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The Evolution of the Software-Defined Production Engine – Introducing Ultrix Carbonite
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Tedd Tramaloni, Business Development Manager for Production Switchers and Servers May 26, 2021
Ampex. GVG-300. Film Chain. If those words and phrases sound as foreign to you as SCRUM does to me (and for all you rugby fans, it's not what you think) skip down to the next paragraph. But even if you do still remember the days of standalone DVEs, you probably never thought much about the core functionality of all those ancient machines. Back then, we mostly worked on "purpose-built" devices; in other words, hardware that was specifically designed for one thing only. The production switcher cut the shows, the router shipped signals around the facility and the CG did… well, the CG thing. I know that I never really thought about whether my production switcher could become a multi-channel image processor or high-end chroma keyer, and I'm betting that most of my peers didn't either. And despite the unrelenting march of progress, to a greater or lesser degree, that's still mostly the case in our modern, multi-tasking, digitally-assisted world. But even a recovering geek like myself can see that like the song says, The Times They Are A-Changin'. (If you've never heard of that tune, ask Siri to play it for you.)
In my last post, I wrote about SDPE, the Software-Defined Production Engine that is at the heart of our Ultrix Acuity hyper-converged production platform. In that article, I also mentioned that this innovative hardware board could be repurposed to add features and create exciting new products. Well, guess what? We've already got something new for you: Ultrix Carbonite, the next-generation production powerhouse based on the SDPE hardware blade. With enhanced new features, the ability to accommodate differing connection schemes and signal formats, and legendary Carbonite ease of use, the world's most popular mid-size production platform just got better. Let's take a deeper dive into Ultrix Carbonite.
Ultrix Carbonite
First off, let's be perfectly clear: the SDPE blade in Ultrix Carbonite is identical to the one used in Ultrix Acuity – no differences whatsoever. To be sure, Ultrix Acuity requires a CPU card that isn't needed in Ultrix Carbonite, but the SDPE blade itself is exactly the same. And down the road, that's going to open up some very interesting and exciting opportunities; but more about that later. For now, let's run through some of the major features of this new platform.
For starters, Ultrix Carbonite SDPE blades can be mounted in either the FR2 (2RU) or FR5 (5RU) Ultrix frames. So for those of you with space-constrained tech cores or already-stuffed mobile units, the FR2 can be a godsend. Now obviously the larger frame can provide a bigger I/O matrix, but no matter which frame is chosen, the Carbonite blade has access to all Ultrix inputs, in groups of 18, for assignment as production switcher sources. Additionally, the blade itself has four dedicated inputs and four dedicated outputs. That means a single blade provides a 22 x 22 I/O matrix in either HD or UHD.
Each Ultrix Carbonite blade can provide up to two HD or UHD Mix/Effects banks along with four MiniME banks. (In UHD mode, two MiniME banks are available.) And for all you eagle-eyes out there who spotted the six keyer buttons on our gorgeous TouchDrive panels, you win! Ultrix Carbonite supports six full-function keyers and one transition keyer on each M/E. And don't forget that each MiniME has two independent keyers as well, so a two M/E Ultrix Carbonite in HD provides twenty-two keyers! Add floating 2D DVEs, UltraChrome chroma-key engines, MediaStores, MultiViewers, and DashBoard integration and you've got one very powerful little beast.
Now for some of the really cool stuff. Although it may be less practical in the FR2, multiple Carbonite SDPE blades can be installed in either frame – up to two in the FR2 and four in the FR5. If you happen to have both an Acuity control panel and TouchDriveTM control panel, you can even install Acuity and Carbonite SDPE blades in the same FR5 chassis as well. What's more, each Carbonite and Acuity instance can operate in a different format! Imagine: one control room running a show in HD while another is doing a UHD program using the same chassis! Talk about space-saving! And power-saving, HVAC-saving, engineering-saving…and oh yeah, money-saving!
Want more? Well, remember how earlier I mentioned that the SDPE blade that powers Ultrix Carbonite is the exact same hardware as that of Ultrix Acuity? (Starting to see the light bulbs go on…) That's right: with a simple firmware upgrade, you'll be able to repurpose the blade itself to be either an Acuity, a Carbonite, or whatever other new gadgets we come up with! Think about that – a single, multi-purpose hardware card that can be reprogrammed as needed. At that point, even your shelf-spare inventory will be smaller and less expensive. That's real-world innovation.
For more information on Ultrix Carbonite, click here to visit our product page.
To watch the Ross Live 2021 Ultrix Carbonite Tech Talk presentation, click here.
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Now that summer is finally here I'm feeling very motivated to hit up Shops at Don Mills, Ontario's first open air shopping centre (shopping outside in the dead of winter has never appealed to me). As a matter of fact, even if you're not much of a shopper the outdoor mall is still a very fun spot to just hang out - it's a nice place to take your significant other and if you have little kids they'll probably enjoy playing at the Town Square too (the Town Square is essentially a big patch of grass which converts into a skating rink in the winter). You can also walk your dog, grab coffee, get your dry cleaning done, have lunch, have dinner, or go see a movie... basically you get a lot of things done there. And if you are finally down for some shopping you can shop your heart out at over 70 retail stores. I should also mention that Shops at Don Mills is an awesome place for people-watching and car-watching.
Here's a tip from me: Never go shopping with an empty stomach. Shopping is hard work so having a proper meal before hitting the shops is crucial (feeling exhausted after two hours of shopping is unacceptable ladies). If you're looking to fuel up before your shopping sesh at Shops at Don Mills I suggest you check out Kabuki Sushi Lounge (Instagram: @kabukisushilounge, Facebook: Kabuki Sushi Lounge). Treat yourself to some delicious sashimi before conquering the shops (no carbs = no bloated tummy) and if you can't fit in a sit-down lunch then make sure your grab a drink or dinner at Kabuki afterwards. Why? For the marvelous job you did snagging those Louboutins, of course! What I'm trying to say is there's always time for tasty Japanese food. And you know what's amazing? Kabuki offers complimentary valet, which just means more time for eating and shopping!
First, a bit of background on the restaurant. Kabuki Japanese Resturant first opened in 1999 at Bayview Village Shopping Centre as a family business operated by Philip Yam and his two sons, Carson and Jason. For more than 15 years, the casual 60-seat restaurant served traditional sushi and Japanese dishes to its local clientele. In February 2015, the Yam family made an executive decision to relocate the restaurant to Shops at Don Mills. Now operating as Kabuki Sushi Lounge, the new location promises a new and exciting menu that serves both authentic and modern Japanese plates.
The new Kabuki's lofty interior is chic and contemporary. There are tables against the two walls, by the large window at the front of the restaurant, as well as booth seating in the middle of the room (this is unique since booths are usually off to the side). Kabuki can accommodate up to 80 people inside and 24 people on the patio.
I noticed that the flatscreens above the Kabuki bar are always showing news, sports and Japanese anime (one screen each). The TVs here definitely contributes to the "lounge" aspect of the restaurant.
For food, go for the buck-a-shuck oysters on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. You can never go wrong with that deal. In terms of the rest of the menu, highlights for me were the Spicy Salmon Salad, Negi Toro Rice Crispy, Smoked Tornado, Sashimi, Kabuki Soba and Katsu Don. Unlike a typical salad, the Spicy Salmon Salad resembles a maki roll that is composed of salmon, avocado and tobiko, all tightly wrapped with a long piece of cucumber (I was informed by one of the owners that a lot of patience and knife skills is required to prepare the dish, specifically the slicing of the cucumber). And you know what? I absolutely love it! This "salad' is light, refreshing, and has a nice crisp texture. It is also a fantastic alternative if you're looking to cut down on rice. The Negi Toro Rice Crispy is also delicious; the chopped tuna and spicy mayo is incredibly tasty. However, I find that the rice squares take away the flavour of the tuna at times. If you're a fan of hand rolls you should give the ones at Kabuki a try. They are wrapped in soy paper instead of nori which is creative and it's something that I have not seen done anywhere else. Out of all the appetizers the one I enjoyed the least was the karaage. Even though the chipotle mayo was perfect the chicken skin lacked the crispyness. Moving on to sashimi and sushi, make sure you ask your server what special fish is available because Kabuki flies in fish from Japan once a week. They take pride in serving different varieties of sashimi such as Isaki (Threeline grunt), Madai (Red Seabream), Suzuki (Japanese Seabass), Kurodai (Black Porgy), etc. As for sushi, I usually avoid the ones made with smoked salmon (I love smoked salmon by itself but not normally in sushi) but this one turned out really delicious paired with squash tempura. The Kabuki Soba and the Katsu Don were both delightful; I'm all about noodle soup so I gravitate towards the soba but I gotta say the rice with chicken katsu and egg was equally as good. Note that there are many vegetarian and gluten-free options available on Kabuki's menu, as well as brown rice and white meat options.


