#if they do one ep each week and pc ep is like once every 3 week.... rip to my mental health

[spicypussywave]

i wonder how they plan on airing perfect10 liners

[daisy--sorbet]

heyyy, hope you’re having a good night!! if you have the energy and feel okay answering, what’s up w taz graduation? i haven’t checked it out yet but i was thinking ab it. just asking bc you’re the first person i saw talk ab the show having serious issues, but also feel free to not answer this!! hope you have a good week!

i took a nice hot bath, had a strawberry kiwi capri-sun, and did a nice face mask and i’m feeling pretty good - so, y’know what anon? let’s talk about it. 

for anyone who likes taz grad who sees this post: it’ll be tagged with “taz grad hate” (although i feel hate is definitely a very strong word - it’s for the simplicity of tagging it) - so please block the tag if you don’t want to see this post (especially because i put a readmore on a post before and it didn’t show up on mobile and instead gave the full post). mobile tumblr has a tag blocking system, so please feel free to use it! i don’t mind haha

anyway, so this is... probably going to be a lost post, and i wanna go ahead and preface it: this absolutely isn’t any hate on the mcelroys themselves. i love the brothers and their dad a lot, and while i doubt any of them would ever see this (or have it sent to them, or shown to them, because im pretty sure they try to distance themselves from this sort of thing), i just want to make it clear that criticizing a product is different than bashing a person. which brings me to the point of if i do end up sounding as if im bashing someone - please call me out on it! it’s not my intention to target anyone.

with that said, let’s talk about this campaign.

so my problems are as thus: the railroading, the shipping (a fandom problem, but it’s present in the podcast), the NPCs, and some misc problems others have addressed better than i have.

which. i know. that’s basically the entire podcast. (i promise i’ll bring up some positive points to balance it all out). keep in mind i’ve only personally listened to... what, six episodes? and it was enough for me to drop it. some people dropped it first ep, some dropped it ep four, and others are still forcing themselves to listen.

the railroading

there was a time i could handle travis and his railroading [making sure the story goes exactly the way he has planned], because it was the very beginning of the podcast and that’s what you can kind of expect from a plot-heavy podcast. hell, i wouldn’t mind it if the interactions and goofs weren’t a huge part of why i listen to TAZ in particular (which, by the way, is why amnesty still stuck out to me - even if there was a direction griffin wanted to push them towards, the interactions between the players (or players and npcs) made up for any railroading). it’s kind of hard to not railroad a little when it’s story-heavy and you’re trying to built up a world that you’ve put a lot of thought into. however, a huge part of d&d is the spontaneity. 

it’s kind of why i think balance was so popular. while there was railroading towards the end, there was the presence of improv that made it all good. most mcelroy content is enjoyed because of the goofs. the magic brian moment is memorable. the jenkin’s fight still stands out because it was funny (albeit a result of some bad rolls). the boys teasing angus sticks out because the four would play well off of each other. even without that - griffin had talked about how he had to roll with things (the fact he had planned for a fight atop the train, but ditched the idea for what his family members came up with instead). even in amnesty, a couple moments that stick out to me still are ned with the jetpack taking out a pizza hut sign, and the scene with the water where jake was trapped inside. they aren’t as fun, but they still stand out as “things i didnt expect to really end the way they did.”

with grad, it’s just. one after another. the thundermen want to subpoena a xorn? cool, let’s run with that until actually the xorn gets fed rocks and goes home and who cares about the subpoena now. fitzroy wants to keep his cloak? lets talk about it for a while and you also get no rolls to even try to keep it. fitzroy goes to meet higglemas in his office? oh, why are you here fitzroy? im going to keep asking you until you answer fitzroy? you arent getting out of this scene until you answer me, fitzroy, so just tell me why you’re here already, alright, fitzroy? 

and even later in a episode i read a transcript of: hey argo, remember how you have this whole secret motivation? fuck you, im gonna talk about it here in your dream and reveal it to listeners and remove any tension you had building up, and you dont get a choice to talk about it because this all-knowing villain knows all about it :)

and even NOW in the latest episode, there’s a comment that “we should cap argo’s skills here” instead of just... making the checks higher. rogues are good at certain things and usually arent the best in battles. better hope argo never makes it to level 11, because who knows how people are gonna handle the fact that he gets a skill that’ll make it so certain skills can’t have a roll below 10 (reliable talent). 

(griffin, thankfully, calls travis out for that, but still - travis, why would you even imply that, considering you should be aware of how rogues work considering magnus multiclassed into rogue and you played one on tiny heist?)

and in the newest episode, their Big Bad chaos (which, god, i personally hate that name) straight-out says “dont do this” to the thundermen. travis tries to say, on twitter, “a character saying “dont do this” is different than me saying it” but i need to point out that it’s one thing if you’ve said “no” in character but worked with the PCs doing otherwise, but the railroading says differently.

the shipping

ill try to make this quick, because it’s nothing to do with the fandom (ship however you want, man) - but i really feel the need to draw attention to this.

fitzroy, as confirmed by griffin in a ttazz episode, is asexual. not aroace, but ace nonetheless. and i find it... troublesome that the idea of rainer and fitzroy having a relationship is still pushed nonetheless, despite the fact that fitzroy (to my knowledge) was never once shown to reciprocate any feelings. not to be that person, but i really hope that grad doesnt have any sort of romantic relationships in it (at least - not between NPCs and PCs unless they’re actually like... warranted?). 

i dont know, man. one of my closest friends is ace, and i know she wants a relationship, but i think it would reassure her a lot to see an ace character who isn’t pushed into one in case she ever changes her mind. someone once mentioned that they hope fi/tz/ra/in doesnt happen because theres relationships that have that “oh, you can just date” and it goes upwards there to “oh, you can have sex just to please them <3″  (which, to be honest, is kind of a gross mindset - if someone isnt interested, they arent interested).

also, uh, the TTAZZ where griffin states this, there’s kind of the mention tht the whole sexuality question was posed in relation to the episode “creative thinking” (the dream one i mentioned earlier) - which. uh. i don’t know if anyone caught this, but... rainer straight-up wrote fitzroy a letter in the dream like “are you going to accept my proposal? a girl doesn’t like to be left waiting” which. leaves me with some gross feelings because uh.

if... if the whole thing about fitzroys sexual orientation was addressed here, then why would you push your ship anyway? feels kinda iffy, man.

to which i want to say: fitzroy can date. he’s allowed to date. griffins allowed to do whatever he wants with his character. but when a lot of the flirting is met with nothing, i’m not gonna see the chemistry there. just because travis ships it doesn’t mean it’s canon.

the npcs

ah yes. lets talk about the npcs.

there’s... a lot. a lot a lot. i think travis trimmed down how many were present in a scene, but uh. there’s still a lot. and... uh... i kinda wish there wasn’t?

look, i know im going back to balance/amnesty, but just. hang in there for a moment. chill with me. vibe. 

balance didnt have too many NPCs present at all times in each mini-arc. gerblins had some big names like barry, klarg, gundren, killian, yeemick, and magic brian. rockport limited had angus, jess, graham the juicy wizard jenkins, and all of the tom bodetts mentioned. 

amnestys first arc had mama, barclay, jake, dani, pigeon, kirby, minerva, and that was about it for like. big names? and not all of them were present in each scene. 

in the first episode of grad alone: gary, hernandez, jimson, rolandus, zana, rhodes, buckminster eden, rainer, leon, tomas, hieronymous, higglemas, stuart, jackle, bartholomeus, mulligan, groundsy, germaine/victoria/rattles (the skeleton crew). and those are the ones i wrote down (minus groundsy, who i just. ignores. idk him).

