White to relocate their publishing house to Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1855. In Battle Creek, Michigan, John Preston Kellogg also founded a broom manufacturing business.
Education of the Kelloggs
They received little schooling as a Seventh-day Adventist family since their parents anticipated Christ's Second Coming to occur before they needed it. Still, John Harvey went on to get a medical degree later in life.
John Harvey Kellogg, generally referred to as his initials J. H. Kellogg, was an American entrepreneur, a medical doctor, nutritionist, health activist, eugenicist, and an inventor. On the other hand, William Keith Kellogg, also known as W. K. Kellogg, was a food manufacturing industrialist and, later on, a successful entrepreneur.
The Kellogg family had a special diet. They were a Seventh-day Adventist Church member who followed vegetarianism's dietary practice, which included abstinence from alcohol and cigarettes, no tea, coffee, or condiments, and only small amounts of eggs and dairy products as instructed by their church. John Harvey was a zealous proponent of biological living.
The Kellogg brothers helped in the garden and sold vegetables to make extra money to make ends meet.
Early Career of Will & John Harvey Kellogg
The Kellogg's First Job Ventures
John Harvey Kellogg's dream was to be a teacher, and he began teaching at age 16 in Hastings, Michigan. At age 20, he enrolled in a teacher training program at Michigan State Normal School.
In contrast, the Kelloggs and Whites persuaded him to enroll in a six-month health care program at Russell Trall's Hygiene-Therapeutic College in Florence Township, New Jersey, with his half-brother Merritt Kellogg, Edson White, William C. White, and Jennie Trembley.
They trained doctors for the Adventist-inspired Western Health Reform Institute in Battle Creek. The Whites supported John Harvey Kellogg to attend medical school at the Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York City and the University of Michigan. John Harvey Kellogg graduated in 1875 as a medical doctor.
Will Kellogg began his commercial career, and he worked at his father's broom factory when he was 10. Four years later, George H. King hired Will Kellogg at the request of James Springer White, better known as Elder White, to oversee his new broom factory in Dallas, Texas.
Will took a new job as a salesman for the broom company later on, and he became very successful with his job.
Dr. John Harvey Kellogg's Battle Creek Sanitarium
In October 1876, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg was appointed director of the Western Health Reform Institute, which he later renamed Battle Creek Sanitarium. The name sanitarium was brilliantly coined to indicate hospital treatment and the need for sanitation and personal wellness.
Members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church founded the sanitarium. It drew inspiration from a European spa, a hydrotherapy facility, a hospital, and a high-end hotel. Kellogg's patients included the wealthy and renowned and the poverty-stricken who could not afford to go to another hospital.
In the late 1800s, his dietary counsel discouraged meat consumption, although not strongly. Dr. Kellogg was an early proponent of the germ hypothesis of illness, connecting intestinal flora and the presence of microorganisms in the intestines to health and sickness.
The microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea, that dwell in the digestive systems of vertebrates, including humans and insects, are referred to as gut microbiota. Other terms are gut microbiome and gut flora (an old word that properly relates to plants). The gastrointestinal metagenome, also known as the microbiome, is the collection of all gut microbial genomes. The gut microbiota has many functions, including effects on colonization and pathogen resistance.
However, 99% of intestinal bacteria come from 30 to 40 different species. Bacteria also account for up to 60% of the dry bulk of feces. Over 99% of the bacteria in the gut are anaerobes; however, aerobic bacteria can reach significant concentrations in the cecum. It is believed that the human gut microbiota contains a hundred times the number of genes found in the human genome.
In his published book, Plain Facts for Old and Young, he promoted circumcision to treat local uncleanliness (which he believed may lead to unchastity), phimosis, and masturbation in young boys.
Phimosis is a penile disorder that affects some adults and children who are not circumcised. Its foreskin cannot be pushed back if you have phimosis. Your penis may appear to have rings around the tip. When it creates symptoms, it becomes an issue. This might occur when phimosis is severe and leaves a pinhole-sized opening.
Kellogg Patents and Inventions
J. H. Kellogg's Food Diet
John Harvey Kellogg created and sold a broad set of vegetarian cuisine. Many of them were designed to be easy to chew and digest, making them ideal for an invalid diet. Grains and other starchy foods were crushed and baked to increase the conversion of starch to dextrin. Nuts were cooked or steamed after being ground.
J. H. Kellogg's meals were likewise generally bland. John Harvey followed the advice of Ellen G. White and Sylvester Graham, who advocated for a bland diet to reduce excitement, sexual drive, and masturbation.
Dr. John Harvey Kellogg is history's comparison to our modern healthy diet advocate, Yousef Abuzuaiter. Dr. Kellogg aims for the best for his patients in all aspects.
The Great Mistake
In November 1879, Will came home to assist his brother, John Harvey, in running the Battle Creek Sanitarium.
The famed Battle Creek Sanitarium director, J. H. Kellogg, sought simple, healthy meals that were nutritious yet easier to stomach than bread.
A patient brought shredded wheat to the doctor's attention. Dr. Kellogg was meant to be intrigued, but the patients rejected the shredded wheat. "We'll make better meals," he said. Dr. Kellogg later acknowledged that he dreamed about compressing and flaking cooked grain. His attempts, however, were a failure.
The doctor then gave the experiments to his brother, W. K. Kellogg. Will would boil the wheat before running it through two eight-inch rollers and scraping off the dough with a chisel. That also didn't appear to work.
John Harvey Kellogg, who was essentially in charge of the Sanitarium, was summoned away from the kitchen and didn't return until Saturday night.
Upon returning, the brothers saw the mush was a little moldy and decided to put it through the rollers again, and much to their amazement came out in the form of huge, thin flakes. Each wheat berry produced a single flake. The flakes were baked and turned out crisp and flavorful if a little moldy.
The Kellogg's company pioneered the method of producing flaked cereal because of the discovery's commercial potential, Will Kellogg. It was desired that it be kept a secret. However, John permitted anybody in the sanitarium to see the flaking process. One of the sanitarium's visitors, C. W. Post, replicated the technique to start his own business. That enterprise grew into Post Cereals and, eventually, General Foods, which provided Post with his first million dollars. This infuriated Will to the point where he left the sanitarium to start his own company.
On May 31, 1895, John Harvey Kellogg received a patent for Flaked Cereals and Process of Preparing Same, granted on April 14, 1896, as Patent No. 558,393. Notably, the patent pertained to a wide range of crops, not simply wheat. The sole individual identified on the patent was John Harvey Kellogg. Will later claimed that he, not Ella, had collaborated with John and that he should have been given greater credit for the invention of flaked cereal.
In its first year of manufacturing, Kellogg's sold tens of thousands of pounds of flaked cereal under the brand name Granose. They proceeded to experiment with rice and corn in addition to wheat, and in 1898, the first batch of Sanitas Toasted Corn Flakes was created. In 1902, an improved version with a longer shelf life was produced. Both Granose Biscuits and Granose Flakes were available at the time.
J. H. Kellogg and W. K. Kellogg had a long personal and professional feud after litigating in court over the rights to cereal recipes. According to the Foundation for Economic Education, the nonagenarian J. H. Kellogg wrote a letter in an attempt to rekindle the friendship. His secretary determined that her boss had degraded himself in it and refused to submit it. It wasn't until after his brother's death that the younger Kellogg saw it.
The birth of W. K. Kellogg Company
Will Kellogg worked on developing and marketing flaked cereal. John did not accept a change in the flakes when he proposed adding sugar. As a result, Will started the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company in 1906. This signalled the beginning of the brothers' decades-long enmity. Will's Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company grew into the Kellogg Company, but John was refused the right to use the Kellogg name.
They had some other competitors, such as C. W. Post. Between February 6 and November 9, 1891, Post was treated in the Battle Creek Sanitarium and then by Christian Scientists, whom he credits with his successful treatment. In March 1892, he landed in Battle Creek and started his sanitarium, the LaVita Inn, and his own dry foods business, Post Holdings.
In 1895, Post began marketing Postum coffee alternatives. In January 1898, he introduced Grape-Nuts breakfast cereal, a yeast, barley, and wheat blend. Post launched Elijah's Manna in January 1906, eventually rebranding it Post Toasties Double-Crisp Corn Flakes and promoting it as a direct competitor to Kellogg's Corn Flakes.
C. W. Post was then succeeded by his daughter Marjorie Merriweather Post.
Will Kellogg: The Marketing Genius
Will decided to bet everything on advertising. It became an essential expense in his budget. Because most grocers didn't carry his product, he couldn't ask readers to buy it. Instead, he distributed coupons for free samples and requested women to lobby their local supermarkets to carry Kellogg's corn flakes so that the vouchers could be used.
He published a similar ad in 17 journals with nearly six million readers in October 1906. "The original bears this signature—W. K. Kellogg," read the headline on every new ad. Will was not vain; he desired to distinguish himself from his brother and imitators.
Skeptics informed Will that his corn flakes would never become a national product unless he captured the New York market. "Wednesday is 'Wink Day' in New York," he responded with a daring and risqué ad.
The grocers in New York will give away a box of Kellogg's Toasted Corn Flakes to every homemaker who winks at them on Wednesday. On Wednesday, June 5, 1907, Will published the ads in all major New York newspapers for the first time. Will's monthly sales in New York increased from two to over thirty carloads thanks to the Wink Day campaign.
His corn flake company was the first to provide nutrition information on food labels and the first entrepreneur to give away the first inside-the-box reward to children.
"I'm going to invest in people," Kellogg stated. That included his company employees, not just consumers.