I'd made the statement in my earlier blog that SOX is a lot about good, old fashioned security. Well, this is the beginning of reinforcing that statement, and illustrating how a SOX audit results can show you what needs to be fixed.
In a nut shell, a service does something. It can be as mundane and simple as executing a small program, or it can be as monumental as running a huge program. The service requires two things, a user name (often times self-generated or often times recommended in the install manual) and a password (usually anything we want). Often times it's an active directory user accounts, sometimes it's strictly a local account.
Point number two on the Bride of Dracula's hit parade was the plethora of service accounts we had. We had one to run Exchange, another to run backups, one for this, one for that, and all in all it amounted to some 167 accounts. From where she sat, this was 147 too many.
And that was the tip of ice berg. Service accounts, whenever they're generated almost always have elevated permissions and privileges. They need to be able to reach into systems, especially remote systems, and do whatever they need to do. Even local services will often times have elevated privileges. And this is what makes them so appealing to an attacker.
Here's how this works. The attacker is more often than not, someone who has an ax to grind with the company (know anyone like that)? Now usually what they do is something like this, it begins in the mind. This individual, usually a systems admin with some really serious permission gets it in his or her head that they'll be axed from the company sooner or later. So, what they do is go out and they identify an account, usually a service account, and then they elevate the privileges. What do they do? Oh maybe give it VPN access for instance or whatever the case might be. They do this because it gives them an advantage. First, it's an ID that isn't going to go away (after all, we need to that account). Second, the password probably isn't going to change. Thirdly, no one's watching. So right there we've a recipe for terrible things to happen.
So, his/her worst nightmare comes true, they're indeed let go, and so in a fit of rightful vengeance (translation – stupidity), they come in and do something nasty to the network like dump data and etc.
What out auditor was really saying was that we were flirting with disaster. We had so many service accounts, they were all but impossible to police, some of them were local service accounts (and we had no clue in most cases what they did or even where they were). There was no formalized way to change passwords, and if someone did something with one, no one knew it.
So, how do you find the service accounts? First, someplace, somewhere, they need to be listed. A lot of folks use nothing more than a simple spreadsheet to do this. Word of advice her if this applies to you. This should be encrypted, the password to decrypt it should be given to only a handful of people, and you need to audit it as well. It might even be a worthwhile idea to maintain a couple of lists, those that the regular everyday sys admin might need, and then the super secret stuff we don't want floating about.
A lot of people seem to have an issue or two with locking some of the people out of certain stuff. They say it's about trust. And it should be. I'm not saying every sys admin out there is waiting to put the screws to you. What I am saying is there are some things you just don't want everyone to know. As Spock told Harry Mudd, "The problem is I do trust you. But only to a point".
OK, let me get off my soap box, and back to reality.
Before we dive into how to identify a service account, one thing you should know. Each and every service account should be IDed as such. There's nothing wrong with putting in the description that this is a service account. Other times, some outfits will go out and construct a bogus user account, one that is in truth a sort of "Master" service account. Again nothing wrong with that, so long as you know it and have it annotated someplace, somewhere.
Also, it's not unusual to have Active Directory Service accounts stashed away in their own OU. This makes administration a bit easier, not to mention just makes things look better from the general housekeeping perspective.
But if you don't know where they are, Local Service accounts are really easy to find. One way is to use powershell. The command is really easy.
You run this of course on a local system.
Now right about now, someone is asking how to find an Active Directory managed service account. Well, there's the gag. You really can't. The only way you'll find them is going to your servers, and running the command I listed above. It's a process of elimination, but one that works.
So, since these things are easy to subvert, how do we keep an eye on them?
Well, there's a lot of ways. One is to keep an eye on things in Active Directory. Netwrix offers a great solution for AD audit, and one that will have your auditors falling in love with you. If you set this up right (in short it counts off for typos), every morning you'll get an email report showing whatever changes that happened the day before.
The idea is this. Every change reported SHOULD be backed up by a corresponding Change Management request. Print the reports off as a PDF and tuck them away for your auditors. Do realize any gaps in coverage will have to be explained, so try not to lose any. If you do lose something, better draft up a Memorandum for Record (MFR). It's one more piece of the eternal quest to cover our backsides.
Some folks will no doubt wonder if they could automate this process so they get printed off without human interference. OF course there is, but that kind of defeats the purpose of having the software in the first place. The idea is we have to look at it, and evaluate what the heck is going on before we ever file it away.
Next time, we look at events you might want to know about. Till then, have a great day.


Joseph Williams, a prominent farmer and stock raiser, was born August 20, 1819, near Knoxville, Tenn., and when only a child was brought by his parents to Cooper County, Mo., and to Dodge (now Putnam) County, in 1849, where he has since resided. He was the ninth of a family of ten children, and the only son of James and Susan (Webb) Williams, natives of East Tennessee, and of English descent. The father was a soldier in the War of 1812, in which he distinguished himself for physical strength, endurance and courage. Joseph Williams was reared upon the farm and has made farming and stock raising his sole occupation since the time he started to fight the battle of life for himself, at the age of twenty-one. He is a man of great energy, foresight and practical business ability, and has succeeded in accumulating a handsome competency, being the owner of 1,300 acres of exceedingly well improved land, well stocked and equipped for his business in every way. Although he attended school during his youth but very little, he has acquired enough education to aid him materially in his business ventures. March 4, 1847, he married Miss Susanna Nelson, daughter of Madison and Nancy (Simmons) Nelson, natives of North Carolina, who started for Moniteau County (then Cole) when Mrs. Williams was but a year old. They arrived at their destination in but sad spirits, however, as on the way the father and husband was killed by a runaway team of horses. To Mr. and Mrs. Williams eight children have been born: Ruth J., James W., Sarah H. (deceased), John R. (deceased), Nancy B., Mary L., Thomas Lee (deceased) and David A. Both Mr. and Mrs. Williams have been worthy conscientious members of the Baptist Church since early youth. In politics Mr. Williams is a Democrat, and as such was elected sheriff of Putnam County in 1856, serving a term of four years. In 1871 he scored a great success by being elected the tax collector by his party, in a county which had at that time 1,100 Republican majority. He was obliged, however, on account of ill-health, to resign the office before the expiration of his term. During the war he commanded a company in the State Militia. Mr. Williams is of a retiring disposition, and has never sought office himself, those he has filled being forced upon him by friends. He is a Master Mason, and has been one of the leading stockholders in the Putnam County Fair Association since its inception, being one of its directors, only becoming too aged. He is one of the most respected and honored citizens of the community in which he lives, and a good example of a self-made man.


Complexity wrapped in simplicity. That is the essence of Pure.
The Pure media console is available in the below dimensions. The media console can also be made to order (max. 220cm).
The piece hovers about 5 cm above the floor.
The Pure media console is made of high-quality MDF and real walnut veneer, ensuring a solid feel that is built to last. The exquisite finish and refined details provide a sophisticated look. The media console is also available in 2 lacquers. Click here for these versions.


Not only does this amazing Hearty Pork Pie & cheese cake have superb cheeses, there is also plenty of delicious pork pie to go around, made with the finest pork.
Will feed approx 120+ people.
1st tier: Pork Pie, 4 – 5kg – These delicious Pork Pies use only the finest ingredients. This is our largest pie available. Handcrafted using traditional methods, these award winning pork pies use the finest diced pork, minced pork, onions and seasoning. Simple and tasty. Other flavours also available.
7th tier: Somerset Camembert x 2, 200g ea– We've used two mild & creamy soft Somerset Camembert's and tied raffia round them. A delicious delicate creamy camembert.
Top: Capricorn, 100g – This little goats cheese has won a staggering amount of awards over the years. It is a delicious, velvety soft goats cheese. Mild and crumbly when young developing into a softer, creamier fuller flavour as it matures.