like holy shit, my english prof got onto me for having too many characters in my first chapter and i didnt even have half the amount listed there! 

it’s just a huge cast. does this take place in a school? yes! theres bound to be a lot of students present - but you don’t have to name every single one of them, at least not in the first episode!

the miscellaneous

i don’t know if travis ever actually addressed it, but wheelchair users have actually like... said that rainer’s introduction bothered them, because she was like “please ask me abt my wheelchair :)” when travis saying she was in an ornate chair would have sufficed. 

uh. the colonization vibes people have discussed within the centaur arc. mentioned here, the replies here, and this post (and its replies) here as well.

the overall lack of d&d when the campaign was kind of advertised as a return to d&d if i remember correctly

also no one seems to be taking literally any criticism at all which like. ignoring the petty shit, sure, but people have stopped donating to taz and their listener-ship must have dropped some during this entire time - you’d think that maybe someone could say “we need to find out why people dont like the thing and fix the thing” consider this is. yknow. their livelihood.

anyway uhhh 

tl;dr: travis railroads way too much (even now), the shipping in-game has become pushy and gross (especially bc its shoving a relationship onto an asexual character), theres too many npcs that dont stand out well enough, and no ones taking any criticism about the major issues with grad. 

[always-la-belle-epoque]

hi what is mash and why do you love it so much because i need to know if i need to love it too thanks

Hello, anon! It took a bit because I wanted to put time into my answers, so here you are! 

What Is M*A*S*H: 

M*A*S*H is a tv show about doctors/nurses stationed at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M*A*S*H) unit on the frontlines of the Korean War. The show focuses on the medical staff as they desperately try to save the lives of young soldiers. Many of the doctors are draftees and they are faced with trying to cope with the horror of a war they want no part of and that is the absolute antithesis to their professional calling. They fight against death every day, struggle against military bureaucracy, and try to keep their sanity. Often that deep stress is released in humor, practical jokes, and wildly unmilitary antics, but the true costs and realities of war are never treated lightly. I’ve never seen another show that can make me laugh so hard and then turn on a dime to make me cry just as deeply a second later. The show is a beautiful examination of human nature, heart, found family, loss, helplessness, despair, exhaustion, humanity, and hope,. 

M*A*S*H ran for 11 years, from 1972-1983 and the finale, Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, is still the most-watched television broadcast in history (the NYC sewer nearly faced collapse because people would all flush the toilet at the same time during commercials, and the streets were totally empty of cars as over half the country, 150+ mil people, watched the finale live together all at the same time. Can you imagine?!). Plus, it’s been in continuous syndication for 45 years which is impressive. M*A*S*H is for all generations, it resonates far beyond the era in which it was made, or which it was made about.

Why Do I Love M*A*S*H So Much (in general):

I don’t think there is another show out there in the history of the world that has written such narratively wonderful, deeply moving character arcs. I don’t know if there’s another show out there where the characters grow so much from their relationships with one another. Or a show that depicts masculinity in such a healthy, tender way. It is normal on M*A*S*H for male characters to: Cry. Hug. Tuck each other in. Hold hands. Perform emotional labor. Actively listen. Dance together. Sleep with teddy bears (and not have it be a joke). Admit they were wrong. Change and grow from being wrong. Etc, etc. 

And while Major Margaret Houlihan is the only female lead, her character arc is the most beautiful of any character I have ever watched or read. The show doesn’t start out particularly feminist, but it definitely ends that way (both male and female characters evolve here and it’s wonderful). And if more tv shows had characters half as complex as Margaret Houlihan, tv would be a whole lot more interesting, and women would be a whole lot farther along toward equality, imo. 

Why Do I Love M*A*S*H So Much (the personal): 

I was 15 or 16 when I started watching M*A*S*H. I was going through a very dark time in my home life. But my Mom would usually have M*A*S*H on while making dinner or just after. It was their weird time of day where it seemed like a truce between us. Sometimes I’d even sit all 5’8 of my gangly teenage body on her lap and we’d just watch like that with her arms around me (which given that things were darkly terrible the rest of the time it was like being a small kid again in a way I really needed). We’d talk about the characters. We’d talk about the stories. We both loved Margaret Houlihan (it’s interesting that Margaret has the most valuable traits I learned from my Mom - things I like most about her and am grateful she taught me despite all the bad stuff). 

Soon I was racing home after school and jamming in a blank VHS so that I could record each ep. I’d cross reference between tv guide and IMDB to try to see if any eps that I hadn’t seen yet would be on so I could record them for my collection. I made an elaborate cataloging system because they weren’t shown in order! And some eps were shown only rarely!! (I’m only 28, it amazes me that this was how things were not that long ago lol). 

Anyway, the DVD box set came out and I saved up alllllll my $ for it. Thank goodness, because then I got sick and for a few years the M*A*S*H characters were the most consistent and truest friends I had. The show is deeply personal for me. I can watch it over, and over, and over. It makes me laugh, and weep, and cheer. It’s like having friends. Like having family. 

Should You Love M*A*S*H too?

I want you to love M*A*S*H. I want everyone to love M*A*S*H! And M*A*S*H holds up. It’s still radically progressive. It’s still - in this time where North Korea is a frequent headline, where we have a government we do not trust, in a world where we have been at war since 2001 - deeply relevant. 

Here’s the thing though: it was made in the 70s, about events in the 1950s, and this is 2019 tumblr-land. You’ve all read the roasts about lack of critical thinking skills on this website and ability to contextualize, and those posts are unfortunately not wrong. And the world has changed - and changed for even better than what was, at the time, truly radical! Even terms that were the liberal, pc term in the 70s have changed now and are not liberal or pc anymore which for the 2019 watcher might raise eyebrows. But the show is extremely pointed about calling out racism, homophobia, sexism, military fetishism, colonization, etc. I think maybe the only other show I can think of that goes so hard at dogged and relentless political call outs would be One Day at a Time. So I feel protective of M*A*S*H because in 50 years maybe we will look back at ODaaT and say yikes about certain things, though that feels crazy to say now. 

If you do want to watch, here’s my advice (pull down your pants and slide on the ice (sorry, omg M*A*S*H jokeee)): 

Do not start with S1. Start with S4, or S5 even. For one thing, there are some cast changes at the start of S4 so you get intro-ed to everyone again in “Welcome to Korea pt 1 & 2” and “Change of Command.”  It’s a really good starting point to see a lot of characters on the brink of change. Don’t get me wrong, I still really love S1-3 but the characters haven’t grown yet. I love going back because I know them so well, but if you’re just meeting them, I recommend getting to know them in the middle of their journey, watch them evolve, and then go back and see where they started. And I think Col. Potter/BJ really elevated the tone of the show.

Because M*A*S*H is an older tv show, most people who love M*A*S*H never watched the show in order because we could only watched it in syndication! And you don’t really need to watch in order! In fact, CBS had the final call for episode order so sometimes even the air order is different than the writing, filming, intended order. Also, because they had 11 years of content over a 3 years of war, the show itself isn’t chronological. Due to probability (there are just more Potter/BJ eps) I saw more S4+ eps when I was first watching the show so again that’s my newbie preference. Now that it’s on Hulu (and remastered OMG) it might be tempting to watch in order, but really do recommend skipping around or at least starting later in for sure. You’ll learn context as you go (recs below). Then once you get the characters and their arcs it’s suuuuper fascinating to watch in order. 