December 1, 1930, started the Great Depression that threatened the severe worldwide economic depression.
W. K. Kellogg changed the regular three daily eight-hour hours at his cereal production to four six-hour shifts. By establishing a second shift, he and his management produced positions for employees laid off by other businesses and other jobless people in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Will Kellogg's six-hour day culminated in a century-long effort that slashed working time in half. Kellogg Management, driven by a vision of Liberation Capitalism, argued that six hours would transform society by changing the balance of time away from labor and toward leisure—away from economic concerns and the challenge of freedom.
The Great Depression (1929 to 1939) was the most significant economic collapse in the history of the industrialized world. The October 1929 stock market crisis arose, throwing Wall Street into a frenzy and wiping out millions of investors. Over the following several years, consumer spending and investment fell, resulting in sharp drops in industrial production and employment as faltering businesses had to lay off their employees. The Great Depression had reached its lowest economic point by 1933; 15 million Americans were out of work, and almost half of the country's banks had collapsed.
Other Ventures of Will & John Harvey Kellogg
Arabian horse breeder
WK Kellogg purchased 377 acres (153 hectares) in Pomona, California, for $250,000 to start an Arabian horse ranch. Not only did the horse ranch become well known in southern California for its horse breeding program but also for its weekly horse shows.
Kellogg donated the horse ranch, which had grown to 750 acres (304 hectares), to the University of California in 1932. The US War Department took over the ranch, and it became the Pomona Quartermaster Depot during World War II. Later in 1949, land title to the then 813-acre (329-hectare) ranch was transferred to the State of California, with the condition that the Arabian horse herd must be maintained.
The Kellogg ranch became well-known in southern California for its horse breeding program and its entertaining weekly horse displays, which were available to the public and visited by many Hollywood celebrities.
John Harvey Kellogg is one of the numerous persons credited for having invented peanut butter. Before October 1895, patients at the Battle Creek Sanitarium were provided some nut butter, most likely prepared with peanuts. In 1895, John Harvey Kellogg was the first to apply for two patents on nut butter. George Washington Carver is widely regarded for his scientific work with peanuts and his encouragement of their use.
J. H. Kellogg advertised nut butter as a nutritious protein alternative for persons who had difficulties digesting solid food. Through the Sanitas Nut Food Company, John Kellogg began marketing nut-based foods in 1898. Since peanuts were the cheapest nut, they quickly dominated the nut butter market. John Kellogg offered nut butter as a nutritious protein replacement for people who had difficulty chewing solid food.
In 1901, J. H. Kellogg received the first US Patent for a vegetable alternative for meat for Protose, a combination of nuts and grain cereals. The first meat substitutes were protose and nuttose. Charles William Dabney influenced Kellogg's interest in meat substitutes.
In its application for US Patent No. for Vegetable-food Compound, J. H. Kellogg described Protose as a food with a similar or enhanced nutritional value in an equally or more available form. Various meat-like flavors are developed by controlling the temperature and proportions of the ingredients. The resulting product has a very distinctive flavor.
John Harvey Kellogg also developed the first acidophilus soy milk in 1934 and imitation meats made of nuts, grains, and soy.
Kellogg recommended it for bottle-fed babies to boost their intestinal life and combat bowel infections. Dr. Kellogg's most famous patients were the Dionne quintuplets. Upon learning that Marie had a bowel infection, Kellogg sent Allan Roy Dafoe a case of his soy acidophilus. Following Marie's recovery, Dafoe requested Kellogg send an ongoing supply of quintuplets. Each consumed at least a pint a day by 1937. Arctic explorer Richard E. Byrd was another famous patient who was helped by soy acidophilus.
Also available from Kellogg were yogurt, soy flour, and soy bread.
Medical inventions
Dr. Kellogg's medical innovations ranged from a hot air bath to a vibrating chair, oscillomanipulator, window tent for fresh air, and loofah mitt. He specialized in gynecological surgery (especially hemorrhoidectomies and ovariotomies) and gastrointestinal surgery. He also created light therapy, mechanical exercise, appropriate breathing, and hydrotherapy equipment. Some of his ideas were used in the RMS Titanic's first-class gymnasium. In his book The Home Handbook of Domestic Hygiene and Rational Medicine, initially published in 1881, Dr. Kellogg aimed to promote these therapeutic procedures, including electrotherapy, hydrotherapy, and motor therapy. Kellogg made no deliberate efforts to capitalize on his medical breakthroughs.
Kellogg's Philanthropy
As Will Kellogg reached 70, he focused more on philanthropy than business. He admitted, "I never intended to become extraordinarily wealthy," but he had become one of America's wealthiest and most famous individuals.
He donated around $66 million, or the majority of his money, to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in the 1930s to help him organize his philanthropy.
W. K. Kellogg's philanthropic efforts are credited with establishing California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) and Kellogg College, Oxford.
Kellogg's Recognition and Legacy
J. H. Kellogg was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006 for his discovery of tempering and the development of the first dry-flaked breakfast cereal, which changed the conventional American breakfast.
As for Will Kellogg, he dominated his competitors by introducing new products such as Rice Krispies and All-Bran; he improved the crunch and quality of cornflakes and his packaging and marketing.
Despite its size and scope, Kellogg's company remains significant to the world fifty years after his death.
As of October 15, 2021, Kellogg's net worth is $21.06B, with 31,000 employees. It acquired Keebler in 2001 for $3.87 billion, and Chicago-based food company Rxbar purchased it in 2017 for $654 million.
It has also developed Morningstar Farms and Kashi divisions or subsidiaries. Bear Naked, Natural Touch, Cheez-It, Murray, Austin cookies and crackers, Famous Amos, Gardenburger (bought 2007), and Plantation are Kellogg's other brands.
Kellogg's is currently a member of the World Cocoa Foundation. It also acquired the potato crisps brand Pringles from Procter & Gamble for $2.7 billion in cash in 2012, making it the world's second-largest snack food company (behind PepsiCo).
Will revolutionized people's breakfast habits all around the country, and his name became well-known. His electric billboards illuminated New York City. Corn flakes were consumed all across the world. Other notable food entrepreneurs from history that shaped our modernity are Henry John Heinz and Melitta Bentz.
Kellogg Brothers' Personal Life
Both Kellogg brothers fell in love with a woman of the same name but not of the same person.
After arriving at the San, John met a woman visiting a patient there. Ella Eaton was a nurse, and her knowledge impressed John as they had common interests together. John offered Ella a position to work at the San, and she accepted. They eventually fell in love while working together, leading to marriage on February 22, 1879.
J. H. Kellogg spent the final 30 years advocating for eugenics. He co-founded the Race Betterment Foundation, co-organized many National Conferences on Race Betterment, and sought to establish a eugenics registry. Along with opposing 'racial mixing,' Kellogg advocated sterilizing mentally defective people,' supporting a eugenics agenda while on the Michigan Board of Health, and helping to incorporate authorization to fix individuals deemed mentally faulty' into state statutes during his tenure.
John Harvey Kellogg served and led Battle Creek Sanitarium until his death on December 14, 1943.
William Keith Kellogg was best known as the founder of the Kellogg Company, which makes cereals popular all over the world. In addition, he founded the Kellogg Arabian Ranch, which produces Arabian horses. Kellogg was a generous philanthropist who established the Kellogg Foundation in 1934.
Will married his childhood sweetheart, Ella Osborn Davis. On November 3, 1881, the couple married and had five children together. Karl Hugh, John Leonard, William Keith Elizabeth Ann, and Ervin Hadley. William and Ervin passed away when they were very young.
Will Kellogg outlived most of his children but was survived by two of them, Karl Hugh (died 1955) and Elizabeth Ann (died 1966), as well as grandson Norman Williamson, Jr. (died 2001) and Will Keith Kellogg II (died 2005).
On October 6, 1951, Will Keith Kellogg died at the age of 91 of circulatory illness in his hometown, Battle Creek, Michigan.
Key Takeaways: Will & John Harvey Kellogg
How do you measure success?
We can learn a lot from the Kellogg Brothers and apply it positively and learn from what happened negatively.
John Harvey Kellogg was compassionate and allowed other people to take advantage of him and steal his hard work in discovery. In retrospect, we can share our resources in the business world, but only when it is at their finished product. This is why the secret recipe of our grandma's home-cooked meals tastes even more delicious because we know that it is the beginning of your legacy when passed down to generations. Don't let other people rob you of your opportunity to build your family's legacy.
Will Keith Kellogg was right to be exclusive. We can learn from them that entrepreneurs do not always turn an abstract notion into reality when starting a new business. Sometimes people have a good break and come up with a great idea, which they subsequently develop into a commercial success. However, successful entrepreneurs always acknowledge that money cannot replace family. His advertising boldness and extraordinary leadership are admirable. Imagine how much they could solidify the Kellogg legacy if they did it together.
As a rising entrepreneur, don't waste time dwelling on the past. Sometimes, forgiveness and reconciliation will open new opportunities. With two ideas and brains combined, endless ideas and possibilities could pour in.
Regrets always come last. We know that success is enjoyed when spent with meaningful people, primarily when you have worked closely with them.
Success isn't measured by money. Success usually comes with what money cannot buy–family, peace of mind, time, good health, friendship, and loyalty.
Brian is the CEO of AI bees. When he is not running the company with German precision, Brian writes expert articles about marketing and manufacturing. When not doing these, you will find him rescuing dogs or mowing competition down at a jiu jitsu studio.
How Artificial Intelligence in Sales is Changing the Selling Process