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Tag Archives: robots
Movie Review: The World's End
Ah yes, a British movie. I went to see The World's End, and I couldn't help but thinking about all of the movies I've seen that were made across the Atlantic: not too many. I'm sure they make lots of films over there, but the ones that make it to me, to a pretty average American moviegoer, I don't know, it's like The King's Speech, Monty Python … do Hugh Grant movies count? They totally don't count. Even in his most British pictures, he's really just something on loan from the UK to Hollywood, like even though Love Actually took place across the pond, there were all sorts of American actors and tropes and …
And what am I talking about, Love Actually? I never saw Love Actually, I just remember overhearing someone else talk about it once. Someone really stupid. And I could just tell how inauthentic the whole thing was, you know, from this non-Englishman's point of view.
The World's End is billed as the third part in a trilogy of sorts, although besides the principle cast and writing team, there's not really a coherent story linking all three parts. Shaun of the Dead imagined how Simon Pegg would confront the zombie apocalypse, Hot Fuzz had something to do with police officers (I never actually saw Hot Fuzz,) and The World's End follows five high school friends who reunite twenty years later to finish a twelve-stop pub crawl they almost completed back when they were eighteen.
I realized pretty soon into the movie that I was laughing a lot more than I would be at this point during an American movie, during parts in any movie that I wouldn't normally find laugh-out-loud funny. I attributed a lot of the giggles to the fact that everybody's talking really fast, jokes weaved tightly into every sentence, with absolutely no stopping for even the briefest of pauses between syllables or breaths. It's just non-stop dialogue and everybody's speaking in an accent and, yeah, I guess that is pretty funny.
The humor is very dark. Simon Pegg's main character Gary King hasn't developed at all since the early 1990s montage that opens the film. By the time we meet our protagonist in the present day, twenty years of partying have taken their toll. The whole intro, the extended speech explaining the almost-made-it night of twenty years ago, it winds up being told by King in the middle of a twelve-step meeting, and even the other participants seem disturbed by the enthusiasm in which he recounts the best day of his life.
King rallies his old friends and convinces them to have a proper night. Twelve bars, twelve beers, all culminating at The World's End, a fitting name for the final tavern. As the Five Musketeers head out to their old home town, in King's high school car, with the same exact cassette mix tape never having been removed from the tape deck, the gang starts to question the psychic hold their friend seems to manage over everyone else.
Just as the adults step in to make some belated adult decisions, it turns out that the town has been taken over by robots. And even though that's pretty much the whole plot of the movie, once things get rolling, a lot of the genuine character-driven plot evaporates. I get it, I guess, that this kind of a spoof on a disaster movie is a way to confront existential problems, addiction, middle-age, conformity, feelings of isolation, but I just couldn't help but feel that the group dynamic was building toward something. And then the robot thing happens and that's basically the rest of the movie.
All the way until the really bizarre ending, something that, after having seen Monty Python, I'm just going to go ahead and make the sweeping generalization that all British movies have to have crazy endings. Except for The King's Speech. Did I mention that I saw The King's Speech already? Well, I saw it. Although, I guess it's not all that normal of a movie, right? A king? With a stutter? And the doctor is some crazy guy from Australia? That didn't really happen, did it?
This entry was posted in Movie Reviews and tagged aliens, British movies, drinking, movie reviews, pub crawl, robots, Simon Pegg, The World's End, trilogy on August 23, 2013 by Rob G..
Movie Review: Pacific Rim
Throughout the entirety of Pacific Rim, all I could think about was stuff like, wow, this is such an awesome movie. It keeps getting better and better. Not once am I finding myself even remotely bored. I cannot wait to go home and write about how much I loved this movie.
And I did love the movie. But I saw it with my wife and the first thing she said upon exiting the theater was, "Wow, that was dumb." How could we have arrived at two dramatically differing opinions after sitting next to each other for the exact same two and a half hours? Worse, why couldn't I really mount a defense?
Because, look, I know when I'm defending movies that shouldn't be defended. Like when I write about how much I loved Iron Man 3 or Thor, yeah, it's probably because I've spent over fifty percent of my life reading comic books, that it'd have to be a really bad comic book movie for me to admit that I didn't at some level at least enjoy a little bit what I just saw.
Like Daredevil, or Spider Man 3. Go ahead and start throwing eggs, I know that I'm broaching a very sensitive subject here, but were those movies really that bad? I haven't watched them in a while, but I remember enjoying them. I liked the first Hulk movie. I always default back to the twelve year old me growing up on Long Island, no Internet, no cable TV, I used to get a thrill just from watching Fantastic Four cartoons on Sunday mornings. Never in my wildest imagination would I picture myself as an adult presented with dozens upon dozens of full-length comic book motion pictures featuring B-list superheroes.
I'm getting a little sidetracked from Pacific Rim, yes, but this is all adding up to a huge disclaimer, that in an attempt to review movies, I'm trying to go for an unbiased reaction after having seen one. I don't know what the opening weekend numbers are, and I've yet to read any professional reviewers. I just want to go see a movie, and try as best I can to call it like I see it.
But it's often the case that something cool like this will come out, a superhero movie, or in this case, a robots vs. alien monsters movie, and I can already picture exactly how the naysayers will react, similar to how my wife put it, that it was dumb. That it was just a bunch of fight scenes linked together by a pretty cheap plot.
And yeah, I guess, if you want to get all cynical and scientific about the movie, I suppose there really isn't a whole lot more to it than that, alien monsters invade the earth through a portal deep in the Pacific. In response, we build a bunch of rock-em, sock-em robots to beat them all up.
But whatever, those feelings I was experiencing in that theater were real. It was pure joy. And I've sat through movies that should have been catered to me, like the new Superman, and I've been put to sleep. There was seriously no down time in the fun and excitement here. The score was a movie length fight song. The battle scenes were pure chaotic euphoria.
Did I mention that the pilots of the robots have to link their minds via something called a neural handshake? And that's not like a colloquialism, the scientists say stuff like, "Neural handshake complete." That's what I'm looking for in a big action robot movie, people maintaining a straight face while talking about a neural handshake. The side characters, the almost unnecessary plots and asides and conveniently placed toilets that made up the caulk to this movie's tiles, everything was fun, ridiculous, everything was insane.
And it's a good concept. When was the last time we've had a really crazy monster movie? All I can think of are the old Godzilla films from decades ago. I know that the series has been rebooted several times in recent years, but nothing sticks, because everything tries too hard to be serious, to depict a modern world where big monsters wreak havoc.
This isn't that world. It's just further enough in the future to where the world resembles the one we live in, but all of the backstory is explained in the first ten or fifteen minutes, so everything is alien, fresh, reminiscent of the real but not even close to anything we'd be able to mistake for reality.
It's just, my heart is still pumping, there's still a surplus of adrenaline coursing through my veins. I really did love this movie. It's fun, it's pretense-free, they laid out some very simple rules that guide the course of the film and they rarely stray from the formula. It works. It's pure hyper energy, it's like an amusement park, one built entirely out of crazy roller coasters, and there are no lines, and they just let you keep riding everything over and over again for as long as you want. For like two and a half hours, anyway.
This entry was posted in Movie Reviews and tagged action movie, aliens, fighting, monsters, Movie Review, Pacific Rim, robots, summer blockbuster on July 12, 2013 by Rob G..
Robots are better than people
Robots are much better than people. Robots don't get mad if you take that last slice of pie, even if they were saving it, even though they put it on a plate, wrapped the whole plate in plastic wrap, put it not in the fridge, but in the microwave, because they were going to eat it soon, and they wrote out a really long note, a note that said, "Please do not eat this slice of pie. I'm saving it. Also, don't use the microwave. I'm just putting it in here because I didn't want to leave it out and attract bugs. Please, please do not touch this pie. My mom drove all the way out to a pie shop at the end of Long Island to get it for me, it's my favorite, and I'm really looking forward to eating it," because robots don't have feelings. You program them to do or say this or that, but if you change your mind later on, you just program them to do or say something else. Plus, when have you ever seen a robot write out a stupid long note like that? If a robot tried to grab a pen and paper, one, their giant metal hands would probably crush the pen, getting ink everywhere, and two, even if they somehow successfully calibrated the necessary pressure to effectively grip the pen without all of that exploding, there's no way they'd then be able to apply that same gentle pressure from pen to paper without some sort of a ballpoint malfunction. Also, what kind of a robot doesn't at least have some sort of a printer attachment installed, however rudimentary, like those little receipt printers at department stores? You're telling me whoever designed a robot sophisticated enough to craft out a whole boring message about pie wouldn't at least have thought to include one of those little printers? Unlikely. And besides, robots don't even eat strawberry rhubarb pie. They don't eat pie at all. Or anything. They just eat electricity, maybe some diesel and grease.
Robots are much better than other people. They don't constantly come out of their bedrooms at two o'clock in the morning, "Yes, I can still hear the TV. Well lower it again. Look, I don't care if the game play isn't as immersive with the volume down that low, I have to get up for work in four hours, so for the last time, just lower the volume, go to sleep, Jesus," over and over again, the same speech they gave at one o'clock in the morning, the same whiney complaint they're going to come out and do at three o'clock in the morning. No, because robots don't sleep at all. And they clean up for you instead of asking you to "clean up after yourself for a change!" They might have little vacuuming robots attached to their feet – no, instead of feet they'll have vacuuming robots as their feet, those are their feet, so wherever they go they leave two trails of noticeably cleaner tracks behind them.
Robots are entirely preferable to all people, to all human beings. They're never coming out of the house next door, knocking on your door, telling you, "Listen buddy, I don't know how you keep getting into our encrypted Wi-Fi network, but you've got to stop stealing our Internet. Just pay for your own Internet. It's like thirty bucks a month. Seriously, you're mooching our Internet, you're pirating gigs and gigs of media. You know I get calls sometimes from the cable company? They're like, 'stop illegally downloading all of these movies.' I don't know what to do. Just … you know, you're smart enough to hack my router, why don't you get a job doing computers? Come on man, just get out of the house once in a while. You look like shit. Seriously, no more Internet. I'll call the cops," every other week, they never call the cops, finally after months of toothless threats, banging on your door at eight in the morning, showing you a warrant, confiscating your computer, your hard drives. Robots don't care. They've got built in Wi-Fi. Robots are like walking Internet hotspots. And what do they care about thirty dollars a month? Robots have no sense of money, of currency, of personal wealth. Robots love to share. Robots aren't so judgmental.
Given the choice between robots and people, I'll always choose robots. Robots are never like, "Come on, stop using my toothbrush! That's great that you're not grossed out by germs, and no, I don't want to hear another speech about personal micro-biomes, just stop using my goddamn toothbrush!" Because, one, robots don't have to brush their teeth, and two, if they did, they wouldn't spend a hundred and forty dollars on a super fancy toothbrush and leave it out in the bathroom, all, look, enjoy the view, but never touch, and don't even think about using it, because of course I'm going to use it, because, what are you crazy? And they won't laugh at the personal micro-biome thing, because they'll know that you're going to want as many germs in your mouth as possible. If they had mouths. If they had teeth. But robots don't have teeth. Just gears and circuits and microprocessors and motherboards.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged illegal wifi, micro biome, people, robots, robots are better than people, strawberry rhubarb pie, toothbrush on April 2, 2013 by Rob G..