 Fight me: Is everyone bisexual on this show??! Yes, yes they are. This is where I go full 2019 tumblr-brain, lol, but looking back I think it’s one of the reasons I loved it before I understood myself. It’s gentle, tender, pretty wavy. Alan Alda’s Hawkeye Pierce is, like, arguably canonically bi, like I even wonder if he was intentionally written/played that way on the dl. It’s pretty blatant?? And don’t even get me started on Margaret Houlihan. Godddddddd. 

 On that note, and maybe you will fall over, but Margaret and Hawkeye are my actual, #1, forever OTP. Which is weird for you, dear readers, I’m sure, as I run a v strict wlw blog and I’m very proud about that. But broken people who heal and change and grow because of the other is my tea, jam, and bread (”crackers and jam! too bad!” ;) ),  and so far the writing of other characters and relationships hasn’t a hope of even coming into the range of depth these characters have (obvs not just wlw ships, all other mlw ships are The Worst as well, we’re all doomed, why does tv suck). But anyway, I would take them over any ship any day of the week goombye (but also….shipping Margaret is kinda like….not the point of Margaret Houlihan). 

It’s worth noting that M*A*S*H has a character named Maxwell Klinger who wears a dress to try to get out of the army via a Section 8 (previously known as a “psycho”) discharge (remember lgbtq was still classified as a mental illness, smh). Obviously, this is potentially triggering. And, obviously, not okay in today’s world. To me the show does call out that it is the policies/laws/politics that are crazy, not Klinger. I think there are still some fairly modern ideas in his portrayal in that anyone who treats him like he is crazy, or is disrespectful, is very pointedly shown to be bigoted/an antagonist. Klinger is excellent at his job, brave, loyal, true, and that’s all anyone who is a protagonist cares about (and I do think they try to show to the extend they could during the time it aired that even if Klinger were not doing it for a discharge, they would respond the same way). Fwif, imo, Klinger isn’t played as a one note joke for wearing dresses, in fact, to an extent, he does wear them utterly sincerely. He loves, deeply loves, clothes and fashion because loving something gives him something to live for. It becomes his passion, not a gag. The gag is that Klinger will do anything to get out of the war through any available loophole he hears about (having an imaginary pet camel, eating 10 sausages in a single day, eating a jeep, trying to get into West Point aka join the military to get out of the military), etc. His comrades in arms treat him very sincerely and are very protective. Early on, a jeep comes in with wounded and Radar pulls Klinger away from the blood, “careful, you’ll get your dress dirty” in the most serious, sweet way. Col Potter is always very serious and sincere about telling Klinger when one of his dresses is a fav, and Klinger positively glows. When Klinger has to trade his dress collection to local women in exchange for shelter for the wounded during a bug out, Col. Potter, regular army in his 3rd war, tells Klinger (who is in tears) that it’s the finest act of bravery he has ever seen (and he means it). When Margaret desperately wants to look pretty and Klinger pulls out one of his best frocks and helps her dress in it - Margaret who grew up in combat boots wanting a crew cut - it’s pretty emotional (and I bawl when he gives her the wedding dress, goddd). As for Klinger himself, he’s one of my favorite characters. He has the biggest heart and I love him (and yes, I might feel differently if I had a different life experience than I do - that is why I’m flagging this as something that might not be for everyone, or might be trigger - because history already is triggering, and not everyone might be as moved by him as I am).

If you’re a 30 Rock fan you will know the star Alan Alda as Milton Greeen, Jack Donaghy’s father, and if you love Beauty and the Beast you will know that the actor who voiced Cogsworth is a major (lol pun) character in S6-11! But that’s all crazy to me because they are always M*A*S*H, first and forever, and always in my mind! I can’t believe they’re all in their 80s now, or that so many of them have passed.  :( They are truly my whole heart, my family, my home. 

If you do want to watch, recommend you start with the following eps (omg this list is long but it feels so short):

Welcome to Korea pt 1 + 2 (s4)

Change of Command (s4)

Aid Station (s3)

Death Takes a Holiday (s9)

Carry on, Hawkeye (s2)

Bug Out pt 1 + 2 (s5)

Dear Sigmund (s5)

Period of Adjustment (s8) *my first ep ever :,)

The Bus (s4)

Sometimes You Hear the Bullet (s1)

Tuttle (s1)

Crisis (s2)

O.R. (s3)

5 O'Clock Charlie (s2)

The Nurses (s5)

The Interview (s4)

Movie Tonight (s5)

Abyssinia, Henry (s3)

Hepatitis (s5)

Your Hit Parade (s6)

Peace on Us (s7)

Eye for a Tooth (s7)

Old Soldiers (s8)

Life Time (s8)

Stars and Stripes (s8)

Hey, Look Me Over (s11)

There’s a million more things I could say about the show. I feel like I haven’t summarized it justly. If anyone wants to chime in with why they love M*A*S*H, what your fav ep is, etc, please do :)

[annakie]

An Annotated Mass Effect Playthrough, Part Six

Wherein we get out into space and explore a bit, and complete our crew.

And post a lot of gifs, because screenshots were lost.

List of Posts: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

So I use the NVidia Control Panel app to take screenshots and videos.  Since it’s already running and it takes good shots it seems dumb to not use it.

I ended up being super busy this week and didn’t play much, just got through like, talking to Kaidan after the big speech on the bridge more or less for the entire week, and through Therum.  I updated my drivers a day or two ago.  And then I didn’t notice that for whatever reason, yesterday when I went to play for a few hours, NVidia decided to record videos just fine, but not take screenshots.  I probably actually mashed the button several hundred times.... but all I got were videos.

Most of it wasn’t a great loss, it was a lot of talking to the crew, and a few planetary missions which... so I’m going to have to go back and redo some of it later for screenshots.

But I thought... hey, for posting on tumblr, I’ll just make it a shorter update and make a few gifs and most this a mostly-gif post!  That’ll be fun!

...and then I spent several hours making almost 80 gifs, including a lot of what I also had screenshots for but thought making gifs would be more fun.  

I mean I was watching the last few eps of the newest season of Great British Bake Off on Netflix, and a few other shows this morning so it wasn’t just gif time... but yeah I made a lot.  So I might split this into two posts now because... that’s a lot of gifs. This post will still have a lot of screenshots, too.  So here we go!

There are so many things to love about this moment.  It’s such a great like, re-launch of the game... Bioware telling us “Okay, now you know the plot, you know all the major players, you know a lot about our world (galaxy) and how it works and who lives here, now, it’s time for you to go out on your own.”

First, it starts with being able to vent a little to Joker, which is a nice touch.  Shepard might feel guilty about taking the ship over from Anderson, but Joker also assures us here, a great preview of the way he’s tasked with helping Shepard keep it together in ME3.

I love seeing Shepard’s words affect the crew.  The swelling music, the same as the “you’re a Spectre now!!” music just underscores the journey, and what’s to come.

I used to always miss this scene by not picking the right speech option, and would be mad Kaidan was left out of this montage.  My fault!

This moment is so beautiful and epic.

...and here we go.

ALOT, btw, makes the galaxy map so pretty.  Sharper and clearer and more colorful.  

We all usually just head to Liara’s Dig Site first, right?  Unless you’re doing one of those “Pick up Liara last just to see what happens” playthroughs?  I did that once. It felt weird.  And sad, when you tell her “oops I killed your mom and I’m not sorry.”  Seems like she shouldn’t have gotten over that so quickly, but well, that’s game design.  The entire plot just doesn’t feel the same and more flimsy without Liara around from the start.