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Colombia to Import Breeding Cattle from US
COLOMBIA - Colombia's Agricultural Institute (ICA) has authorised imports of breeding cattle from the US, in an effort to improve the competitiveness of the cattle sector.
Working together with the US' Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the ICA said that sanitary measures for the importation of breeding animals had been successfully established.
Head of the ICA, Luis Humberto Martinez Lacouture, said: "Importantly, the imported animals are of a high genetic value, which will allow farmers in the country to improve the genetics of their holdings and make production more efficient."
"The negligible risk level achieved by the United States for BSE, and measures of risk management for other limiting conditions of international trade, allowed us to define the viability of imports, with sanitary measures that will ensure safe trade between the two countries," he said.
Reproduction and Breeding, Policy and Regulatory, General
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Invictus | ★★★★★★★★★
I am not sure what I can say about this great movie that would really do it justice. Here is the Netflix writeup on it:
In this drama based on real-life events, director Clint Eastwood tells the story of what happened after the end of apartheid when newly elected president Nelson Mandela used the 1995 World Cup rugby matches to unite his people in South Africa.
I think that this dialog from the movie gives you a sense of it:
Brenda Mazibuko: You're risking your political capital, you're risking your future as our leader.
Nelson Mandela: The day I am afraid to do that is the day I am no longer fit to lead.
Nelson Mandela: Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.
Etienne Feyder: When does he take a break?
Staff Member: He says he rested enough in prison.
Nelson Mandela: The Rainbow Nation starts here. Reconciliation starts here. Forgiveness starts here too.
I found myself watching this movie and longing for such a leader as Nelson Mandela to arise in America. I got to wondering if law school might be an inferior path (to 27 years in prison) to national leadership. There were several awe-inspiring scenes in the movie that left me speechless. The actions and words of Nelson Mandela simply inspired me. The movie seemed to make me a believer in great leaders again.
I have never been a fan of the Invictus poem by William Ernest Henley. A few years ago I posted An Answer to Invictus. This movie gave me a new view of the poem. Mr Mandela speaks of how this poem inspired him in prison to keep on going. When he quotes it saying.. "It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishment the scroll, I am the master of my fate - I am the captain of my soul.".. you understand that he is speaking about how he chose to forgive his oppressors. It gave me a whole new perspective on the poem.
The acting in the movie was stellar. Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon were both Oscar nominated. I loved the way that their characters interacted and how Mandela took a simple thing like Rugby and saw how it could be used to mend the schism in a broken country.
That said I have to say that the movie was a bit indulgent and could have been edited down about 15 minutes.. the Rugby games went on a bit long.. the movie was over two hours in length. Apart from that I thought that Invictus was a great movie and highly recommend it. I think that it would be a great movie to watch with a group and discuss after.
On a scale of 10 I give this movie ★★★★★★★★★
Posted: Saturday, July 17, 2010
Missy July 17, 2010 at 11:17:00 AM CDT
Saw this on my flight to DFW in May. I was engrossed - as were my kids. We had the best discussion afterwards about apartheid and leadership. This movie is definitely at the top of my list.
Wanda July 17, 2010 at 12:09:00 PM CDT
We just rented it, and felt the same way as you Bob... Oh my goodness ~ How inspiring. I want a man like that to lead America. Lord, raise up someone for our country!
photowannabe July 17, 2010 at 12:57:00 PM CDT
Wanda and Bob, that's my prayer too.
Buyer's Remorse
Dag Hammarskjöld
Follow Me.. not so much anymore.
Rubio Spending Cuts
Are Small Business Owners Wealthy Fat Cats?
No Reservations | ★★★★★★★★
Dan, Cory, Howard, Mark and Me
ADA: Blessed Legislation
Unwritten Rules that Rule our Lives
Made in Our Image
KB BBQ Awards
Remembering the Eagle
Stuck in the Past
What Steve Jobs was talking about last week..
The Burqa Dilemma
Political Correctness Rant
One-Upsmanship
The Dark Side of Titles
Apple, iPhones, at&t and Lawyers
Bureaucracy and Pygmies
This just made me smile..
Geezer Bailouts
Windows 7.. I liked Vista better :(
Our Debt
Dear Patriot
.XXX Domains
Main Street needs a Lobbyist
Avatar | ★★★★★★★★
Let Freedom Ring!
The Value We Ascribe to Human Beings