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
MassDOT Berkshire Rail Line Purchase
/ MassDOT Rail & Transit /
The MassDOT Board of Directors has authorized MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey to execute an agreement to purchase the Berkshire Line from the Housatonic Railroad Company, a major step toward delivering passenger rail service between New York City and the Berkshires.
The agreement includes $12.13 million to acquire the line and an estimated $35 million for initial track improvements, funded by the 2014 Transportation Bond Bill approved by the legislature. The Berkshire Line extends approximately 37 miles from the Connecticut border in Sheffield through Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Lee, and Lenox to Pittsfield, where it joins the CSXT Railroad main line.
"Studies have shown that a Berkshire County rail connection to New York City would be a winner, with more than one million rides annually," said Secretary Davey. "This purchase and the initial upgrades in the line represent historic steps toward improved access to the Berkshires for tourists and residents alike."
The initial track improvements will permit the operation of passenger trains but serve freight trains until the Connecticut portion of the project is completed. A final round of track improvements will be required along with improvements on the Connecticut portion of the line prior to the start of passenger rail service. The Transportation Bond Bill included $113 million for the purchase and Massachusetts portion of the track improvements.
A date for the beginning of passenger service is dependent upon completion of the upgrades in both states.
5 thoughts on "MassDOT Berkshire Rail Line Purchase"
Any mention of where stations would be?
No final determination has been made regarding possible stops.
Will we be able to go from Boston to Pittsfield to NYC? I'm just wondering if there would be a way to hook up with the Adirondack North. That's the one who goes up state NY all the way to Montreal. Thanks!
boblothrope says:
Depending on the schedules, you might be able to take the Lake Shore Limited (or another train, if a service expansion occurs) from Boston to Pittsfield, and then this Berkshires train to NYC. But it would take *way* longer than just taking a Boston-NYC train to begin with.
If you're heading north on the Adirondack, you might think about connecting in Albany (without any transfer in Pittsfield to the Berkshires train). But because of infrequent schedules and slow speeds on the Boston-Albany route, you'd probably be better off connecting in NYC.
Rob C. says:
This is interesting news! I have couple of questions:
Since the branch goes North to South, is the line intended service people going to Boston?
Or this going be regional separate commuter line with no connection regular MBTA Rail Line or is Amtrak going to be running it?
There already New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Line worked on, is Berkshire Line going to connect to this one?
The line would serve the significant expected ridership from the south, representing the thousands of New York and Connecticut visitors to the Berkshires while not precluding future connections to lines serving Springfield and Boston.
John S. says:
This would connect Pittsfield to Grand Central via Danbury and Stamford.
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Virto Ajax Calendar enables users to view all of their events from different data sources (SharePoint List, Microsoft Exchange Calendar or SQL Tables) in one single calendar! This surpasses the existing SharePoint calendar view's functionality by allowing users to specify the list or view, and also color code the displayed items by category of events (such as internal or external, view day, week, month, year, and Gantt view).
The main added value of the Virto Ajax Calendar is the opportunity to have all the events from different data sources displayed in a single calendar view, sparing the necessity to switch between multiple views. Another value offered is the ability to bind from different data sources - from SharePoint lists, Microsoft Exchange Calendars and SQL tables, to create a new calendar event. This is in comparison to most other calendars that can only use one data source, and be displayed in only one view. To distinguish events from different sources in Virto Calendar, one can use multi-level color coding.
Virto - web part Calendar for SharePoint. Virto Ajax Calendar is a web part for SharePoint. It allows SharePoint users to view, edit and manage events from three distinctive data sources (SharePoint lists, SQL tables and Microsoft Exchange Calendar) in a single SharePoint calendar.
Project Management for MS SharePoint v.1.0.0Virto Project Management: a ready-to-use template for managing SharePoint projects with help of built-in Virto products.
SharePoint Social Aggregator Web Part v.2.2.0 Virto Social Aggregator is a SharePoint web part for aggregating and effective displaying posts from various RSS feeds, combining blogs, news as well Twitter and popular social networks(Facebook).
Virto Ajax Calendar Pro Exchange Edition v.3.5.3A Web Part calendar for SharePoint users to view, edit and manage events from three distinctive data sources (SharePoint lists, SQL tables and Microsoft Exchange Calendar) in a single SharePoint calendar.
Another Backup v.2.1 Another Backup automatically backs up selected files and folders to a different place at schedule time, so you will never lose important information. It is easy to use, just select source files, then select where to save backup and back interval.
Visral Parser Gen, Syntax Diagram Editor v.1.01 VISRAL PG generates parsers and state machines directly from syntax/state/flow diagrams. Creating and editing syntax diagrams graphically. Convert EBNF, ABNF, XBNF descriptions ato syntax diagrams, and syntax diagrams to EBNF.