I usually do Therum --> Feros --> Noveria --> Virmire.

Well okay, first a stop at Edolus, since, you know, it’s on the way.

What a LOVELY day, nothing could possibly go wrong on this barren world. I feel like they gave us a pretty easy-to-get-around-on world to start out with.

I honestly love driving around in the mako 90% of the time?  Once you’re used to the controls, it’s not that hard to get most places you want to go.  Though I admit the Nomad in Andromeda is a big upgrade.  I kinda miss it in ME2 and ME3, though I only do what driving is necessary in Overlord and skip Firewalker like, half the time.

First, let’s check out the map...

I’m pretty sure I didn’t realize you could mark your destination on the map and it’d put a handy arrow on your radar until I started playing on PC.  Before then I was checking the map every 5 seconds making SURE I was going the right way.  *facepalm*  

Generally my scanning strategy on the planet is... just go to the things on the map, but do go to ALL the things on the map.  If I see something along the way, stop and get it.  I don’t go way out of my way to look for unmarked stuff.  Usually the UNC missions can be completed doing that + complete planet / asteroid scanning.

Oh hey here’s a guy, let’s just grab what we can off him...

UGH.  MINIGAMES.

Like I get that the minigame is a stand in for “looking for clues, are you successful in finding anything useful?” or whatever but it’s still just the worst.  A minigame is fun occasionally, making it as a gate to something like looting a body is stupid.  I guess I have to forgo actually putting points into things that keep Kaidan alive at the early levels so he can help me... loot bodies.  Cool.  Great.

Since I’m cheating in credits, all weapons and armor get medigelled almost immediately so that I don’t have to do the minigame later on when they get harder, like, ever.

The ME2 minigames at least make a little more sense than this moving puzzler thing.  That’s at least an attempt to look like some kind of code hacking or rewiring/reprogramming.  This thing is just... silly.

ME2 has a disable minigames mod... so there will be no talk of minigames from here on out.  They don’t exist after the easy minigames early on in ME1.

So I ... somehow managed to not get video or screenshots of you know the ICONIC THRESHER MAW attack on Edolus?  So please enjoy this gif I made of it back in 2013 instead.

It’s such a great fakeout and moment.  Like “Oh man how easy my goal is like right in front of me!  That’s great, so easy!” then OH HELL NO, FUCK YOU, GIANT WORM!!

These gifs are from another planet later on, but they’ll do.

My normal MO with Maws is to get out of the way, far enough that they can’t appear too close to or especially under me, but close enough that they do still show up, then stay stationary and jump over the goo while shooting at it.

YOU’RE FACING THE OTHER WAY HOW DID YOU SPIT AT ME?!

This is fine.  EVERYTHING IS FINE. We’re just A LITTLE ON FIRE.  Our shields are at full...

Oh hell, Kaidan slap some medigel on it, please.

Even though we don’t know who Cerberus is yet, FUCK YOU CERBERUS. I always bring the VS to any Cerberus mission because THEY WERE RIGHT NOT TO JOIN YOU IN CERBERUS.  Let’s keep a FUCK YOU CERBERUS count going to remember all the horrible shit we SAW Cerberus do in ME1 to remind ourselves why Ashley or Kaidan is the only SANE ONE for going “No, sorry, I’m not joining you in Cerberus.”

Deep breath

OK, let’s go get Liara.

Wrex comes with us to Therum.

Dear Lord, Therum is gorgeous.

This is real nice just a pleasant day on this thresher maw-less planet and great scenery, we’ll find that asari scientist in no ti--- WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?

Have I mentioned how everything is fine lately?

Well it’s time for how I deal with most of the geth while in the Mako...

Armatures are worth five points each!

Rocket troopers are only two points, but I got a lot of them!

Stopping and fighting in the Mako takes way too long.  Push on through all the way til we’re stopped.

Hm, this is the one I should push, right?

*crickets*

Fine.

Just... real pretty.

I love this part of Therum right here.  A really great, scary fight that feels so dangerous, but winnable.  Great level design, too.

Then this happens.

Does everyone’s hair do that in this cutscene, or just mine, or this hairstyle?

Also, ME3 has a mod now that lets chracters use their correct weapons in cutscenes, my eternal devotion to the modder who could do that in ME1.  None of these characters use assault rifles in-game!!

I’m fairly certain I have played and replayed this fight more than any other in ME1.  AKA RUN FOR COVER OH SHIT AVOID THE BOMBS AND LASERS FLYING AT YOU AT ONCE PLEASE DON’T DIE COMPANIONS PLEASE KILL SOMETHING I CAN’T DO THIS ON MY OWN AHHHHH!!! 

This time around, I died my first time, actually did really well the second time, and decided to go back and record the fight for gifs and... won, barely.  The gifs would not be good.  Wrex and Kaidan didn’t last long. 

Anyway, It’s a great cutscene, but hoo boy I wish it were skippable.

Okay but what were these ruins *for*.  Also, real lucky that they had the boss fight way up here instead of down where Liara was.

Speaking of Liara...

Hello Doctor T’soni!

I have a lot of questions like... how long have you been in that bubble?  How are you sustaining it that long?  How long has it been since you’ve eaten?  If I didn’t come get you until after Virmire, would you have been holding that bubble up for the weeks in between then and now?  

Ah well, you’re here now, and I suppose I’m going to owe you my life later so... welcome to the team.

You gotta admit that’s one badass entrance, though uh, if the forcefield is still up, where did he come from?  Doesn’t matter.  Wrex, let’s kill us one of your brethren (sorry.)

I’ll just *assume* that Liara is too tired from holding up her stasis bubble she was in to actually be USEFUL.

I love the chaos of running the fuck out of there.

Texture popping is still an issue even with a decent computer and texture packs, but at least it’s quick now.

Also I really feel the loss of this conference room in the future games.  The awkward oval table never quite feels the same.  But also, uh, this is a lot of room taken up in this small ship for eight chairs and a holoprojector.  You gotta think there’s more uses for this space than just that.

But yeah, I love these check-ins, it’s a chance for everyone to get together and really hash out what’s going on, as well as reinforcing the plot to the players in a more natural way.  Having Liara this early will let us understand the Protheans better at an earlier stage, even if it turns out she’s wrong about some stuff (though at the time this was written, she was right for all everyone knew.)

Wrex and Garrus don’t talk much here, probably because you can make it through the game without one of them.  I did a “didn’t recruit Garrus” playthrough in ME2 once.  They change like one or two lines then Garrus goes back to talking about Old Times.  So like you CAN, but you really shouldn’t not recruit Garrus, because Bioware didn’t do a great job changing anything aside from your initial greeting during the Omega Archangel mission.

Not recruiting Wrex, though.  Wow that’ll have consequences later on.

OK!  So the gang’s all here, and this post is already very long.  Next time: Let’s go talk to everyone for awhile, and do a few more sidequests because we can’t go back to the Citadel til our persuasion is high enough to grind Mikhailovich’s arguments into the dust!

[spicynbachili1]

Paw Patrol: On A Roll Review

I’m maybe not the world’s biggest fan of Paw Patrol. I feel it’s honest to say I hate it with a fiery ardour burning just like the solar. My son, one week away from turning four, likes it a good quantity. Not his favorite – it’s no Octonauts or Wild Kratts – however sufficient that I put him to mattress in Paw Patrol pyjamas. Our opinions differ. As, it seems, they do on this grimly perfunctory and dreadful sport that he likes.