Our client is a globally renowned manufacturing business with an extensive presence throughout Europe. They operate across a variety of vertical sectors including automotive, defence, communications and aerospace.
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive you will be responsible for one of their manufacturing and distribution business.
With full P&L responsibility of this division you will contribute to fresh and creative ways of improving efficiencies and profitability.
Ideally of graduate calibre, commercially astute, you will have a strong background in a fast moving manufacturing environment and have extensive supply chain experience.
You should be a familiar with lean manufacturing processes, ideally six sigma black belt pragmatic with the ability to deliver group objectives in a highly competitive environment.
The ability to actively seek out and encourage others to make improvements that deliver long term sustainable business improvements. Creates a climate that ensures that others maintain enthusiasm and reliance even when the going gets tough.


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Q: How to encode NSData as base64? (iPhone/iPad) I'm trying to add a UIImage to an HTML email, however I'm having an issue. I have looked around at lots of other posts and they all state that I need to convert my NSData to base64, however the method they all suggest doesn't seem to exist anymore (unless I'm missing something?!).
Here is the code I have so far:
UIImage *mapImage = [mapViewController convertMapToImage];
NSData *imageData = [NSData dataWithData:UIImagePNGRepresentation(mapImage)];
NSString *base64String = // [imageData base64EncodedString];   --- this method isn't recognised

Please can someone help me out?

A: + (NSString*)base64forData:(NSData*)theData {
const uint8_t* input = (const uint8_t*)[theData bytes];
NSInteger length = [theData length];

static char table[] = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=";

NSMutableData* data = [NSMutableData dataWithLength:((length + 2) / 3) * 4];
uint8_t* output = (uint8_t*)data.mutableBytes;

NSInteger i;
for (i=0; i < length; i += 3) {
    NSInteger value = 0;
    NSInteger j;
    for (j = i; j < (i + 3); j++) {
        value <<= 8;

        if (j < length) {
            value |= (0xFF & input[j]);
        }
    }

    NSInteger theIndex = (i / 3) * 4;
    output[theIndex + 0] =                    table[(value >> 18) & 0x3F];
    output[theIndex + 1] =                    table[(value >> 12) & 0x3F];
    output[theIndex + 2] = (i + 1) < length ? table[(value >> 6)  & 0x3F] : '=';
    output[theIndex + 3] = (i + 2) < length ? table[(value >> 0)  & 0x3F] : '=';
}

return [[[NSString alloc] initWithData:data encoding:NSASCIIStringEncoding] autorelease];
}

A: The method you are trying to use doesn come with default framework. You can add the NSData category to your project.