Sorting, grading and packing machines and complete systems for lime processing.
Unisorting Limes Sort 3 technology, used in sorting and grading machines, enables you to select the desirable and undesirable characteristics of any kind of lime.
Unisorting Limes Sort 3 technology selects and classifies automatically, with extremely high reliability and efficiency standards.
Sorting, grading and processing machines designed and produced by Unisorting to sort and select limes, classify the different qualities of the fruits automatically with the utmost efficiency and with a considerable cost saving on the costs borne by Packing Houses for this sort of processing.
Unisorting Limes Sort 3 technology takes care of your limes and of your business.
Respecting limes means respecting the future of your business.
In nature there are many varieties of limes with different shapes.
Unisorting knows how to treat your limes and your business.
Unisorting designs and develops technologies capable of meeting any specific request in lime processing, including processing organic fruit or natural fruit with leaves or without leaves, to make them even more attractive to the consumer.
Unisorting Limes Sort 3 technology accurately classifies the various qualities of each lime in order to allow the various valued characteristics for each type and variety to be divided precisely.
For every variety of lime, Unisorting has developed a completely dedicated and specialized software, in order to offer high-performance solutions to any need.
Unisorting designs and produces machines that carry out every stage of lime processing: emptying, washing, brushing, alignment, grading, sorting, internal and external quality selection, packing, palletization, pallet strapping and traceability.


text:
Q: Will ActiveRecordStore solve my login lost due to crumbled cookie woes? Here's the scenario: our site uses Rails' default CookieStore for saving session information. Doing so suits our needs fine except for the fact that some customers who "login" on our site lose their authentication because they either:

*

*Are (unnecessarily) private browsing at a level that rejects cookies

*Are browsing with some other setting that rejects/stomps cookies

In that case our site can't find an id it needs to operate, assumes the user is up to no good, and effectively logs them out.
My question is two-fold:

*

*Would using ActiveRecordStore solve my problem since the id I need would be stored in the DB? How does ActiveRecordStore persist session ids between requests?

*Other than sessions is there any reliable way to carry an indication of authentication between requests?
Regarding #1, if ActiveRecordStore needs a cookie to store the session id then moving to it doesn't make much sense because the problem would still exist.
Regarding #2, the only thing I can think of is passing the necessary id in request parameters and using timestamps to require that a user's requests happen within a certain timeframe (which makes sense in this part of our system). Drawback: there would always be a window open to malicious activity, albeit a much smaller one than if there was no such constraint.
Currently we're tackling the problem non-programmatically: just alert the user of what is happening by directing them to a help page that explains how to solve the issue. If they can't, contact us for assistance. This may be the right solution, and if this issue is only ever going to affect 10% of our users (which it is so far--this is the first time its happened), then it may be not be worth changing the code.
Advice appreciated!

A: Per http://rails.nuvvo.com/lesson/6372-action-controller-session

Your application has a session for each user in which you can store small amounts of data that will be persisted between requests. The session is only available in the controller and can use one of a number of different storage mechanisms:

*

*CookieStore - Stores everything on the client.

*DRBStore - Stores the data on a DRb client.

*MemCacheStore - Stores the data in MemCache.

*ActiveRecordStore - Stores the data in a database using Active Record.

All session stores store the session id in a cookie - there is no other way of passing it to the server. Most stores also use this key to locate the session data on the server.

I guess you could inject the encrypted session id into the page HTML and then use javascript to pass that information with every internal link or form that the user submits, thus recreating the cookie functionality. But if your users intentionally turned off cookies, they probably wouldn't like you doing this...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


First started to Jamaica in 2009, the Super Lotto (operated by Supreme Ventures) has doled out some mega jackpots to a lucky few. Most lately, one 'A. Campbell' claimed his jackpot of $158.4 million Jamaican Dollars, receiving his prize in a full Scream costume.
1. The photo opp is good marketing for the Super Lotto by showing people actually winning and driving up participation in future lotteries.
2. In Jamaica, winners can become targets for scams, robberies or even ransom. People who unexpectedly come into large sums of money are at risk of harassment, so Supreme Ventures offers all winners the option to wear a costume to help protect their identity when accepting their prize.
Like A. Campbell above, previous winners of the Super Lotto in Jamaica, as well as other Caribbean countries Supreme Ventures operates in, have elected to wear costumes. You can find a gallery of other costumed winners below.


text:
Warhammer: Chaosbane: Slayer Edition (PS5)
Buy PS5 Warhammer: Chaosbane and other PS5 games here
Warhammer: Chaosbane: Slayer Edition (PS5) quantity
PS5 Warhammer: Chaosbane
Buy PS5 Warhammer: Chaosbane a hack-and-slash action role-playing game developed by Eko Software and published by Bigben Interactive. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on 31 May 2019. Players choose to play as one of five character classes from the Warhammer Fantasy setting: a human soldier of the Empire, a High Elf mage, a Dwarf slayer, a Wood Elf scout, or a Dwarf engineer. The character must help save the Empire against the demons of Chaos. Downloadable content featuring a storyline around the undead Tomb Kings was released on 16 December 2019. An enhanced version of the game was released for Xbox Series X/S on 10 November 2020 and for PlayStation 5 on 12 November 2020.
PlayStation 5 Warhammer Chaosbane gameplay review and rating score; 70%
In a world ravaged by war and dominated by magic, you must rise up to face the Chaos hordes. Playing solo or with up to four in local or online co-op, choose a hero from four character classes and prepare for epic battles wielding some of the most powerful artefacts of the Old World.
• THE FIRST HACK AND SLASH set in the Warhammer Fantasy world
• 4 CHARACTER CLASSES, each with unique gameplay, skills and equipment
• AN XXL BESTIARY with over 70 monsters aligned with the Chaos Gods and epic boss battles
• OPTIMIZED FOR CO-OP: solo or with up to 4 players, local or online, the class synergy and interface have been designed for co-op
• HIGH REPLAY VALUE: in addition to Story mode, a boss rush mode, countless dungeons and regular updates offer a rich and varied gaming experience
Dirt 5 (PS5)
PULSE 3D Wireless Headset
Assassin's Creed Valhalla (PS5)
Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition (PS5)
Balan Wonderworld (PS5)
Immortals Fenyx Rising (PS5)
Just Dance 2021 (PS5)
Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening (Nintendo Switch) - Used ₦19,500
Lego Ninjago Movie: Videogame (Nintendo Switch) ₦15,000 ₦13,500
Spyro Reignited Trilogy (PS4) ₦15,000 ₦13,200
Death Stranding Director's Cut (PS5) ₦24,500
God of War 3 Remastered (PS4) ₦9,800 ₦9,400


The post-race party is located next to the start/finish line in Depot Park in Whitefish. Participants can enjoy delicious barbecue donated by Piggyback Barbecue, beers from the Great Northern Brewing Company, music and more. Family, friends and runners will take in the views and enjoy the spirit in cheering those to the finish.
- Day pass for The Wave Aqua & Fitness Center to help relax after a job well done!
When this page loaded, the official time was 8:00:51 AM EDT.


text:
Q: $|G|=8$ finite abelian group such that there is only 2 solutions for $x^2=e$ $|G|=8$ finite abelian group such that there is only $2$ solutions for $x^2=e$ , prove $G$ is cyclic.
My try :
Assume that $G$ is not cyclic , since $\forall g\in G : o(g)\in \{1,2,4,8\}$ then $o(g)\ne 8$
The first solution for the equation is $e$ because $e^2=e$
By Cauchy theorem we get that $2|8 \rightarrow \exists c\in G \rightarrow o(c)=2$
If exists another element of order $2$ for example $k\in G$ then we have one more solution which means $k=g$ or $k=e$
so $c$ is unique element of order $2$.
And here I'm stuck , by assumption all remaining elements need to be of order $4$, but if we have an element of order $4$ - say $w$ then $G=\{e,g,w,w^3\}$ and we need another element of order $4$.....
Any clues ? maybe some easier way to prove it or a contradiction perhaps (I couldn't find one).
Thank you and have a nice day.