It’s possible you’ll be lucky sufficient to not know what or who the Paw Patrol are. Let me spoil that. It’s a couple of younger boy referred to as Ryder and his group of anthropomorphic pups who assist folks and animals in hassle. They’re a global children’ TV sensation, created by Keith Chapman, who beforehand created Bob The Builder. (Keith, I’m guessing, may need been bullied by ladies in school or one thing, as a result of his programmes barely characteristic them. Paw Patrol has poor pink Sky as The Lady One within the common group of six.) For the Paw Patrol, I’ll have you realize, no downside is just too massive, and no pup is just too small.

The ensuing cartoon is a plasticy CGI that in the beginning was primarily in regards to the pups enthusiastically utilizing their particular person abilities and autos to assist stricken birds or stranded sea turtles, whereas avoiding the hapless errors of pleasant doofus Captain Turbot. Nonetheless, once I idiotically took myself and the boy to the cinema final week to see “six new episodes”, it appears it has since degraded into the same old ‘fool antagonist will get in hassle and needs to be rescued’ bilge of third-rate pre-school cartoons. (As we left the cinema I mentioned to my son, “Sorry Toby, my mind is simply soup now.” One other dad heard and exclaimed to me, “ALL THE EPISODES WERE THE SAME!”) This sport is about again in these unique days, when instances had been less complicated, and there wasn’t a group of evil cats making an attempt to thwart them.

It’s honest to say On A Roll does an excellent job of capturing the cartoon. It’s bland, repetitive, churned-out garbage seemingly based mostly on the mantra, “Oh who cares, it’s for 3 yr olds.” I’ll let you know who cares: THE PARENTS.

The sport consists of the identical stage again and again and again and again and over, through which you play as one in every of eight canines (they’ve additionally included Everest, The Different Lady One who appears to solely flip up within the feature-length eps, and one different boy canine who is rarely recognized nor featured in as many ranges as I may cope enjoying), operating and leaping inexorably to the fitting. Alongside the best way you’re requested by Ryder, roughly each seven seconds, to gather as many canine biscuits as you may, in your approach to nebulously rescue an deserted rabbit or construct a bridge for a duck – only a factor that it says you’ve achieved when you’ve reached the far proper edge.

It’s terrible. Colossally terrible. Terrible to the purpose that when creating their PC port, regardless of operating on Unity, they haven’t bothered to map significant controls. It doesn’t recognise a controller, however hilariously, maps the buttons to A, B, X and Y in your keyboard. You realize, as a result of an Xbox controller has A, B, X and Y buttons. The diploma to which it embraces this resolution is kind of the factor: when Ryder tells you for the ninety-seventh time that stage to maneuver by “shifting the left stick”, it flashes up an image of a controller, with an image of keyboard arrow keys blinking on its left facet. Sure, re-read that sentence, it says what you thought. Look beneath, I’m not mendacity:

Toby thinks it’s nice.

I’m not likely certain what to let you know. He’s three? He’s precisely the goal marketplace for “this’ll do” sport growth? The sport had characters from the TV present he likes on it, and he obtained to maneuver them, albeit whereas making an attempt to function both finish of the keyboard similtaneously Ryder incessantly bleated at him to make use of a “stick”.

So I requested him why he appreciated it, and right here’s his overview:

Daddy: What do you consider this sport? Toby: Good. Daddy: Actually? Why do you suppose it’s good? Toby: As a result of it’s about Paw Patrol. Daddy: Did you just like the operating and the leaping? Toby: I did just like the leaping. I did just like the operating too. Daddy: What did you consider the images? Toby: Good! As a result of it was numerous completely different Paw Patrol working in a group. Daddy: What do you consider Ryder on this sport? Toby: Not one bit good! Daddy: Why’s that? Toby: As a result of he’s simply so whingy! Telling us to do issues that we already know! Daddy: What do you want about what you do on this sport? Toby: As a result of… as a result of the Paw Patrol work as a group! I mentioned that two instances! Daddy: Oh, I’m SO sorry. What’s dangerous about this sport? Toby: Ryder! Daddy: Anything? Toby: No, simply Ryder. Such a whingypops!

So no less than we agreed on one level. Severely, Ryder (American model) talks so incessantly that he extra steadily interrupts himself together with his subsequent remark than leaves a second of quiet between them.

Which makes it all of the more bizarre that he’s the one voice within the sport. They didn’t even hassle hiring voice-a-likes (which, truthfully, may have been any six children) to ship the pups’ particular person catchphrases. So there are not any exclamations of Chase being on the case, and Rocky by no means as soon as appeals that we don’t lose it however reuse it. That is likely to be a blessed reduction for any dad and mom who suppose they may simply come out on a quick homicide spree if they’ve to listen to such issues ever once more, nevertheless it actually does really feel odd in a sport that’s, you realize, in regards to the canines.

Which makes the purpose, actually. Absolutely the minimal has been put into this, past some good particulars with the pup’s animations. It’s primarily the identical bland nothing stage repeatedly, with embarrassingly badly ported controls, and one voice actor for a sport based mostly on a sequence that includes a dozen well-known characters. And he appreciated it.

That’s all they wanted to do for his or her goal market, isn’t it? So ought to they’ve achieved extra? Wouldn’t it have been price anybody’s time to take action? I’ve no thought. It’d have made it much more nice for the dad and mom who sit there whereas it’s performed, and inevitably have to truly play it as soon as their pre-schooler is bored of controlling issues.

However what they completely bloody nicely shouldn’t have achieved is charged £25 for it! Good lord, if I hadn’t gotten this at no cost I’d not be writing a overview proper now, I’d be on a rampage, destroying continents. It’s not price a fiver. (It’s £30 on console!) What a crock.

My tip: don’t inform your youngster it exists and then you definately’ll probably not want to fret. And my different significantly better tip: get your pre-schoolers (and certainly schoolers) watching Wild Kratts. It’s on Netflix within the UK, PBS Children is the US, TVOKids in its native Canada, and so they put it up on YouTube! As a result of in case you’re simply so achingly sick of the bilge, belief me, that is fairly respectable, and truly teaches some tremendous fascinating information about animals. Do you know that the loudest animal on Earth is the sperm whale?! I didn’t! So there you might be. PS. I hate Paw Patrol.

from SpicyNBAChili.com http://spicymoviechili.spicynbachili.com/paw-patrol-on-a-roll-review/

[krillnit]

PGF Post-Mortem

WHAT WORKED

- Our style guide stayed true throughout the entire process. Every team member was on board with how we wanted the game to look, and we all worked well together to maintain a cohesive aesthetic. This is true for models, UI and textures.

- We managed to use one penguin model, and adjust it with the rig to make it appear as though all four penguins were unique. If we had more time, individual models would have been ideal, but this was an excellent way to make our game seem ‘polished’ in time for PGF.

- Our core game mechanics were simple, yet effective. We did not over complicate anything, and focused on getting our main systems to a high standard. Although we had other mechanics that we were interested in implementing, we stayed realistic and only added more when the rest was ‘finished’.

- From mid semester on wards, we regularly communicated, mostly through Facebook, and at least once a week in person. There was rarely a day where Emperor Penguin was not discussed in some way. There were definitely some communication issues had, but at the very least we were all available to each other and willing to work.