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Our most popular CPU waterblock. The RayStorm combines performance, looks and value. The updated V3 block now comes with our new mounting system and high performance K3 thermal paste.
More links for "RayStorm CPU Water Block (Intel) V3 - Black"


An offensive against the Kachin Independence Army in Hpakant, the center of Burma's lucrative jade industry, displaces thousands of civilians as fighting intensifies.
Thousands of Kachin civilians living in villages in Hpakant Township, the center of Burma's lucrative jade industry, have been forced to flee as Burmese government troops mount an intensifying offensive against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in the area.
Fresh clashes that began on Monday have driven people from more than 20 villages to take shelter in 23 churches, monasteries and relief centers in the town of Hpakant, sources said. Local residents estimate the number of refugees at around 6,000, although police officials could not confirm that figure.
The exodus began on Aug. 18, when Burmese troops started moving into the area in preparation for a major offensive. The fighting is currently taking place about 5 km from Hpakant.
Tha Kong, a Roman Catholic priest, told The Irrawaddy that about 800 refugees arrived at his church on Monday. Most are women, children and the elderly, he said, adding that the church is now full to capacity.
A local Baptist Church that is now accommodating 775 people is also straining to cope with the influx, said its pastor, Tu Ja. The most immediate problem: a lack of sleeping space and bedding for the exhausted refugees.
While most of the villagers are heading for Hpakant, some are traveling on to the state capital, Myitkyina. Local relief workers say they expect a fresh wave of refugees into urban centers in the coming days.
Hpakant Township is famous for its jade mines, which produce some of the world's best-quality jade. Many of those who have fled the fighting are miners, but many others are farmers.
Some business people and community-based social and relief organizations have been providing food for the refugees, but supplies are not expected to last if they are forced to remain for a long period of time.
Ja Si, a Kachin woman from the village of Balakah and a member of a local branch of the opposition National League for Democracy, said that heavy fighting between the government and the KIA continues in areas vacated by the refugees.
She said that clashes broke out early yesterday morning in Balakah and continued until 3 pm. Some mortar shells have even landed in villages near the conflict zone. She said that only a few men have remained behind to monitor the situation and keep an eye on their property.
A KIA official in Laiza, the headquarters of the Kachin rebel army, said that the current fighting in Hpakant comes amid mounting tensions between the two sides over the past few months.
According to Kachin media reports, heavy fighting between KIA Battalion 6 and the government army's Infantry Battalion 272 broke out at 9 am on Aug. 27 in Hpakant Township and lasted until 4 pm. KIA officials claimed that 17 Burmese soldiers were killed in the clashes and that another 27 have been hospitalized in Hpakant.
The KIA official said that peace talks between the government and the leaders of the KIA's political wing, the Kachin Independence Organization, are on hold because the government's negotiating team still hasn't responded to an invitation for further discussions.


Our apartment is a first floor apartment (not ground) it has 3 rooms and a balcony. It has a nice bed room with queen size bed,a fully equiped kitchen. the living room has a big window from the ceiling to the floor. It has a big sofa that can easily use as a bed. There is allso a big flat t.v screen with cable connection and d.v.d (allso with internationl channels) the living room is atached to a small and very beautiful balcony with a nice view to one of Tel Aviv's most pituresque street. In addition, there is a computer room with fast internet connection with a very big desk. In general, the apartment is very clean and well kept. And the neighbors are realy warm and helpfull when needed. **if requested there is allso a subterrain parking place.
Our neighbourhood is located in the middle of the historical (and the current) center of Tel Aviv. It is without a doubt one of the best places you would want to stay in on a vacation in Tel-Aviv. Our building is a renovated "bauhaus" building placed in the corner of rothschild boulevard and a small pedestrian street. The building is surrounded by trees.(durring summer the bloom of the sycamore trees makes the street look like a huge bouquet) next to the entrance of the building there is a small garden with banches and a fountain. Every thing you need is in short distance: *the shopping center of Tel aviv(shenkin street-50 m) *24/7 super market. *Cinemas *many restaurants of all kind and prices. *fast public transportation to the beach. *plenty of clubs opend untill late. *this is a very tolerant neighbourhood. There is a jewish orthodox comunity here and allso a big gay and lesbian comunity.


text:
The Metaverse is a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space, including the sum of all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the internet. The word metaverse is a portmanteau of the prefix "meta" (meaning "beyond") and "universe" and is typically used to describe the concept of a future iteration of the internet, made up of persistent, shared, 3D virtual spaces linked into a perceived virtual universe. The term was coined in Neal Stephenson's 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash, where humans, as avatars, interact with each other and software agents, in a three-dimensional space that uses the metaphor of the real world. Stephenson used the term to describe a virtual reality-based successor to the Internet. Concepts similar to the Metaverse have appeared under a variety of names in the cyberpunk genre of fiction as far back as 1981 in the novella True Names. Stephenson stated in the afterword to Snow Crash that after finishing the novel he learned about Habitat, an early MMORPG which resembled the Metaverse.
Here's what your avatar's first day of work will be like
Here's what we know about Meta's 'laptop for the face' VR headset
Can you truly own anything in the metaverse? Not really, says a law professor
From Tupac to ABBA: Will the metaverse change how we attend concerts?
Zuckerberg scrambles to monetize the metaverse amid fears over Meta's future
Thomas Macaulay
That Bored Apes company got a $4B valuation. Now they're promising a metaverse
Ivan Mehta
Snoop's NFT plans showcase benefits for musicians — and risks for fans
Will the metaverse replace offices? Not by a longshot
The Magic Leap 2 blurs the line between AR and VR — and it's beautiful
10 metaverse jobs that will exist by 2030
.cult


Two Pedernales Electric Cooperative board members, Vi Cloud and Val Smith, have announced they will not seek re-election when their current terms expire June 20.
Cloud has been a director since 1994, representing District 1 which includes most of Burnet, Lampasas, Travis and Williamson counties. A director since 1983, Smith represents District 6 covering parts of Blanco, Comal and Hays counties.
Cloud is a former member of the Marble Falls City Council. She is now a commissioner and vice president of the Texas Housing Foundation, where she has served in various capacities since 1978. Cloud also has served on advisory councils and boards for telephone companies, banks and schools in Burnet County, where she has resided for more than 40 years.
A former member of the Marble Falls city council, Cloud is now a commissioner and vice president of the Texas Housing Foundation, where she has served in various capacities since 1978. Cloud also has served on advisory councils and boards for telephone companies, banks and schools in Burnet County, where she has resided for more than 40 years.
Also at this year's annual membership meeting in Johnson City, members will have to fill the District 7 director position, which includes most of Hays County and parts of Travis and Caldwell counties. Director Patrick Cox has already announced his intention to seek re-election for that position.


1.1. These general terms & conditions apply to all courses given by System Verification Sweden AB, org. nr. 556624-3852 ("System Verification"), and which are outlined on this homepage. The terms & conditions also apply to customised courses for clients, unless otherwise specified between client and System Verification.
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12.1 Any dispute or controversy regarding this agreement or any other legal proceedings in connection with the agreement or a course that has been given, is to be settled by district court, in which case the District Court of Malmö, as an exclusive forum, will be the court of first instance. Swedish law is to apply to any dispute.


Experience Automotive Excellence. It is our mission to create an experience that exceeds the expectations of our customers and maintains their loyalty for a lifetime. For 70 years, the focus has always been on how we treat others with the aim of creating Customers for Life. You never get the feeling that it is "just business" because we are focused on personal relationships that last.
Ladd Hanford is owned and operated by Jamie and Scott Hanford. The Hanford brothers have been involved in the business since 1996 and own and operate the business along with their partner, Gary Deibert. The Hanfords have a passion for business and customer satisfaction. It is our goal to make our guests happy with their experience. We strive to treat our customers the way we would want to be treated when buying or servicing a vehicle.