A: let $x$ be the unique element of order 2. and $H=<x>$ .
$G/H$ is a group of order 4. we will prove that G/H is cyclic.
if all the elements of $G/H$ have order of 2 or less, then G/H is of the form $\{H,yH,zH,yzH\}$ where $y,z$ are elements of $G$ that are not in $H$. so $y^2$ and $z^2$ are in $H$. none can be equal to $e$ since $x$ is the unique element of order 2, so both of them are equal to $x$ then $y^2=z^2=x$ so $(yz)^2=e$ then $yz=x$ thus $y=z$ contradiction.
then $G/H$ has an element of order 4 which proves the existence of an element $y$ in $G$ such that $yH$ has order 4 in $G/H$ thus $y^4=x$($y^4$ cannot be equal to e since we will have $y^2=e$ or $y^2=x$ which both give $yH$ is of order 2 in $G/H$ contradiction   ) so $y$ has order 8 in G. which means G is cyclic

A: Let $\displaystyle G=\{e,a_{1} ,a_{2} ,\cdots ,a_{7} \}$ be a finite abelian group of order $\displaystyle 8$. There must exist an element of order $\displaystyle 2$. WLOG, let $\displaystyle o( a_{1}) =2$.
Solutions to $\displaystyle x^{2} =e$ are $\displaystyle x=e$ and $\displaystyle x=a_{1}$ only.$\tag A$
Suppose on the contrary that $\displaystyle G$ is not cyclic and so by Lagrange's theorem: $\displaystyle o( a_{i}) \in \{1,2,4\}\ $for all $\displaystyle i\in \{1,2,3,...,7\}$. Note that $\displaystyle o( a_{i}) \neq 2,1$ for any $\displaystyle i\geq 2$. Because that will contradict our $\displaystyle ( A) .$
It follows that $\displaystyle o( a_{i}) =4$ for all $\displaystyle i\geq 2$. Given any $\displaystyle i\geq 2$ (say $\displaystyle a_{2}$ WLOG as G is abelian), we have $\displaystyle a_{2} ,a_{2}^{2} ,a_{2}^{3}$ as distinct. Note that $\displaystyle o\left( a_{2}^{2}\right) =2$ and so $\displaystyle a_{2}^{2} =a_{1}$ and the similar idea gives $\displaystyle a_{i}^{2} =a_{1}$ for all $\displaystyle i$.
Now for any $\displaystyle j,k\geq 2$(say $\displaystyle j=2,\ k=3$ for example): $\displaystyle |\langle a_{2} \rangle \langle a_{3} \rangle |=\frac{16}{|\langle a_{2} \rangle \cap \langle a_{3} \rangle |}$
Now here: denominator can't be $\displaystyle 1$ as $ $$\displaystyle \langle a_{2} \rangle \langle a_{3} \rangle $ is subset of $\displaystyle G$.
If the denominator is $\displaystyle 2$ then it follows that: $\displaystyle a_{2} ,a_{2}^{3} ,a_{3}^{3} ,a_{3}$ are distinct and that $\displaystyle \left( a_{3}^{3}\right)^{2} =a_{3}^{2} =e$, which contradicts $\displaystyle ( A)$. So now denominator must be $\displaystyle 4$ that is, $\displaystyle \langle a_{j} \rangle =\langle a_{i} \rangle $ for all $\displaystyle i\geq j\geq 2$. Following this, $\displaystyle G$ should have $\displaystyle 1+1+2=4$ elements only.
But this is also not possible as $\displaystyle G$ has $\displaystyle 8$ elements.
Therefore, by contradiction $\displaystyle G$ must be cyclic.

A: Suppose that an abelian group $G$ is not cyclic and has exactly one element $x$ of order 2.
Then there are 6 elements of order 4 in $G$, and for each element $y$ of order 4, so is $y^3$, and $(y^3)^3=y$. So from this it follows that the order-4 elements can be written $\{a,a^3,b,b^3,c,c^3\}$, for some $a,b,c$.
As $y^2$ is of order 2 for $y$ that is order 4, and there is exactly one order-2 element in $G$, it follows that $y^2=x$ for each such $y$ that is of order 4. So $a^2=b^2=c^2=x$ for $a,b,c$ as above.
Now, $a^2=x$ gives $ab \not = a^2 = x$, and in particular $ab\not=x$. But then $(ab)^2=abab=a^2b^2 = x^2=e$, which implies $ab$ of order-2, contradicting that $x$ is the only order-2 element of $G$. So we arrive at a contradiction. Thus $G$ must indeed be cyclic if $G$ is abelian, of order 8, and has exactly one element of order 2.
There are however nonabelian groups $G$ of order 8 and
with exactly one element of order 2 though. Consider the following group $G$, generated by 3 elements $a,b,c$: The set of elements of $G$ are $\{e,a,b,c,x,a^3,b^3,c^3\}$, and the following relations hold:
$a^4=b^4=c^4=e$;
$a^2=b^2=c^2=x$; $e=x^2$; $ab=c$; $ba=c^3$; $ca = b$; $bc=a$; $ba=c^3$; $ac=b^3$; $cb=a^3$.

A: As there are total 5 groups of order 8 in which two are non-abelian and 3 are abelian
i.e.
|G|=8 then G can be Quaternion group$(Q_8)$, or $D_4$ these two are non-abelian groups
and G can be $Z_4+Z_2$ or $Z_2+Z_2+Z_2$ or $Z_8$ these are 3 abelian groups of order 8.
And given that G is abelian and $x^2=e$ has only 2 solutions, that is $|x|=1$ or $|x|=2$
and we know the identity is the only element is of order $1$ in G that means there is a unique element of order 2 in G
so the only possibility of G is $Z_8$ and clearly, this is a finite cyclic group of order 8.
Hence G is a cyclic group.


This variety of Black Snakeroot is slightly shorter and has more a more reddish, bronze coloring to the leaves. The long flower spikes are white with a touch of pink and very fragant. Formerly named Cimicifuga simplex 'Brunette'.


Stonewashed Denim Western Shirt for Men (by Rockmount Ranch Wear) - Canyon Creek Saddlery & Dry Goods Co.
This is it, the essential shirt from the iconic originator of the Western shirt, Rockmount. The Stonewashed Denim shirt is styled with signature Rockmount diamond snaps, sawtooth pockets, and front and back yokes. Hit the trail or put on a tie and head to town. Work in it, play in it. Wash it, wear it, live in it, love it… for a long time. In 100% cotton stonewashed denim, relaxed fit.


"Regarding the resurrection"…those are Jesus' words from Matthew 22 verse 31. He taught about resurrection. He taught clearly and succinctly about the pivotal importance of the resurrection of the dead to the faith of those who would be his disciples. Let's use today's readings to remind ourselves of this critical teaching which has its roots in the very essence of the Old Testament.
I don't know about where you live – but in my corner of the world, Halloween decorations, orange lights and grotesque lawn paraphernalia have become commonplace. When you drive through local towns you see faux cemeteries in front yards with scary fake body parts climbing out of graves, ghosts holding hands and dancing in the wind, or smashed witches on broomsticks crashed into trees. Are there really disembodied spirits floating around our lives – often with evil intent – as these things suggest? I think it is a good time of year to remind our selves (as avid God-seekers) of scriptural teaching on the state of the dead.