- Our team was very enthusiastic about the project from the start. We all pitched in ideas when we had them, and every member was available every week, we all pulled our weight and nobody let the team down. I think this shows in our end product, because we were all willing to do tasks that we either didn’t know how to do, or we just weren’t keen on doing.

- This attitude lead to two of us ultimately learning how to script in Unity from scratch, and although it was quite rocky at times (not to mention frustrating) this ended up working so well for us, because when things went wrong, at least one of us would be able to figure out how to fix it. Over the semester, we were calling on the almighty Brad to save us less and less.

- We worked closely with our sound engineer, adding him into our group chat so that he was always aware of what was going on within the project. In the end, we got sounds for everything and they breathed new life into EP.

- Thanks to Daniel studying Graphic Design, he worked really hard to bring our UI up to a professional standard. He worked closely with Adam and Beth as they produced a lot of the graphics, and the end result earned us a lot of praise.

- Play testing was a blast. Even in our early days, when the penguins were just little cubes and you couldn’t do much but bump into each other, people were having fun and getting competitive. It felt good that people wanted to play our game even in it’s most basic form.

- For the most part, GIT was super helpful to us. Aside from a few errors, caused by us not really knowing exactly how git is used or how it works, we had no major issues.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK

- Trello seems like a very useful tool, however for our group and this assignment, we stopped using it a few weeks in. Git plus Facebook & in-person meetings turned out to be a much more effective form of communication for us.

- At times, especially early on, there were some miscommunication issues which resulted in team members doing work that either needed to be discussed first, or just wasn’t needed. This issue likely bled from our awkward handling of Trello.

- FMOD. This is the system we used to implement all of our sounds, but it ended up that the Unity project would only work on Daniel’s PC, or the university PC’s. This meant that any testing could only be conducted by Daniel, and put a lot of pressure on us for the final weeks. I (Vittoria) had to make and push script changes, which were then tested by Daniel. Rinse and repeat until the code was fixed. We worked around it, but I would prefer not to have to deal with that in the future.

- A few animation hiccups. None of us were really keen to do the animating so it fell by the wayside until the last couple of weeks, and as such we had rigging import issues and a few animation import issues. We did not end up with idle animations because of this, and so that’s why all the penguins look like they’re constantly skating on the spot.

- I know I just praised GIT, but sometimes it didn’t work. Apparently it is NOT a file sharing software. Woops.

- We wanted a recovery ability in the game, where if you fell off, you could smash a button and hopefully get back on the ice provided you had the energy for it. This never made it into the game, because we couldn’t figure out an efficient way to implement it. Ultimately, it was replaced with the jump slam ability, which is a super fun ability, so maybe this dot point belongs in the ‘this actually worked’ column.

- We wanted buffs and debuffs in the game. Sadly, they did not make it in time. We decided that a polished game was better than a semi-polished game with possibly broken power-ups.

WHAT WE WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY

- While communication was a plus for us in the end, at the beginning, it was pretty terrible. Nobody knew each other and we were tip toeing around issues. In the future, spending more time together as a team at the beginning of a project would help team members to feel more comfortable around each other.

- For about a month, there was only one member learning to code & applying it to the game. It would have been a lot less stressful in the beginning if two people were learning from the start, or even better, there was a programmer in the team.

- Every developing team probably says this, but if we managed to get our shit together earlier, we probably could’ve gotten the buffs and debuffs into the game. Coding prototypes can happen simultaneously with art concepting, we don’t need to wait for one thing to be finished before starting another (sometimes). I guess what I’m getting at is this: better time management as a group.

- Ensure everyone is on the same page about what tasks need doing, and which need to be done first. If any members are unsure of what to do next, they need to communicate with the team and find out before starting anything new. There’s nothing worse than putting in a bunch of effort only for it to be unused. This is another communication issue. Shocker.

- Animations should really not be overlooked. We thought it would be a lot quicker and easier than it was... have these 3 years at Murdoch taught us nothing?! If we did this project again, I know we would make sure these tasks got done a lot earlier than we did.

- We may not have used FMOD if we were aware of the issue sit would cause us. We’re still unsure if it was us or FMOD that was the problem, but the issues it caused were undeniable. Either we spend more time learning to understand how it works, or we just write the sounds into the code. Either way, something should change in how we handled that.

[lettingspencerjbzo569-blog]