In conjunction with UW-Madison's Homecoming, the Department of Dairy Science is launching a social media effort to promote and share the pride that current students, alumni, and stakeholders have in their connection to the department.
UW's Homecoming week is November 5-12, 2016 and reconnects Badgers with the spirit and tradition they love about campus. Just as the University encourages people to come back together to celebrate their alma mater, so does Dairy Science. Did you know the department has over 1,400 living alumni, a majority of them working in some facet of the dairy industry? UW-Madison Dairy Science values the relationships and attachments that our current students and alumni share, and therefore, encourage everyone to participate in an effort to showcase this pride by using the hashtag #DySciPride.


text:
Search inside Consumer Electronics
Consumer Electronics, focus on STMicroelectronics N.V. by GlobalData, Mordor Intelligence LLP
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Samsung Electronics - risk assessment - Global Thematic Research
14 pages • By GlobalData • Oct 2016
RISK SCREEN: CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SECTOR On a risk basis, Samsung ranks ##th riskiest out of ## consumer electronics companies.
Analog Devices, Inc.
ASML Holding N.V.
Global Touchscreen Controllers Market - Segmented by Type, Application, End-user, and Region-Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2019 - 2024)
141 pages • By Mordor Intelligence LLP • Mar 2019
Ltd engages in the manufacturing and selling of electronics and computer peripherals, as one of the leading consumer electronics brands in the world.
Memory Chips - Global Thematic Research
Most companies are impacted by multiple themes, many of which conflict with one another.
Semiconductors - Global Thematic Research
27 pages • By GlobalData • Mar 2016
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55 pages • By GlobalData • Nov 2017
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text:
Defining Massivity
Posted by motstandet at 3:06 PM
I am so sick of people calling various online games "virtual worlds", or worse yet, "massively multiplayer online (games)". I hope to make a few distinctions, namely the difference between a virtual world and a virtual environment, and when a multiplayer online game actually qualifies as massive.
Damion Schubert noted the selling point of MMOGs compared to regular online games. That difference is "massivity", the potential for hundreds of users to interact in a virtual environment. Since Schubert's comment was in passing during his presentation, he doesn't seem to provide a formal definition of massivity, and I don't know him personally, so I cannot ask him for one.
Ultimately what an MMOG design hopes to achieve is a feeling of massivity. This is an aesthetic experience which cannot be easily quantified nor defined, but I will attempt to do so. Massivity is the feeling that the user is part of a large world which changes without her being there. It is the potential for hundreds of players to interact in some virtual space, all perhaps with different goals.
We can have games without massivity. But we cannot have massivity without a virtual environment, specifically a virtual world.
I like to use a layered definition when talking about MMOGs: virtual world + game = MMOG. Most people can identify a game or at least hazily understand that there are game systems at work when they experience them. But everyone from bloggers to journalists to game designers seem to forget what a virtual world is.
I define a virtual world to be a globally-accessible simulated, persistent environment in which users interact through an avatar proxy. A virtual world is a virtual environment with the following constraints:
The environment must contain the concept of location. It must be able to relate entities in the environment to the user with positional information. A chat room is not a virtual world.
The environment must persist between play sessions. It must convey the notion of a "living world" which advances while the user is not engaged with it. Any instanced encounter with an end is not a virtual world.
The environment must be globally-accessible and consistent, meaning all agents in the environment could potentially congregate at a location. This is technically impossible, but the impossibility must be hidden to the user. Any user understands that as long as he is a part of the virtual world, he can meet (intentionally or by happenstance) any other user in the world.
Channeling is a solution to a technical problem which diminishes the feeling of massivity because the game replicates the same environment, breaking the consistency of the world, and no longer are the technical limitations of the environment concealed from the user. I am not saying that channeled zones are not virtual worlds; they simply break "immersion". As an aside, has anyone ever experienced a channeling system which wasn't annoying or confusing?
Studios are releasing many online games which are breaking molds. They call it a "hybridization"; I call it exploitation of the buzz surrounding MMORPGs. Facebook labels games like Farmville and Restaurant City as virtual worlds. Debates ensue on whether or not anything with character persistence (e.g. TF2) is enough to qualify the game as an MMOG. I find this talk very dangerous because it dilutes the definition of virtual worlds and MMORPGs.
Is Diablo 2 an MMORPG? By Farmville or Global Agenda standards, it would appear to qualify. It has privately instanced virtual environments, character persistence, and public chat rooms serving as lobbies. But there is no global environment where any one user could accidentally interact with someone else. The world does not evolve and move without the user present. Sure items are traded and bands of players do quests together, but is there really a persistent world anywhere?
Any of the recent shooters with character and item persistence, whether or not trading is implemented, still reside in game spaces, not virtual worlds. Games are played on maps which have a beginning and end. They are highly structured games with limited participants. There is no central gathering place where players can interact and put their mark on the world by simply standing around. Character persistence is not world persistence.
MAG or even a hypothetical game with more than 128 v 128 battles are no more an MMOFPS than TF2, i.e. they are not MMOFPSs. If a player logs off in the middle of a battle, his team may lose the match. But the buck stops there. There are no repercussions in the larger game world, because there is no larger game world! His guild doesn't lose land nor is his skeleton a terrain decal for the next week; the players lick their wounds or bask in victory, and they start a new game. Once again, character persistence is not world persistence.
Using today's weak definition, we could classify any online multiplayer game as an MMOG. That would defeat the point of creating genres at all, and we would be back where we started: what is the difference between Everquest and Dungeon Siege? Massivity.
Labels: mmorpgs
Logan said...
great article. i like your definition better than most i've read recently, the only issue i have is with your views on channels.
lets use WoW as an example... say you have 5 WoW servers, without channels, players from 1 server will never be able to interact with players from another server... but if you introduce channels, now you can merge those 5 servers, and now players who previously couldn't interact now have ability to. (even if it takes a few click to do it) this seems to me like channels can make the game MORE massive.
granted, channel systems in most games seem like an afterthought... and i've yet to play a game with a well implemented system... but that's not a fault of the channel system itself, it's a problem with the designers and the execution of the feature.
also this is assuming that the channels can support a sufficient number of players to feel "massive".. but once again, that's not really a problem with the idea of channels itself, it's just poor implementation.
I never used player numbers to define massivity, and more players does not mean there is another scoop of massivity.
Using your example, let's say there are 5 Ironforges which combine the populations of five separate Dwarf capitals. If a player runs through one of those channels, they see no more players than they would running through a non-channeled zone. The only difference is that now they have to coordinate with other players or friends to determine which copy of IF they are actually in. "I am standing on the bridge." "Well I don't see you!"
I have yet to see these severe player coordination problems with channels resolved.
Realms are a tricky subject, and I plan on writing a post on them and what they accomplish. Personally, I would rather have a seamless (even with zoning) world than a world with multiple copies of the exact same area. Channels feel dirty to me.
what about global agenda (which seems to be the hot topic lately) it has an overworld, but it's separated from the game itself, this is, the game is a set of limited battles, like TF2 or any similar game, but these battles do have an effect.
Personally, i prefer a single world, even if it feels much more deserted, even if it's more complicated, it allows you to ignore any server-related problems
you're right... numbers aren't expressly given in your definition... but i'm still pretty sure that if given 2 identical zones, one with 10 people in it, and the other with 50 people in it, you're going to feel like the zone with 50 people is more "massive"
then again, maybe the number of players deals with the "multiplayer" part of the MMO acronym.
you don't talk about number of players in the definition... but do you really think it's possible to consider a game "massive" without taking the number of players involved into account? (maybe it's not a defining characteristic, but it certainly can differentiate between levels of "massive")
sorry for putting words in your mouth, i guess i just don't understand how you can define an MMO without addressing the number of players in some way.
one more thing... i've met a lot of people that play WoW in RL, but on different servers than i do... if Blizz used channels instead of completely separate servers, i would have the opportunity to play with my RL friends... but without channels, i'm just shit out of luck... i guess i'd rather have the option to play with anyone else with the game installed (even with the slight annoyances that come with channels) than to know they're out there but i can never hope to join them.
maybe that's just me though.
Do we really have "world persistence" anyway? Kill a critter and it comes back. Clear a dungeon and it's all reset when you go back. The world never really changes, barring a game expansion or two.
What game design elements contribute to "world persistence", and are they marketable?
There is definitely a population threshold for MMORPGs; it's typically called "critical mass" and happens to align with business and financial numbers. But every game is different, and the world design dictates what this magic number is. 4000 concurrent users in WoW works because the world is designed around this number. EVE would be an empty place with only 4000 concurrent users.
And I suspect you only dislike the Realm system because it is an irreversible decision. What if your character persisted outside of a specific realm, and you could pick your realm every time you logged in? (This is something we plan on doing in our yet-to-be-announced, super-secret MMORPG.)
The world continues to exist without the player present. That is the persistence.
Other entities in the world may not persist (such as monsters), but that is because they are actually resources, and the world needs to regenerate them somehow. I guess we could wait 4 years for critters to be born and mature, but I doubt any players will be around at that time.
"And I suspect you only dislike the Realm system because it is an irreversible decision. What if your character persisted outside of a specific realm, and you could pick your realm every time you logged in? (This is something we plan on doing in our yet-to-be-announced, super-secret MMORPG.)"
that would be great... but what if you log into one realm to play with one group of friends, then you want to switch realms to play with another set of friends? do you have to completely log out and back in? that would be even more of a pita than channels...
if you're going to be able to swap realms when you log in, why not just use channels?
it seems like you have a personal vendetta against channels... why all the hate?
You bring up a very good use case that I hadn't considered. Namely coordination/communication between those different groups of friends. With a single-shard, channeled world, the player could communicate with all of them, but have the burden of juggling channels. In realm hopping, the player would have to log on and off, as you describe, unless there is a communication medium between all the friends (and then still they are not all mutual).
I prefer realms because it is part of your character's identity. For example, talk to anyone who played on the WoW server Blackrock (like me), and we will tell you that all other servers are inferior. That is a ridiculous claim, but it is a claim which happens only under a realm system.
No channeling means that realms are smaller, and thus the realm community is smaller. Players have a much better chance of creating and maintaining a reputation with a smaller, closer community. "where everybody knows your name..."
You are wrong in the main argument although your side argument is good. The problem is you give a great definition for what constitutes a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game but the focus seems to be just on what determines Massiveness itself.
That's just a function to players in a playspace. If we someday get a MMOFPS that can have 500vs500 battles or more, it's massive because of the size of player interactions. Otherwise you find yourself claiming a game which supports single battles larger than most MMO server populations isn't massive.
This needs to be qualified though by optimal or expected performance. A game that offers 500 vs 500 battles is still massive in scope even if the actual playerbase is small.
I think your argument is much stronger for games which claim the MMORPG title but fail to live up to all of your criteria. Some games should just be called MOGs or net games. Champions Online to me is closer to what an online Grand Theft Auto game would play like (although its eerily similar to the xbox360 game Crackdown, just without the driving aspect.)
Mot:
The channel system actually works better many times over the realm system. I've played a couple of channel-based games and I think I can spot the strength.
Channel or instanced based games center around objectives that are extremely vulnerable to being choke pointed. Maybe it's because their areas are smaller overall, and they simply can't pack enough mobs to support an unchanneled realm. In any case, they channel and instance in order to divide the population efficiently and reduce competition.
It's a false dichotomy though, all modern MMOs make use of instancing to do so in high-traffic areas like raid content, but some are too small in scope to allow a full server so they split it. Champions Online would be impossible with a single server population of 2-3k.
Evi:
Good article though. I'm sorry to sound negative but it really is a spot-on definition of a mmorpg.
Kenny said...
I feel dumb but what is "channeling"?
Dblade, I still propose the 'massive' in any MMOG is more than just a numbers game. As I said in the main post, any FPS with 256 or more player battles is still just a FPS unless it has a virtual world component.
Kenny, channeling is a zoning device used in virtual environments to make it appear that more players are in a location than there really are. Multiple public instances are spawned, most of the time dynamically, to accommodate an increasing influx of players to the zone. Sometimes communication channels (not to be confused with zone channels) span the zone channels so players can communicate, but the players cannot see each other or interact in any other way. Monsters and other resources are local to each individual channel.
Players are usually given the choice to switch channels, but when and where this choice is present is dependent on the implementation. Channeling is used in EQ2 (I know it was used at release. I have no idea if it is still there.), Age of Conan, Champions Online, Aion, and Global Agenda.
you're absolutely right that a small population tends to lend itself to a better "community"...
but what if you used channels to help achieve that smaller community? so instead of taking 50,000 players and splitting them up into 10 separate realms arbitrarily, maybe you could use channels to simulate those 10 separate realms... but instead of just having numbered channels that mean nothing, you could give each of the channels a different meaning... so maybe 1 channel is more for "hardcore" players, and another is for "casual" players... maybe 1 channel is more for PvP and another is more for PvE.. maybe 1 channel is for large established guilds that aren't interested in recruiting new members, and another is where guilds and players that are looking for a guild go to meet each other... and these aren't really even the best ways channels can be used (i'm saving some of those for my own MMO).
i guess when i think of channels i see a lot of potential to create MORE community, they just haven't been used in that way before, so it's tough for people (even designers) to see the potential there.
each channel could have slightly different rules, like the PvP and PvE servers in WoW... but you could take that idea and go so much further... and by funneling players with similar playstyles and interests together, you create a better environment for relationships to form, and a better chance for an engaged community to evolve.
channels have a ton of potential... don't make snap judgments about them based on their existing implementation... they could be done soooo much better.
You have convinced me to take another look into Channels, Logan :P
sweet! i'm glad. looking forward to what new ideas you come up with :)
@Mot: ah, ok, funcom uses it in anarchy online as well - though only indoor areas like shops and 2 public static dungeons to keep population in sane (not insane) levels.
@Logan: "by funneling players with similar playstyles and interests together, you create a better environment for relationships to form, and a better chance for an engaged community to evolve."
Sure. So you want to make a community ripe for the picking for the right people. Or do you plan to actively police them and enforce the rules? I'm not sure if it's feasible at all. All that asshat Myers showed us was that jerks don't give a flying f-ck about community reactions, they need developer intervention.
Hey Mot sorry, didn't realize it was you posting. This is what I get for commenting late at night. Now you can have a turn to deal with me. ;)
You are right, but also keep in mind MMO is an adjective. It can still be a FPS and be an MMO. It just needs to be online with a large amount of players in a gameplay unit.
Thing is, MMO used to be only capable in MMORPGs because of network and latency issues. Because of that, a certain style of game existed centered around a persistent virtual world. You are making the mistake of trying to make that game the standard of a more general definition.
The feeling of massivity doesn't need persistence. If you can play with hundreds of people in any genre of game online together, its an MMO. If it's a demoliton derby arena or car shooter game that can have hundreds of people drive and shoot it out, is it really that less massive because it isn't persistent?
@kenny - griefers are going to grief no matter what the developers do... by your same logic we simply shouldn't have the internet because hackers will steal our information and cause us hassles (my battle.net account just got hacked a few days ago, but that doesn't mean that blizzard should just scrap battle.net)... just because a small segment of the population are idiots doesn't mean you should design specifically for those idiots.. especially when they're going to find loopholes and creative ways to be an idiot no matter what you do.
personally i think that just suggesting to players how they can organize themselves to get the most out of their game time will be enough to confer a benefit to the community... but maybe that's not enough and you'll have to make some mechanics/rule changes that make designations even more clear... i don't know exactly, it hasn't really been done before... but i definitely think it's worth exploring and has a lot of potential.
yes, something like a "casual" channel would be very tempting for a ganker... but only if it's applied to an open pvp zone... there are so many other ways a system like this could be used... it all depends on the game and the specific zone... maybe for 1 type of game a casual channel would work fine, for another it wouldn't.. maybe in one zone a pvp specific type channel would work, but in another it wouldn't... it's up to the designer to determine what would be best for the game. you're looking only at the worst possible scenario, which is generally a good way to assess a design, but in this case that worst possible scenario can be avoided all together by using a bit of common sense.
hmm... just reread your post and i think you misinterpreted my use of the world "rules" ... when i say rules i mean how the game functions or how the mechanics work... not rules as in what we think of in real life, where they're more or less just guidelines that can be broken but have consequences.. in a game, rules are what define the game, everything operates within those rules and they simply cannot be broken, except by bugs and exploits of course.
does that make more sense now?
"It can still be a FPS and be an MMO. It just needs to be online with a large amount of players in a gameplay unit."
What or who dictates "large"? Assuming we maintain the 'map size' to 'number of players' ratio so that relative map presence or occupation is held constant, at what point does the game cross the threshold into massive? At 60 players? 128? Perhaps at 2 sq km?
Or are you saying this is more of an emotional response, "we'll know it's massive when we feel it"? That might be the best we can do with MMOGs outside the realm of RPG.
Innovation for Innovation's Sake
Incentive Addiction
Global Agenda 1.3: Lopsided Timesinks
Macro- and Micromanagement in MMORPGs
Playing a Healing Medic in Global Agenda PvP
Short, Replayable Games
Battlefield: Bad Design 2
Innovation and the Gaming Habit
Experience-oriented vs. Competition-oriented Design
"Maximizing Fun"


