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04:57:11 01/09/12
The Hal Lindsey Report 2012-01-06
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 04:57:11 01/09/12
Well, 2012 is here. I guess we'll finally see what all the hype is about. Of course, if you're a student of Bible prophecy, you already know. It's much ado about nothing. Breathe easy. The Bible tells us that the world will NOT end in 2012. However, that is not to say there won't be some substantial changes to the world as we currently know it. From Iran to Iraq to Syria to Egypt to Europe to Russia to North Korea to the United States, Bob Dylan would observe, "The times they are a-changin'." But more than just the times, changes are coming fast and furiously to governments, economies, societies, religious communities, in fact, entire nations. Upheaval seems to be the order of the day. Uncertainty and fear its most common results.
0 Views
07:41:54 12/28/11
On "If I were a poor Black kid"...
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 07:41:54 12/28/11
[ VIDEO ] Joe Hicks discusses the controversy over Gene Marks' blog post at Forbes entitled " If I were a poor Black kid ". Basically he asks, "Why can't white people contribute to the national dialogue on race and racism?"
It does seem like a cop out to just tell someone that they have nothing to say because they're not a poor Black child so they can't relate in any way. I've had a white geography teacher in high school - GO FALCONS - who said that he could relate because he was poor. Of course the conclusion could be that he thinks all Blacks are poor, but that's only a thought and not necessarily based on reality.
All the same Marks bounces off of a recent speech by President Obama in Kansas where he discussed the gap between the rich and the poor:
> The President’s speech got me thinking. My kids are no smarter than similar kids their age from the inner city. My kids have it much easier than their counterparts from West Philadelphia . The world is not fair to those kids mainly because they had the misfortune of being born two miles away into a more difficult part of the world and with a skin color that makes realizing the opportunities that the President spoke about that much harder. This is a fact. In 2011.
I am not a poor black kid. I am a middle aged white guy who comes from a middle class white background. So life was easier for me. But that doesn’t mean that the prospects are impossible for those kids from the inner city. It doesn’t mean that there are no opportunities for them. Or that the 1% control the world and the rest of us have to fight over the scraps left behind. I don’t believe that. I believe that everyone in this country has a chance to succeed. Still. In 2011. Even a poor black kid in West Philadelphia.
It takes brains. It takes hard work. It takes a little luck. And a little help from others. It takes the ability and the know-how to use the resources that are available. Like technology. As a person who sells and has worked with technology all my life I also know this.
If I was a poor black kid I would first and most importantly work to make sure I got the best grades possible. I would make it my #1 priority to be able to read sufficiently. I wouldn’t care if I was a student at the worst public middle school in the worst inner city. Even the worst have their best. And the very best students, even at the worst schools, have more opportunities. Getting good grades is the key to having more options. With good grades you can choose different, better paths. If you do poorly in school, particularly in a lousy school, you’re severely limiting the limited opportunities you have.
And I would use the technology available to me as a student. I know a few school teachers and they tell me that many inner city parents usually have or can afford cheap computers and internet service nowadays. That because (and sadly) it’s oftentimes a necessary thing to keep their kids safe at home than on the streets. And libraries and schools have computers available too. Computers can be purchased cheaply at outlets like TigerDirect and Dell’s Outlet . Professional organizations like accountants and architects often offer used computers from their members, sometimes at no cost at all. You will see at the end of this posting links to several rebuts to Marks' comments. I will add my two cents just as Hicks and those other links have.
I didn't go to the very best schools in Chicago. I'd say my old elementary school was an average at best school and my old high school - when I attended - was one of the worst. My marks weren't that great in elementary school but for some reason my marks in high school were often in the honor roll range. With that in mind though I consider that a fluke today.
My time in high school wasn't a time to seek out options. I never thought of my grades as a ticket mainly because they were had too easy. It was never a challenge academically and who knows how that would've been weathered. The serious challenge was in college where I struggled to keep up.
If only I had the tools back then that the young people have today to help me study and understand the various subjects. I wouldn't just be ahead of my peers but it would be light years ahead of them. But when I was in public school most of those tools did not yet exist.
In spite of the nay sayers - and I will get to one in a moment - Marks isn't wrong. Make the best grades you can where you are take advantage of all the tools you can. Don't have a PC at home go somewhere to use one, especially the library. At that there are people at your school who if you establish a relationship with them will help you move forward.