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We use sketching to solve problems, tell stories & explain ideas. And we can teach you to do the same.
Find out more, get a free quote, or call us on 1300 SKETCH.
Our talented team of copywriters, illustrators, and animators bring their own unique style to every project, underpinned by our tried-and-tested approach to telling visual stories (we call it our Sketchosophy™). The end result is the best possible visual to get your message heard.
If you have a story to tell, we can bring it to life.
The National Museum of Australia engaged Sketch Group to animate a series of "defining moments" in Australia's history. From the gold rush of the early 1800s to women's suffrage, Australia's good ol' days have never been brought to life with such humour.
It was a beautiful, sunny day to be outside and sketch the Mount Alexander Shire Safety Awareness Field Exercise, teaching primary school children how to be safe around fire, at home, on your bike ... anywhere!
We had loads of fun creating this series of short videos depicting "tradie hacks" for VELCRO®. There are eight hilarious videos in total, showing how different VELCRO® brand products can help tradies be organised, safe, and on top of their tools.
Illustrating the Foster Carer Journey for the Department of Health & Human Services, in association with the Foster Carer's Association of Victoria, is one of the most rewarding projects we've ever tackled.
What can you use a sketch video for?
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SportsDork.com » Blog Archive » NFL Picks, Week 10 -- Philadelphia Eagles Rumors, Commentary, News. NFL Rumors, News. Videogame News.
This entry was posted on Sunday, November 14th, 2010 at 12:54 pm	and is filed under NFL, Sports Betting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
SportsDork.com » Blog Archive » NFL Picks, Week 10 — Philadelphia Eagles Rumors, Commentary, News. NFL Rumors, News. Videogame News.