What Do You Do When You Receive an IRS Letter CP2000?
Have you ever received an IRS CP2000 letter in the mail? Did you start breathing faster and you don't know what to do? Before you panic, I will share with you some tips on how to handle IRS CP2000 notices.
You usually get the CP2000 letter when your tax return does not match with the information the IRS has (like Forms W-2 and 1099). The letter basically proposes taxes and penalties for missing income on your return. The letter is not considered an audit but it's very important that you respond in a timely manner.
Review and determine if you correctly reported the income in question on your tax return by gathering all the forms under your social security number.
Determine whether you agree, partially agree or disagree with the notice.
If you agree with the notice, send the response form back to the IRS together with your payment. If you can't pay the entire amount, you can request an installment agreement with your response.
If you partially agree or disagree with the notice, you will need to mail a response to the IRS together with your tax support to prove your case. You can attach a corrected return to help simplify your position, but you don't need to file an amended return. If the IRS accepts your explanation, the IRS will correct your return.
If the IRS rejects your response, you can consider appealing the decision.
Now, to prevent this in the future, gather all your information before filing. You can also request your wage and income tax transcripts from the IRS so you can compare what information they received from third parties. However, please be aware that the wage and income transcripts don't contain all your Forms W-2 and 1099 until late May.
So those are six tips that you can use when you receive the CP2000 letter.
Are you planning to tie the knot this summer? If you already did, then my warmest congratulations to both of you! To make sure that there are no surprises come tax time, I will share with you three summer tax tips that you can do right now.
Report any name change to the Social Security Administration before filing your next year's tax return. It would cause delayed refund if you changed your name without informing the Social Security office.
Report any address change to the United States Postal Service, your employers and the IRS to ensure your receive tax-related items.
Finally, use the withholding calculator by going to https://www.irs.gov/individuals/irs-withholding-calculator to make sure you adjust your withholding appropriately. This is important for families with more than one wage earner, for taxpayers who have more than one job at a time, or for those with children.
So those are the three summer tax tips that you can do right now if you just got married to avoid any tax issues during tax time. Congratulations!
When Does Your Kid Have to File a Tax Return?
Did your kid get a part-time job during the summer? And now you were you wondering if your kid needs to file taxes for next year.
If your kid has only a W-2, your kid needs to file a return if the total is more than the standard deduction. Starting in 2018, the standard deduction for a dependent child is up to $12,000. That means your kid can make up to $12,000 without paying taxes. That's almost double from the 2017 numbers.
Have your kid claim "exempt" on the W-4 withholding allowance form so that he does not have to file a tax return if he makes less than $12,000.
Your kid should still file a return if he or she qualifies for the other credits like earned income credit, additional child tax credit, or refundable American opportunity education credit.
There you have it. That's the new tax filing requirement for 2018.
Did you own a home with your spouse when she was still living? And were you planning to sell your home but you were wondering if you can claim the capital gain exemption?
Either you or your deceased spouse must have owned the property for at least two years before your spouse's death.
The couple must have lived in the home for at least two years prior to the death of the spouse.
The capital gain exemption must not have been claimed by either spouse in the two years before death.
Example: Joe and Jackie are married and have owned and used their home since January 1, 2000. On January 1, 2018, Jackie passed away. If Joe sells the home before January 1, 2020, he will qualify for the $500,000 capital gain exemption.
Here's one tax trap that you need to be aware of – this rule will not apply if you decide to remarry before the sale of your home within the two-year period. So watch out!
That's all I have for today. So make sure that you meet all the tax requirements so you can claim the exemption when you sell your home after your spouse's death.
Are you planning to take out money from your home to start a business, buy a rental, or fund other investments? If you answered "yes", do you know that you cannot deduct the interest portion as part of your home mortgage interest? So, what do you do then?
With the complete loss of the home equity line of credit debt (HELOC) and the reduction in mortgage debt for tax year 2018, you have to structure your loan by using the "interest tracing" rule. Interest tracing will allow you to deduct the interest portion of the loan proceeds that you used from your home mortgage debt to start your business or fund other investments.
Open a separate account – make sure you deposit the loan proceeds directly to a new business or investment account to avoid commingling the funds with the money on an existing account.
Allocate the interest – if you are using the loan for more than one type of business or investment, make an allocation to determine the interest for each proceeds that you use.
Making the election – you need to make the election by April 15 or October 15 extension date of next year, in which the election is effective, by deducting the interest on the applicable line of your tax return. An election statement is not required. However, I would recommend attaching a statement to your tax return anyways.
There you have it. Those are the three things you need to know about the new mortgage interest deduction.
Do you have an existing 401-K loan? Are you planning to change jobs in the future? Do you want to know the repayment tax rules regarding 401-K loans? If you answered yes to all these questions, then it's important that you understand the new 2018 tax law regarding 401-K loan default rules.
Effective date– any 401-K loans after 12/31/17.
Previous tax law – you had 60 days to payback and roll over the 401-K loan to an IRA.
New 2018 tax law – you are given more time to roll over the loan balance to an IRA. The new law allows you to pay back your loan by the tax filing due date (April 15th) including extension date (October 15th) of the following year in order to avoid the loan being taxed as a distribution and possibly subject to the 10% early withdrawal penalty if you are under 59 ½ years old.
Example – On January 1, 2018, Dylan resigned from his job. At that time, he had an outstanding $50,000 401-K loan. He is under 59 ½ years old. Under the old tax rule, he must pay back and contribute $50,000 within 60 days to an IRA to avoid the loan being taxed as a distribution with a possible 10% early withdrawal penalty. Under the new tax law, Dylan has until April 15, 2019 (October 15, 2019, if he files an extension). That will give you as long as 21 ½ months from the date you separated from your employer to make the contribution and avoid recognizing the $50,000 as income with 10% penalty, if applicable.
To recap, make sure you remember these three things in case you separated from your employer and have an existing 401-K loan.
Are you thinking of getting a divorce? Before you jump and do anything, I would recommend that you read this blog to know the eight important things about the 2018 alimony tax changes.
Effective date – any divorce agreement executed after 12/31/18.
New 2018 tax law – alimony payments are no longer deductible and alimony income is no longer included as income.
Modified agreements – the old tax rule still applies unless the agreement expressly states that the new 2018 tax law applies. That means, that the modified agreement will lose its grandfathered payments and status.
Timing – if you are thinking of filing for a divorce in 2018, it is very important to time the divorce/alimony settlement before 12/31/18.
State conformity – determine if your resident state agrees with the federal law. For example, in California, they still allow the alimony deduction and inclusion in income.
Tax strategy – make sure that you account for the federal and state tax effect of the alimony payments or receipts when you are working with your attorney.
Reason for change – Congress called the alimony deduction a "divorce subsidy". They argued that divorced couples can benefit more compared to a married couple. So they want to treat alimony as a non-deductible child support. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that this tax change will add almost $7 billion in tax revenues over ten years. Wow!
To recap, make sure you remember these eight important things in case you are getting a divorce.
How Does the New Mortgage Interest Deduction Affect You?
Are you planning to buy a new home? Are you thinking of refinancing your mortgage? Or taking out a home equity line of credit? If you answered "yes" to all the questions, then it's important for you to know the new tax law regarding mortgage interest deduction.
Effective date – any loan started after 12/15/17.
New 2018 tax law – you can deduct interest for up to $750,000 in new mortgage debt for your first and second home. Under prior law, you can deduct mortgage interest on $1 million of home debt and $100,000 of home equity debt.
Couples filing separately – each spouse can claim $375,000 in mortgage interest deductions.
Grandfathered debt – any mortgage loan you entered before 12/15/17 will allow you to claim interest up to the $1 million ($500K for married couples filing separately) for your first and second home.
Mortgage refinancing – you can deduct your mortgage interest if you refinance your mortgage debt up to $1 million on or before 12/15/17. But the new loan can't exceed the amount of the current mortgage being refinanced. Example – If you have a $1 million mortgage and you paid it down to $700,000, then you can refinance it up to $700,000 of debt and continue to deduct interest on it. If you refinance it for $900,000 and you use $200,000 of cash to upgrade your home, then you could also deduct the interest on $900,000. But if you refinance for $900,000 and simply pockets $200,000 of cash, then you could deduct interest only on the $700,000 of refinancing.
Home equity line of credit (HELOC) debt – interest on a HELOC is only deductible if the loan proceeds are used to make substantial improvements to your home, and the combined total of the first mortgage and home-equity line of credit or second mortgage does not exceed $750,000.
State conformity – determine if your resident state agrees with the federal law. For example, in California, you can still deduct mortgage interest on $1 million of home debt and $100,000 of home equity line of credit (HELOC) debt.
There you have it. Those are the seven things you need to know about the new mortgage interest deduction.