This nay sayer, well is making more of this than he realizes:
> No believer in Bell Curv-ish nonsense about black intellectual inferiority, Marks makes clear that the children about whom he speaks are no less capable than his own kids. Of course, one wonders just how much of a compliment Marks really intends for this to be, given his strange habit of dissing his offspring, on more than one occasion, as rather unintelligent, unmotivated, promiscuous and even inclined to petty criminality. Not sure what kind of asshole says things like this about his children in print, but I suppose we can leave that discussion for another day.
No doubt Marks would say that he was simply encouraging poor African American kids to take personal responsibility for their success. He might even say that by acknowledging unfair and unjust structural inequity (and even, indirectly, white privilege), he was doing so in a politically ecumenical way. Certainly Marks would perceive his words and intentions as quite different from those of right-wingers whose hectoring of the poor so often involves blaming those at the bottom of the nation’s economic hierarchy for their station in life. To Marks, poor black kids are not to blame for the position in which they find themselves, but they nonetheless hold the keys to their own liberation, and if they would simply follow his sage counsel they could surely make it, like anyone else: even the cerebrally challenged and oversexed spawn who slumber each night just down the hall from he and his wife.
There is much one could say about Marks’s advice — rather typical bootstrapping fare about studying hard, coupled with a more modern emphasis on becoming a techie like him, and thereby, presumably, an irresistible college or job applicant — and most of it has been said already. Like, for instance, this piece , or this one , or this one , or maybe this one , all of which eloquently critique the privileged and naive mindset displayed by Marks, and explain how even when poor kids of color do everything right, the structures of society are too often set up to help them fail anyway.
...
And it’s this last point that we might do well to explore further. Fact is, Gene Marks knows his readership at Forbes . He knows that it includes virtually none of the people to whom he is ostensibly offering advice, which means that he isn’t really giving them advice at all; rather, he is inviting his mostly white, mostly affluent audience to engage in a perverse moralistic voyeurism at the expense of impoverished African American youth, almost none of whom that readership will ever meet, and whom they will, in fact, go out of their way to avoid. He is offering a kind of secret white-male handshake to others in the club, assuring them that the problems of urban poverty are not theirs to fix, that they are off the hook as it were, and isn’t that a relief? That Marks may not be as vile in his desire to blame the poor for their status as some, hardly acquits him of the charge that by pandering to the biases of his readership, he has, with some 700-odd simple (and simplistic) words, managed to reinscribe all the worst of their prejudices, many of which one can see on grand display in the readers’ comments section of the original article. Make no mistake, Gene Marks’s column is contempt cloaked as compassion and bigotry dressed up as benevolence. And it can do nothing but contribute to the indifference and even antipathy towards the poor that those who rely on Forbes for insights already possess in ample supply. Starting with that last paragraph it's true, Forbes may not have a significant audience in poor inner city communities. Without having to purchase a subscription you can always go to a library to access past issues of magazines. Also with internet access you can access magazines as well and blog posts such as this one which surely don't require a subscription.
As for Mr. Tim Wise who wrote the above excerpts, how is he going to call that man out for what he refers to his kids. Yeah it may be wrong to say your kids are very bright, but somewhere out there some parent is doing it. I also recognize that Marks is merely a commentator who is definitely using his platform to say what he wants to say.
The main point surely Marks is making is that his children are not much different than poor inner city children. Just that they have different opportunities living in a different part of the Philadelphia area than the inner city children. Perhaps even different expectations from parents, perhaps different staff and different schools. He didn't write the "poor black kid" piece to denigrate his children.
I think what he wrote was real. It shouldn't be impeached merely for that reason. That alone is weak! Although to Mr. Wise's credit he is at least has some suggestions for Marks to put his money where his mouth is. Marks could always help get the information out aside from using his platform at Forbes.