The Ultimate Guide To Sites For Sale In Dublin

Referral Reputation usually means that you've ceased the mill of trying to houses. You get inactive, but in the event you position somebody who is looking to purchase or sell a house to your realestate business, you get yourself a proportion of their commission. Say goodbye to fun and leisuretime. Here's your own week: • Friday. Mailings, client hunting, sitting round. CHAPTER 6: THE Customers CHAPTER 5: THE "OLD-TIMERS" This company that "hired" you will now send one to an exercise "college" (all these are companies who, for a price, educate you on exactly concerning the real estate industry and help you pass the condition required evaluation). Here is just two months of courses that have related to the career. At various occasions during the week, then you're going to receive a 2 hour stints replying your phone. The idea is that clients will telephone in looking for an agent only because they've a house they need to get. I'd suppose that this has happened when, ever, in the history of real estate. A lot calls into the oldtimers. You didn't think anything was free, did you really? Here's the rundown about fees: If you're lucky enough to get you to definitely express they will use one to market their own house, you need to know that their house is worth much more than the one three doors down that is exactly the same. Exactly why? I don't know. Maybe they're delusional. Maybe they're stupid. They're covetous. Maybe they're upside-down in your house. Probably they simply want the cash. It is probably each of the aforementioned. • Thursday. No Thing is required. This really is your weekend, love. Tend not to spend money, however, you don't have it. I am sure it really is totally different in YOUR area though, plus they truly are telling you the truth when they state so... While I state "oldtimers", I'm referring for the agents that happen to be at office for at least a yr. Due to the fact they count on one to actually be gone in a few months they are going to make eye contact at 1st and so they don't really wish to waste their period. Once you've been around for 2 weeks, they'll begin providing you with that the "chance" to sit in their own receptive houses to allow these. What they're actually asking you to do is sit in a house for three hours that no 1 will visit, and basically sell it on the off chance that you can secure a client. • Business cards. They truly are free! Well, kind of. The basic, crappy variants are liberated, those that shout "I am brand new for this!" You've got to pay for to get types that are fine, using a picture, and also you have to pay for the movie. You're going to likely be requested to alienate everyone you know and also make situations by begging for referrals. Events, church, college, the gym - anyplace...that you require to be angling for house customers or house vendors. It is painfully awkward for all concerned. Don't neglect to wear just the page1=46 pin that is little you move! Their perfect agent is somebody who's divorced and miserable, sitting down over a pile of alimony dollars or a available field of charge, and merely needs something to keep them occupied. Then is merely, and somebody who is wed, sitting on a heap of dollars or an open line of credit needs something to keep them out of the house and away from their spouse. If you're not 1 of these two, that's OK - they'll take you. It really is odd to be involved a substantial financial project for someone you know. They will use you to buy or sell a house, but no one wants you to know their financial business, therefore it's challenging. Your family and friends may want small favors, like...they will want all of their cash. Yes, seriously. I had a comparative ask if I would give back them my entire commission should they used me to buy a house. I dropped, and the request was probably the nail that secured my property coffin shut. • Saturday. Mandatory training...all freaking day. Done-with the mandatory 15-week instruction? Start out training that repeats that which they taught you! CHAPTER 7: Your Lifetime AS a Realtor • Associations. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/estate agent The County Realtor Association. You have to join it. It charges income...each calendar year. Their State Realtor Affiliation. It's mandatory that you combine it. It charges dollars...each yr. The Nationwide Realtor Association. It's mandatory that you join it. It costs income...every yr. Combine this specific organization. Join this organization. You will receive even, and possibly yourself a journal a trap. It truly is all mandatory, plus it all costs money. They have complimentary cookies at the meetings. • Tuesday. In-house instruction, or "how to squander 3 solid hours of prime job period." I am 1 man. Even the Realtor's affiliation is a conglomerate which without doubt has lawyers on the payroll. My brother in law is legal counsel...but that I still feel out numbered. That means you're going to see that I simply refer to real estate agents, not Realtors. • Monday. Mandatory meetings and house excursions, all day. The meeting is useless, which is the reason you find old-timers that they slough off following the house and wind up God-knows-where. They truly are likely in the bar. The tour is fun, though. You have to know everyone else complain of everything that they work with and what from the houses. You have to wander through a stranger's house and listen to that your co workers (proudly showing their name badges) criticize the homeowner's choices in everything. Examples: Exactly what exactly were believing for this particular carpeting? Have they ever cleaned the particular room? Wow, those are some nasty children in this film. I can't believe they abandon Paxil AND Prozac . Real estate offices are constantly list places that are open, so it's simple to obtain an job interview. Don't be overly nervous, because do you know what? You are hired. This isn't an interview, it's a pep talk. You inhale at the lobby and could walk in, you're probably nonetheless hired. • real estate agent prices make one of the "real estate agent" snaredown. This is. CHAPTER 3: LICENSING CHAPTER 4: FEES, Service Fees and Expenses There are rules that say that even though your licensing training is occurring at a Real Estate office, which no 1 with that office may "amuse" you. Expect you'll get recruited. Some of the teachers was a Company X manager and took a exceptional interest. He required me to start open houses at homes throughout the weeks of training, introduced me to everybody else at any office, required me and took me out. The entire time, he talked about how Company Y (who had delivered me into this practice) was dreadful, and why Business X has been way outstanding, and certainly the location for me. Moral? No. Fun? Indeed. I still went because it had been the proper matter together with the company that sent me. This usually means that should you have a individual that wants to sell their house for $330,000 however, you and everyone know that it won't bring £250,000, you inform them which you will list it for his or her price tag, and after that gradually enable the purchase price drop when people giggle at the house. CHAPTER 2: THE INTERVIEW Keep in mind, however, that you have two choices here: you can either become a Realtor or you can become a Realtor. It's true, you read that correct. I'll create no judgments regarding this organization's worth, except to say that sitting through the most boring training ever nets you a tiny R pin. Absolutely nothing says I'm a victory much better than the snare with an ep on it...right next to a name tag. Ethics principle #1 is "only acquire the list." • Automobile. They'll pay for your car! No, they wont. If you should be one of the very best 2 producers, and are willing to place a godawful giant decal over either side and back of your (correctly colored) car or truck, they will pay a nominal amount to you. Why shouldn't they? It's the cheapest ads they can buy. CHAPTER 10: AFTERTHOUGHTS • Cardkey. You need this to put involved with any house that's up for sale. It's true, you have to pay for this. Plus it can't be shipped by them; you require to drive 30 miles to pick it up. • Tip 3: Everyone you realize will feign support when questioning the decision and making fun of you. I am significant, also you also know that. You've loathed with, did you not? • Office Assist. They despise you. I met with Travisthat he was at the midst of the hissy-fit because someone had stolen his Cross pen. It really is clear, as it is not like that they all sell them. Yes, they can offer them . The fit lasted an hour, also comprised that our manager delivering a phone message to each and every broker in any office to please return the pencil should they had it. Travis also maintained a much-needed watch on the labels that one would use to send out these mailings. To receive them, you had to ask the specific amount. You will find 25 on a sheet and if you're printing 6-8 labels, then you wouldn't purchase 3 sheets. And keep in mind, exclamation points are used by prime manufacturers! A Lot of them! In whatever they perform! Only an FYI. I suggest a FYI!!!! • Licensing. In the event you speak with a true estate firm you take the course and become licensed earlier, they will pay for the course. Very well, sort of. They'll cover it, and spend the fee back. Wait patiently, who paid for this? It's true, you did. You did not think that was free, did you? You are hated by them. • Computers. Do not understand a personal computer? Don't stress, no 1 else does. Idon't know why, however with was dreadful with any instrument. They needed help with all the laptop, and also the PC's were always down with a virus of some sort. • Sunday. Nomore football games, family picnics, etc., because you require to sit down in Open Houses. That really is just my story. Don't let it change your mind if you want to enter the world of residential property real estate. I had a property agent tell me what a horrible idea that it was and that I still went together with my plan. • Mailings. I lucked out with firm Y, and they all pay for mailings. This means that they supply the marketing stuff and they pay the stamp for some amount to be sent out. A Rottweiler protected speeches you might send email to's database at our office, a man I'll contact Travis. Travis was tremendously tan with slicked-back own hair, also he was dressed as a 1970's JC Penny mannequin daily. That I bet that his boyfriend had been, although if he had been homosexual, I don't understand. When there aren't enough beginners at your office, they'll fight over your house-sitting initiatives, and might even supply you with cash (don't get excited, so I'm speaking about $20.) Get paid '' I never really did receive covered helping someone out. • Hint 1): there was a whole lot of cash. It's simply not going to be check here made by you personally. In fact, a lot of it's actually going to come FROM you. The actual estate organizations themselves make an enormous sum of profit a part by screaming persons through their "programs" and spitting them out with emptier pockets. CHAPTER 9: "ETHICS" (note quotation marks)

•The Multi-List Technique. You cannot be considered a real real estate representative without even access into the MLS. It has to be liberated? No. CHAPTER 8: "Help" (note quotation marks) • Tip two: There is no wages. Make sure you have money in the bank to eat and pay your bills for six months. And start looking for a job that is real . By the time you buy it, then you'll be out of cash. I landed a spot at a company 6 months and 1 day out of the day of my own lay off. When it was not for Un Employment, I would have been living in a cardboard box waiting to my property profession to blossom. You are hated by them. • Your site. The business has put a page up to you on their website, you require to fill it with futile ideas that no 1 cares about, like "resident of (our overall place) for umpteen decades" along with Realtor and also "person in (Our County) realestate Club. Not one of this helps you or thempersonally, however, it will not fill the page, even although no one will appear at it. It is possible to set up a picture . Whatever you have to do is pick up the telephone, notify the company telephone number and their name and at which they're seeking. What exactly is? NOW it's money back. I understand those who left about referrals than that I did as a real estate agent, many times above. Needless to say, there's a charge but you didn't think that was free, did you? And to stay in "referral status" that you need to simply take ongoing education. • Evidence. Small indicators signs, plastic signs, metal signs, name signs, for sale signs, open house signs. You have to have them, you have to cover these, and they cost hundreds of dollars. • Title tag. Good news is totally free. The terrible thing, it's necessary for you to use a name tag. Straight back when I had a real project, I knew a gentleman who consistently said "In case a man must wear a name tag throughout his job, he is not too successful." I'd a lovely Ford Mustang GT once I got this "job". I purchased it because I had been told which you need to simply take all your clients over the area to see houses. Out using the sport car or truck, in addition to the Volvo station wagon (at the horrid company coloration, of course.) As it turns out, no one wants to ride with their real estate agent; they want to follow you around within their car. This will be for many reasons: they really could escape you when they need, so that they may discuss the houses without you hearing them (even if you're their reputable adviser)...oh, plus they despise you. I overlook that Mustang. • Wednesday. "Twilight" spacious houses. This implies that the night is taken. Just how does one make matters better? You get the condition included! CHAPTER 1): SOME Swift Rookie 'S Recommendations • no cost excursions! 5 decades from today, in case you overcome work hours, ALL your odds and sell everything that you buy close, you may secure yourself a free journey. Do not hold your own breath.