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Azerbaijan Army honored the memory of the Shehids of the Patriotic War - VIDEO
According to the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a minute of silence was announced at 12:00 in the Combined Arms Army, Air Force, Naval Forces, Army Corps, formations, military units, and special military educational institutions in order to pay tribute to the memory of the Shehids (martyrs) of the Patriotic War who sacrificed their lives for the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ministry of Defense told APA.
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Canon EOS 5D Mark IV review: The 30-megapixel monster
September 28, 2016 JarvisCamerasBest, cameras, Canon, canon eos, Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, concept, dslr, EOS, gear, Monster, Nikon, Review, reviews, sensor
Canon has stepped things up a gear in recent years by leading with higher-resolution DSLR cameras. It had long been said that the 24-megapixel mark would be the company's limit until lenses could make the best of the capture resolution – a concept that was not just slightly but entirely demolished by the company's 50.6-megapixel EOS 5DS (and R) DSLRs.
Enter the brand new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and that resolution trait has, in part, influenced its choice of sensor. For the 5D Mark IV dons an all-new 30-megapixel full-framer, making it a notable step-up over the previous Mark III's 22.3-megapixel offering, which, at the time, was perceived as a limited jump over to the Mark II model.
The EOS 5D range has long been known as the enthusiast DSLR – but never as a Nikon D810 competitor, which is approaching where the 5D Mark IV is now pitched. What it offers above and beyond its near competition, however, is staggering performance across the board.
https://www.pocket-lint.com/cameras/reviews/canon/138577-canon-eos-5d-mark-iv-review-the-30-megapixel-monster
Galaxy Watch Active 2 will 'eventually' have a key Apple Watch feature, says report
2017 vs. 2019 Kia K900: What's the Difference?


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Photos: PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah attend All India Conference of DGPs, IGPs in Pune
Agencies | Updated: Dec 7, 2019, 15:31 IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pune
Pune: The National Conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police is underway in Pune with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance on Saturday.
The three-day conference, which began on Friday, will conclude on Sunday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval are also attending the conference.
Before heading to the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) for the conference, Modi attended the Armed Forces Flag Day programme at the Raj Bhavan, district officials said.
He also met the widow and daughter of major Kunal Gosavi, who was killed in the Nagrota terror attack in 2016, they said.
PM meets daughter of major Kunal Gosavi
"The DGP/IGP conference is underway in Pune. Top police officials from all over India are attending this meet," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a tweet.
The DGP/IGP conference is underway in Pune. Top police officials from all over India are attending this meet. https://t.co/K5ZYHPknvE
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) 1575698013000
The prime minister released a 57-minute video featuring Armed Forces Flag Day on Twitter saying, "On Armed Forces Flag Day we salute the indomitable courage of our forces and their families. I also urge you to contribute the welfare of our forces."
On Friday,PM Modi was welcomed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at the airport in Pune. It was the first meeting between them after Thackeray's took over as Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Shah, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were among others who welcomed PM at the airport.
Uddhav Thackeray welcomes PM Modi
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Uddhav Thackeray meets PM Narendra Modi in Pune for the first time after becoming Chief Minister
In a keenly-watched development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a 'protocol encounter' with Uddhav Thackeray for the first time after the latter became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, in Pune late on Friday.
Man held for issuing death threats to PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah
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"THE BOXTROLLS: "Nature of Creation" Featurette"
THE BOXTROLLS, the family event movie from the creators of "Coraline" and "ParaNorman", has debuted a behind the scenes look at the magic behind the creation of THE BOXTROLLS! THE BOXTROLLS, in theaters on September 26th, tells the story of a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy, Eggs. THE BOXTROLLS features the voices of Elle Fanning, Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead-Wright and Tracy Morgan.
Watch the newest featurette, "Nature of Creation" and please share on your website/social media pages!
 A family event movie from the creators of "Coraline" and "ParaNorman" that introduces audiences to a new breed of family – The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright) in the amazing cavernous home they've built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town's villain, Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley), comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls, Eggs decides to venture above ground, "into the light," where he meets and teams up with fabulously feisty Winnie (Elle Fanning). Together, they devise a daring plan to save Eggs' family.
THEÂ BOXTROLLSÂ releases in theaters on September 26!


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Idlib protesting Syrian regime
Syria criticizes UN's investigation of war crimes
Syria's UN ambassador Bashar Ja'afari calls UN investigative body assisting in investigation of possible war crimes committed by Assad 'destructive', saying Syria is independently capable of achieving justice and accountability.
Associated Press|Published: 09.15.18 , 18:40
Syria is sharply criticizing an upcoming event on the UN investigative body that is assisting in documenting serious crimes committed during the seven-year Syrian conflict, including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Syria's UN ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, said in a letter to General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak circulated Friday that the Sept. 27 event is another "destructive" action by its sponsors, Qatar and Liechtenstein.
Destruction caused by Syrian regime bombing in Idlib province (Photo: MCT)
The event will take place on the sidelines of the 193-member assembly's annual gathering of world leaders.
The UN missions of Qatar and Liechtenstein did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Ja'afari reiterated Syria's claim that the investigative body established by the General Assembly in December 2016 is illegal and violates the UN Charter. He said any evidence it collects "will be ineligible for future criminal proceedings."
President of Syria Bashar Assad (Photo: Reuters)
The resolution adopted by the assembly said the body, known as the "International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism," would help collect and analyze evidence of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law "to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal proceedings."
It called for the body "to closely coordinate" with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which was established by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council. The commission has alleged that Syrian government and rebel forces committed war crimes and it accused the government of using chemical weapons.
Idlib residents prepare for gas attack (Photo: Reuters)
When the resolution was adopted, Ja'afari called the resolution "a flagrant interference in the affairs of a UN member state." He said it was "a direct threat to a solution" to the Syrian conflict, which has killed at least 400,000 people, according to monitoring groups.
In the letter circulated Friday, Ja'afari said the situation in Syria "is now at a delicate stage" and the political process led by UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura "is moving forward, but with caution and fragility."
Syrian army celebrates capture of Daraa (Photo: AFP)
This is because "some governments that have supported chaos and terrorism in Syria" are pressuring the government and its allies "in their war on global terrorism," he said.
Ja'afari accused the UN of abandoning its neutrality and responding to "political and financial pressure and the polarization practices of some member states," especially those supporting the investigative body.
Syria "has the full capability, with its legal and judicial institutions, to achieve justice and accountability without external and destructive interference," he said.
See all talkbacks "Syria criticizes UN's investigation of war crimes"


When the world around me first found out I was pregnant, I was bombarded with opinions, excitement, and FOOD! I realized more than ever before how much women use the term, "Eating for Two", to overindulge in pretty much anything they want. I had many people, especially lady friends, try and push this belief on me and shove brownies, soda, cookies, and various other junk food down my throat.
My feelings about the term, "Eating for Two", is quite the opposite. Maybe it's because of my medical education or maybe it's because of being saturated in the nutrition and natural health world…either way, when I put something in my body while being pregnant, I feel I have a much deeper responsibility. My baby is being built on the building blocks I choose to fuel my body with.
Think of it this way…if you had a choice to have a baby built on sugar, additives, artificial ingredients, processed, and junk food-OR- a baby built on organic whole nutrient dense foods, clean protein, and nutrition packed with vitamins and minerals, what would you choose? Anyone would could see that the second baby would be much healthier and have a much stronger start than the first.
To me, parenthood is both an amazing blessing and huge responsibility that starts before conception. To give our babies the best start at life, we have the opportunity to get our bodies strong and clean first. We have the resources to pack our bodies full of nutrients that create a strong foundation for our little ones. Why not dive into that amazing opportunity head first and give your baby the best chance they have at living a healthy, vibrant life?
Here are some of my favorite pregnancy foods….
I hope this was helpful and inspired you to truly eat for two with your body and baby in mind. PLUS! It makes pregnancy itself and recovery, SO much easier!!