0 Views
12:56:14 12/12/11
Command & Conquer: Generals 2 - VGA 2011: WORLD PREMIERE In-Game Debut Teaser
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 12:56:14 12/12/11
Command & Conquer: Generals 2 - VGA 2011: WORLD PREMIERE In-Game Debut Teaser
C & C: Generals 2 BioWare hits the battlefield as they bring the legendary strategy franchise back to life! See the next step in the Generals series in this Debut Trailer from the Spike Video Game Awards 2011! ---GERMAN--- C & C: Generals 2 BioWare erreicht das Schlachtfeld als legend%aumlres Strategie-Franchise zum neuen Leben!Siehe den n%aumlchsten Schritt in der Generals-Serie in diesem Debut Trailer von den Spike Video Game Awards 2011! ABOUT THIS GAME ************************ In a near future are the world leaders who seconds before, to sign a global agreement that would end the war as we know it, forever, ... as a devastating terrorist attack kills all participants of the peace summit. In a world without politicians, diplomats and activists, there remain only the generals. It's up to you to assume their role, to command their troops and the global terrorism once and for all times to an end. ---GERMAN--- In einer nahen Zukunft stehen die Staatsoberh%aumlupter der Welt Sekunden davor, ein globales Abkommen zu unterschreiben, das den Krieg, wie wir ihn kennen, f%uumlr immer beenden w%uumlrde, ... als ein verheerender Terroranschlag alle Teilnehmer des Friedensgipfels t%oumltet. In einer Welt ohne Politiker, Diplomaten und Aktivisten bleiben nur noch die Gener%aumlle. Es liegt an Ihnen, ihre Rolle zu %uumlbernehmen, ihre Truppen zu befehligen und dem globalen Terrorismus ein f%uumlr alle Mal ein Ende zu machen. Command & Conquer: Generals 2 ************************************ GENRE: Strategy RELEASE DATE ... From: XboxViewTV Views: 1957 44 ratings Time: 00:40 More in Gaming
2 Views
13:00:20 12/01/11
Charity Spotlight: American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR)
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 13:00:20 12/01/11
In this latest podcast in Community Health Charities’ Charity Spotlight series, host Jerry Franz asks the questions “How serious a health problem is HIV” and “what role does amfAR play in research, advocacy, and education?” The answers are provided by Chris Collins, Vice President and Director of Public Policy at amfAR. amfAR is world’s largest private research organization dedicated to AIDS research for prevention, treatment, and someday – a cure. As many already know, HIV infection can eventually lead to AIDS and there is currently no cure. There are approximately 1.1 million people in the United States living with HIV with about 56,000 new infections each year. According to Mr. Collins, the rate of new infections has not dropped in ten years. ”We need to get better at diagnosing people so they can get the care they need and we need to improve our prevention efforts.” Since no method of prevention is 100 percent effective at all times, testing for HIV is imperative. If someone believes they may have been exposed to HIV, they should be tested right away. As mentioned in our podcast, testing is offered free in many health clinics throughout the United States and HIV testing methods are the most sensitive and effective diagnostic tests in all of medicine today. Testing for HIV is important for many reasons but most of all, early detection can save or prolong life for those who have contracted the virus and prevent them from passing it on to others. About amfAR Founded in 1985, amfAR is dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research. With the freedom and flexibility to respond quickly to emerging areas of scientific promise, amfAR plays a catalytic role in accelerating the pace of HIV/AIDS research and achieving real breakthroughs. amfAR-funded research has increased our understanding of HIV and has helped lay the groundwork for major advances in the study and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Since 1985, amfAR has invested nearly $325 million in its mission and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide. To learn more about amfAR visit www.amfAR.org.
40 Views
18:28:59 08/24/11
Scott Meyers Andrei Alexandrescu And Herb Sutter C++ And Beyond
[LESS INFO] 40 VIEWS | ADDED 18:28:59 08/24/11
I was able to attend C++ and Beyond 2011 and it was a tremendous experience. The technical depth and C++ goodness was profound and lasted for 3 whole days (and two evenings). Thanks Andrei Alexandrescu , Scott Meyers and Herb Sutter for allowing me to crash your affair with my camera - which was perhaps too big and too advanced for the likes of me - still, I was abe to capture some great content, the first of which is this one: a C9 conversation with Scott, Andrei and Herb about C++ and beyond.. .
Andrei Alexandrescu is the co-designer of the D programming language , technical author and research scientist at Facebook. He is also one of the world's C++ (and D...) template masters . His talk on PBD (policy based design) incorporated the mind bending use of variadic variadic template templates. As Gilad Bracha says, learning is brain damage.Thanks for the headache, Andrei!