[robertkstone]

Lexus LC 500: 8th Place – 2017 Motor Trend’s Best Driver’s Car

Lexus has a stated mission to inject more excitement into its lineup, and adding a second rear-drive, V-8 coupe to the mix is part of the plan. The big LC 500 is a grand tourer through and through, but don’t let its grandness and opulence fool you. There’s a lot of serious hardware under the hood.

Power comes from the F performance brand’s 5.0-liter V-8 with 471 horsepower and 398 lb-ft on tap. It’s delivered to the rear tires by an all-new 10-speed automatic transmission and optional limited-slip differential. Adjustable dampers and optional rear steering work the handling angle while big calipers clamp down on steel disc brakes. They’ve got their work cut out for them stopping 4,364 pounds worth of car.

It’s Best Driver’s Car week! Keep it on MotorTrend.com this week as we count down the finishing order of our contenders this year and share bonus content you’ll only find right here.

Work they do, pulling the LC 500 to a stop from 60 mph in 105 feet. Getting to 60 mph in the first place takes 4.7 seconds, and covering a quarter mile requires 13 seconds flat at 109.8 mph. On the skidpad, the suspension and tires do their thing to a tune of 0.93 average g, with a figure-eight lap needing 24.6 seconds at 0.79 average g.

We Say

“Despite the isolation, it’s surprisingly fast and very difficult to upset with Trac/VSC off (when on, it’s maddening). It does have the most understeer of any of the vehicles on 198, but like a good BMW, at least the understeer is clear and distinct. Lexus hasn’t tried to mask it with weird EPS or rear steer inputs.” – Ed Loh

“Most shocking. I was expecting nothing. In fact, I argued against even bringing the LC 500 along because it’s just so big and heavy. I was wrong. Folks, we have an athlete on our hands. It’s a bit heavy, sure, but the fundamentals are all there. Gorgeous sounds from the V-8, a gearbox that loves shifting, reflexes that hide the size, and fairly stout brakes. Great body control, too. Not a car you’d think you can push, but— surprise!—you totally can. Amazing job, Lexus.” – Jonny Lieberman

Read about other 2017 Best Driver’s Car contenders:

Mercedes-AMG GT R

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport

Aston Martin DB11

Nissan GT-R NISMO

Mazda MX-5 Miata RF

McLaren 570GT

“How can this car have 10 gears and never ever be in the right one? There were at least a dozen rejected requests for a downshift, so I had to learn to slow the car on the brakes before requesting a downshift. On the way up it was fourth gear almost all the time, which doesn’t give it any snap. The soundtrack is good, but the response is not there. I’m not a fan of the rear-steer. There were several corners where I didn’t know where the steering was going to point me. The brakes were fine, except not a lot of feel through the pedal, similarly not a lot of feel through the steering with a tendency for understeer that just doesn’t say sports car but grand tourer.” – Chris Walton

“The exhaust notes on the LC are intoxicating and so unexpected coming out of a Lexus that you check the rear mirror to make sure that a race car is not coming up behind you. The engine sound builds; you hear it ratchet up with each gearshift with an almost unnatural precision. But the highlight is the amazing downshift burbles. I am a sucker for a downshift burble. It makes me go weak in the knees.

It doesn’t carry the speed as well, and I found myself gripping the steering wheel and trying to muscle it while also braking more than I should entering the corners, which contributed to a disjointed drive—ironic coming from Lexus, the king of the smooth ride.” – Alisa Priddle

“Part of the driving experience is tailoring all the vehicle settings to your liking. Whoever designed the infotainment system should be stripped naked, covered in honey, and tied to the top of an anthill. Everything is buried under layers of menus, and the only way to access it is by using a hilariously inaccurate touchpad. It took me five minutes to figure out the seat coolers on the first day, and it stayed on throughout the week of testing because it was too much of an effort to turn it back off. Good luck changing channels on the satellite radio.” – Derek Powell

Randy Says

“Mostly I was waiting on understeer. Then by the time I could finally get to some power it was much nicer. I like the steering, I thought it was really accurate, reasonably quick, and I thought it was a fun car on track except for that entry understeer. It was like this one characteristic that just doesn’t fit right. Go into the corner, and it was just, ‘Ah! I want to go that way.’ Then, on power, it’s beautiful, and it was a really fun car to drift on my cooldown. Even though it doesn’t want to turn under hot-lap driving, it’s really easy to drift it if you’re not.

“It was beautiful, smooth car accelerating, and you hear that engine note and go ‘Wow, where is that coming from?’ I look around to see who’s coming by, and I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s me.’ I just love that.

“Even in Sport+ mode, it’s still a little soft on the racetrack. Damping is pretty soft. I actually think the spring bars are in a really good place, and I kept pushing Lexus on that, too. I consulted on that car three and a half times, and every time I told them it’s too soft, too soft, too soft.

“The brakes are very reactive—you get a lot. So they don’t need an aggressive application. Don’t be stabby. I did once, and it just wouldn’t stop. It wasn’t making the brake gs that I knew it was capable of. So from then on I would just, you know, apply the pedal gently, and then it stopped great. Stopped really well for a street tire.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Randy Pobst was an on-call dynamics consultant during the development of the LC 500.

2018 Lexus LC 500 POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD ENGINE TYPE 90-deg V-8, alum block/heads VALVETRAIN On-demand Atkinson-/Otto-cycle DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 303.2 cu in/4,969 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 12.3:1 POWER (SAE NET) 471 hp @ 7,100 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 398 lb-ft @ 4,800 rpm REDLINE 7,000 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 9.3 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 10-speed automatic AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 2.94:1/1.76:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 9.8-13.6:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.4 BRAKES, F; R 15.7-in vented 2-pc disc; 14.1-in vented disc, ABS WHEELS, F;R 8.5 x 21-in; 9.5 x 21-in, forged aluminum TIRES, F;R 245/40R21 96Y; 275/35R21 99Y Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP (Tread 300) DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 113.0 in TRACK, F/R 64.2/64.4 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 187.4 x 75.6 x 53.0 in TURNING CIRCLE 34.8 ft CURB WEIGHT 4,364 lb WEIGHT DIST, F/R 53/47% SEATING CAPACITY 4 HEADROOM, F/R 36.8/32.2 in LEGROOM, F/R 42.0/32.5 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 56.5/48.9 in CARGO VOLUME 5.4 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.8 sec 0-40 2.7 0-50 3.6 0-60 4.7 0-70 5.9 0-80 7.3 0-90 8.9 0-100 10.7 0-100-0 14.7 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 2.2 QUARTER MILE 13.0 sec @ 109.8 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 105 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.93 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 24.6 sec @ 0.79 g (avg) 2.2-MI ROAD COURSE LAP 1:43.40 sec TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,200 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $92,995 PRICE AS TESTED $104,465 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes AIRBAGS 8: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee BASIC WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 6 yrs/70,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 4 yrs/Unlimited miles FUEL CAPACITY 21.7 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 16/26/19 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 211/130 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.00 lb/mile RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium

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