text:
What do you REALLY expect from ME4 or whatever it ends up being called?
What do you REALLY expect from ME4?
It will be thoroughly underwhelming and the death knell for the franchise
It will be OK but probably not even ME3 good let alone ME2 or ME1 levels.
It will be slightly better than ME3
It will be awesome as it will address all the problems with the current state of the franchise.
I don't really care anymore to be honest
Re: What do you REALLY expect from ME4 or whatever it ends up being called?
by windsurfing on Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:09 am
TurianRebel212 wrote:
Single player???? I could care less to be honest. No Shepard. Me no give 2 shits. Plus.....
The Witcher 3 will give me all the action RPG singleplayer I can handle.
120 hours of it.
Picture BF4 style levolution in ME4
Yeah Witcher 3 cant wait for it!
Location : Restroom, Deck 2, SR2 Normandy
by TurianRebel212 on Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:23 am
windsurfing wrote:
No, no, no Good sir.....
Picture BF4 Gltiches and bugs in ME4..... And nades. Lot.... Of nades
We fight or we die. I choose to be free. I choose to rid the galaxy of monsters. I choose destroy.
TurianRebel212
Location : In the dreamscape.
Egads I get fond memories of Metro BF3! Elevators and the stairs. Ah Nedalicous! Haven't played much BF4 after the Beta but knew it was hella buggy and still is I hear.
If ME4 is the same.... oh dear... hope not.
by Hanako Ikezawa on Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:36 am
Maybe it is because I have the Xbox One version, but I have yet to experience any of these glitches that BF4 seems to be infamous for. As for the grenade spamming, unfortunately that is in every MP with grenades.
Hanako Ikezawa
The Thorian
by Guest on Tue Jan 28, 2014 4:17 pm
Selim Bradley wrote:
I'm not projecting my biases. I'm critiquing so you can make better polls in the future. And I voted because critiquing something without participating could be considered trolling. you even mention how you don't think our words had merit because you thought we didn't vote.
No I know you voted you stated it yourself. The comment about posting per poll option commentary was directed at the other person whom I also quoted in that reply.
Coming back to trolling, apparently you are trolling already because you voted on a poll you complained is highly biased. The right thing would be comment on the nature of the poll and not vote. You intentions are highly suspect. And nope there are 2 positives in the poll.
Like I said thank you for your vote!
Huh? I did vote. I said what I voted for. I picked the one closest to my opinion.
It's still a biased poll. Anyone with any experience in that would tell you. Doesn't mean it is automatically bad for a forum, or not fun to do and see the results of (it's not like I'm asking you to wipe it away), but it is biased, when you go:
-Horrible
-Okay but worse than (compares to another game which is also viewed subjectively)
-Slightly better than (compares to another game which is also viewed subjectively)
-Very best ("Address ALL the problems" "Awesome")
-Don't care
That's like, a Biased Poll 101 case example lol. It doesn't mean I hate it. It at least clearly lays out your biases so it isn't like its tricking anyone (which is one of the main concerns with these things), so I don't have some axe to grind.
When I posted commentary, that was me explaining my position on each option, because I was thinking it through. I thought I might as well describe what I considered of each, if I was going to put that much effort into it.
by Rifneno on Wed Jan 29, 2014 1:05 pm
I don't know. I really don't. The "no moar Shepard" stuff doesn't bother me in the very least because everything they said about ME3 was lies. Even ME2, they just responded to every question about Shepard's return with "Shepard is dead." after releasing a trailer showing the prologue up until Shepard's death and no hint of Project Lazarus. I also find it very conspicuous that they only say "no more Shepard" and never say "no more Reapers." The Reapers are around in more endings than Shepard.
On the other hand, I've been here for every "omg this is it this is the reveal omg omg" and I'm not going to set my hopes up to be dashed again. Especially since this game is supposedly being developed by the same retards that gave us volus mercenaries and awakening collectors.
All I know is that I'll find it either the worst thing since Justin Bieber's birth, or the best thing since sex, with no in between. Either it's an IT reveal and continuation or it's not. So it's either incredible or a miserable failure.
by DoomsdayDevice on Wed Jan 29, 2014 2:47 pm
SwobyJ wrote: That's like, a Biased Poll 101 case example lol.
Yeah, I have to agree with this, Windsurfing. It's really biased.
That said, I didn't really care and voted what came closest.
Also, kill me if you like, but for me, it's:
ME3>ME2>ME1
People need to quit bitching about the poll being "biased." Biased wording on polls only matters when the pollees don't have a strong opinion. Everyone here has one about this. It doesn't make any difference, it almost certainly wasn't on purpose, and it's not even a heavy bias. Can we stop QQ'ing about the wording now?
by Eryri on Wed Jan 29, 2014 3:27 pm
Rifneno wrote:
Same here. I'll either love it (IT revealed, hooray!) or loathe it (if the insultingly stupid Crucible magic is revealed as having actually "happened"). I guess those two average out to apathy, so option 5 it is then.
Eryri wrote: Same here. I'll either love it (IT revealed, hooray!) or loathe it (if the insultingly stupid Crucible magic is revealed as having actually "happened").
Haha, oh boy... I can see it before me now. If we get a game where the Crucible magic "actually happened", it'll turn all IT-ers into CW theorists. "None of this can be real! We must be inside a Reaper simulation!" We'll be the laughing stock like never before.
biowar pls
by TurianRebel212 on Wed Jan 29, 2014 6:05 pm
Selim Bradley wrote: Maybe it is because I have the Xbox One version, but I have yet to experience any of these glitches that BF4 seems to be infamous for. As for the grenade spamming, unfortunately that is in every MP with grenades.
Your on xbox one too..... we should squad up one of these days. PM me if u want.
by Dwailing on Wed Jan 29, 2014 8:47 pm
I'm probably the odd man out here (besides maybe Selim), but I don't think I'll hate ME:Next if it doesn't use IT. That said, I also get the feeling that whatever they do they'll either retcon the Hell out of ME3 or they'll just be so vague about it that we'll never know exactly what happened beyond that the Reapers were destroyed and the galaxy got back to (relative) normal. Personally, I'm fine with either of those options, since they at least mean that we'll never be forced to believe that Synthesis was *shudders* real. Of course, I know that this opinion won't be shared by everyone, and I'm fine with that as well. Just figured I should share my two cents on the issue.
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Location : Awaiting ME4 news in Louisville, KY
by Hanako Ikezawa on Wed Jan 29, 2014 10:32 pm
Dwailing wrote:
Yeah. And like you said, it'd vague enough so nobody really knows what happened except that thanks to Shepard the Reapers were defeated. Whether in literal endings, IT, CW, whatever, it's blank enough that all interpretations are valid because any of them could have happened. We just never got to see it.
Yes I am. I haven't played BF4 much due to playing the DA games again, but I'll keep the offer in mind.
by Rifneno on Thu Jan 30, 2014 11:35 am
Selim Bradley wrote: Yeah. And like you said, it'd vague enough so nobody really knows what happened except that thanks to Shepard the Reapers were defeated. Whether in literal endings, IT, CW, whatever, it's blank enough that all interpretations are valid because any of them could have happened. We just never got to see it.
by Hanako Ikezawa on Thu Jan 30, 2014 12:09 pm
I was under the impression that after Shepard breaks the indoctrination attempt, they will lead the galaxy to victory against the Reapers. Are you saying this is not the case?
by Rifneno on Mon Feb 03, 2014 3:02 pm
You think that'll be an off-screen event? That's the worst idea I've ever heard in my life. Regardless, each literal and IT leave vastly different galaxies. One has only a sick borg abomination surviving with no other forms of life. One has the galaxy being policed by a vast fleet of immortal monsters. One has all synthetic life destroyed. One has every known race being destroyed and a future cycle being in charge of the galaxy. One has the Reapers still alive and possibly the hero of the galaxy is indoctrinated.
These aren't things you can leave vague. These are events that change the races that exist, one of them basically rewrites the way reality works. You can't just fast forward a few hundred or thousand years and it all be relatively the same. A sequel CANNOT be done without canonizing an ending.
by dorktainian on Mon Feb 03, 2014 3:20 pm
for once i agree with Rif. A Sequel cannot be done without canonizing one of the endings.
by Guest on Mon Feb 03, 2014 3:40 pm
Destroy will be the closest to canon. I'm ready for many dead Reapers.
I just think that the other choices will lead to related things (not direct control over Reapers, and not green lines) that fit their path, but also reveal what Shepard was going through. Consider that the 'barely reward' people are getting for choosing that, instead of going Destroy and, you know, keeping Shepard himself going.
But yes, they mentioned Destroy enough in certain ways in their own content, and even really sold the idea of it throughout their visual designs (even with the game's cover art), too much to just go "LOL no, Synthesis was really really the best for ME3. Really really. For reals."
I only don't think that they'll go 'instant game over' for those picking Control or Synth. I'd predict more of a 'Saved the Collector Base' result in tone, except significantly more plot-important this time around.
Bioware seemed to want a lot of players to outright assume and/or sincerely believe that 'Shepard' is dead, so yeah, I think that'll be used as a plot thingy.
But all Reapers being controlled or merged with organic life? LOL not gonna happen. At least not in whatever Citadel/London rubble that Shepard breathes in at :)
by FreewheelinDylan on Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:13 pm
It's going to be what Atlantis is to SG-1.
You'll have a few lovable characters but the difference in quality/dynamics is going to much more different. At some level, they're going to have cheesy references and silly plot points.
No matter how rough it gets or how much they try to outdo the original trilogy, we'll always say....ehh, Shepard faced worse.
Final verdict: An 8/10 type game compared to a 9 or 10.
FreewheelinDylan
Pod Crab
by noobcannon on Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:49 pm
Mass Effect: Control
"You thought you were so special? Better than everyone else outside this room? You traded your freedom for the luxury of feeling superior. You accepted the group's will over your own conviction, no matter who you hurt. You thought you were just "going along for the ride", and you could just walk away at any moment. But where were you heading? How far would you have gone?"
noobcannon
Geth Rocket Trooper
by Restrider on Sun Feb 09, 2014 11:37 am
I'll chime in and add that I am now in the situation that I do not expect anything really. Thus, everything more than a brainless shooter would actually be a positive surprise for me.
However, I am not sure if some sort of media/PR hype might influence me before the launch of ME4. But the ME3 SNAFU might mitigate these effects.
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by TurianRebel212 on Sun Feb 09, 2014 11:45 am
It's EA..... The hype train and PR will be on full swing.
Probably something like- 'Only in Mass Effect' with lame ass "gamers" talking in front of tv about how great their Mass Effect 4 'experience' is.
But really this is the truth-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euIbM2KIrLk
"a brainless shooter" nah bro, that'll just be the Multiplayer of ME4. The single player will be a Brainless shooter with light RPG elements, auto dialogue, and cerberus as the main enemy....
by Guest on Sun Feb 09, 2014 6:53 pm
I wanted something in between "It will be thoroughly underwhelming and the death knell for the franchise" and "It will be OK but probably not even ME3 good let alone ME2 or ME1 levels," but I ended up going with the first one. IDK, I'm open to being wrong, but I just can't get myself hyped for anything that other people are asking for (playing multiple races, exploration, etc.). For me, the disappointing shadow of Shepard's trilogy will always be there reminding me of the wasted potential and discouraging me from really getting immersed in any other story they have to offer. le sigh.
by Hanako Ikezawa on Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:25 am
I never said I liked the idea. I just said it is an option that is available.
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Father writes brutal résumé for his millennial daughter
By Holly Richards| 2 years ago
A UK dad threw some serious shade at his teenage daughter by writing a brutal resume for her.
Lauren Moore's father, Ian Guest, penned the hilarious CV, listing the 16-year-old's skills as "lazy", "late", "rude", "couldn't give a f—k".
The North Yorkshire school girl tweeted the resume -- which went viral in August this year -- along with the caption, "Remind me not to let my dad do my CV for me."
The CV this dad created for his daughter was less than flattering. (Twitter)
Her father listed her results for General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) subjects finance and French as "FAIL".
The cheeky dad listed his daughter's work experience as "office assistant" at "Ian Guest's Mortgage Advice Service".
Mr Guest said her key responsibilities and duties were, "not listening", "browsing Facebook", "losing all documentation", and "giving out all clients information to fraudsters".
Meanwhile, her references consisted of "Ben Dover", a "probation officer".
But he warned, "DON'T CONTACT HIM, HE DOESN'T GIVE A F—K EITHER".
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Miss Moore's friends on Twitter found the CV hilarious, although some questioned why she also posted all of her personal details to social media along with the paperwork.
"I'm screaming," one friend Tweeted.
Meanwhile, other friends described her father as a "lad" and a "boyo".
In a reply to one of the Tweets, Miss Moore suggested her father was "trying to get on my good side by being unfunny".
However, according to The Sun, it seems Miss Moore's father's tactic worked as reverse psychology!
The newspaper has reported the school leaver, who wants to be a nurse one day, passed all of her exams.
She collected her GCSEs in English Language, grade 4, English Literature, grade 4, Fine Art, grade 5, General Studies, grade C and Maths at a grade 4.
"I asked my dad for help and he surprised me with that CV," she told The Sun.
"I found it funny, we get on really well and we're really close... He is just sarcastic, I was looking for just a small job and asked for some help.
"All my friends thought it was funny, they all think my dad's weird."
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text:
Texas Christian University› Bob Schieffer College of Communication› Journalism› News› Thomason Retiring After 35 Years at TCU
Thomason Retiring After 35 Years at TCU
By Desaray Hickombottom, Communication Studies major, Class of 2020
A photo of TCU Journalism Professor Tommy Thomason in 1996.
Tommy Thomason, a Journalism professor and the director of the Texas Center for Community Journalism, is retiring after 35 years at TCU.
During his time in the Schieffer College, Thomason has taught a number of courses including Media Writing & Editing; Public Affairs Reporting; and Issues in News.
Before joining the faculty at TCU, he served as a journalist with the Associated Press and worked in public relations in Dallas.
When asked what his favorite TCU memory has been, Thomason said, "it's not one memory, as it's just thousands of interactions with students. Especially with students that come back after graduation and tell me how what we did in the classroom made a real impact on their lives."
Thomason said that he recently hosted a conference with a New York Times journalist who was his own student several years ago.
"Moments like that make you realize that you're investing your life in people," he said. "When I look back it's not remembering some great award, it's the faces of students who've came back and thanked me for how much I've made a difference in their lives."
After Thomason retires, he plans to travel with his wife.
"I have deliberately tried to hold off making specific plans because I don't want to enter retirement with a to do list," he said.
He also said he realizes traveling will only last for a few months, but he has the choice of teaching part time or going back into journalism.
"It's really funny because I've been getting job offers from newspapers throughout Texas," he said. "I've turned them all down, but told them to ask again in six months."
A headshot of TCU Journalism Professor Tommy Thomason in 2012.
When asked about his legacy at TCU will be, Thomason said, "I don't want to leave a plaque or anything like that. My legacy is in the lives of my students who are doing journalism throughout the United States. If I've made a difference in their lives, then that's what's important to me."
His students are the main thing he will miss about TCU.
"I can come back and visit the buildings, I can call up my colleagues, but these students will be scattered to the four winds and the experience you get from teaching students is exciting and what I'm going to miss the most."
Experience TCU
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