Scott Meyers is one of the most respected C++ practioners in the industry. He is the author of Effective C++ , More Effective C++ , and Effective STL. Scott's talks on the C++11 Memory Model and Perfect Forwarding were outstanding. I wish we could post them here
Herb Sutter runs the C++11 ISO committee and is one of the world's leading C++ authorities. Congratulations to Herb and the rest of the people involved with pushing the language forward on the recent ratification of the C++11 international standard (treaty)! Herb's also Microsoft's architect for native programming languages, with an emphasis on C++. We'll find out here what Herb thinks of D.
Much thanks to Scott, Andrei and Herb for allowing me to randomize them right after the event ended to film this conversation. We spend a fair amount of time exploring the Beyond part of the equation. I know Niners will be extremely pleased to see three C++ titans appearing on C9 at the same time! Excellent .
Highlights:
[00:00] Event debriefing
[01:38] Scott on C++ developers
[03:18] Modern C++
[04:17] Why D, Andrei?
[17:25] What problems does D solve that C++ can't?
[22:03] C++ and D interoperability (COM is old, but COM is good!)
[24:22] C++11 and Beyond
[26:01] Herb, ISO C++ Committee's next phase - what are you going to do?
[28:22] Scott, Andrei and Herb share perspectives on the ISO standards process, philosophies of language design, what C++ gets wrong, what it gets right
[49:48] Perspectives on this year's event and if/when C++ and Beyond will happen again
Tune in. Enjoy.
PS: If you can attend the next C++ and Beyond, whenever it may happen, I can't recommend it highly enough. Go . Follow @cppandbeyond to get updates and info on when/where the three amigos will get together again.
26 Views
18:28:59 08/24/11
Scott Meyers Andrei Alexandrescu And Herb Sutter C++ And Beyond
[LESS INFO] 26 VIEWS | ADDED 18:28:59 08/24/11
I was able to attend C++ and Beyond 2011 and it was a tremendous experience. The technical depth and C++ goodness was profound and lasted for 3 whole days (and two evenings). Thanks Andrei Alexandrescu , Scott Meyers and Herb Sutter for allowing me to crash your affair with my camera - which was perhaps too big and too advanced for the likes of me - still, I was abe to capture some great content, the first of which is this one: a C9 conversation with Scott, Andrei and Herb about C++ and beyond.. .
Andrei Alexandrescu is the co-designer of the D programming language , technical author and research scientist at Facebook. He is also one of the world's C++ (and D...) template masters . His talk on PBD (policy based design) incorporated the mind bending use of variadic variadic template templates. As Gilad Bracha says, learning is brain damage.Thanks for the headache, Andrei!
Scott Meyers is one of the most respected C++ practioners in the industry. He is the author of Effective C++ , More Effective C++ , and Effective STL. Scott's talks on the C++11 Memory Model and Perfect Forwarding were outstanding. I wish we could post them here
Herb Sutter runs the C++11 ISO committee and is one of the world's leading C++ authorities. Congratulations to Herb and the rest of the people involved with pushing the language forward on the recent ratification of the C++11 international standard (treaty)! Herb's also Microsoft's architect for native programming languages, with an emphasis on C++. We'll find out here what Herb thinks of D.
Much thanks to Scott, Andrei and Herb for allowing me to randomize them right after the event ended to film this conversation. We spend a fair amount of time exploring the Beyond part of the equation. I know Niners will be extremely pleased to see three C++ titans appearing on C9 at the same time! Excellent .
Highlights:
[00:00] Event debriefing
[01:38] Scott on C++ developers
[03:18] Modern C++
[04:17] Why D, Andrei?
[17:25] What problems does D solve that C++ can't?
[22:03] C++ and D interoperability (COM is old, but COM is good!)
[24:22] C++11 and Beyond
[26:01] Herb, ISO C++ Committee's next phase - what are you going to do?
[28:22] Scott, Andrei and Herb share perspectives on the ISO standards process, philosophies of language design, what C++ gets wrong, what it gets right
[49:48] Perspectives on this year's event and if/when C++ and Beyond will happen again
Tune in. Enjoy.
PS: If you can attend the next C++ and Beyond, whenever it may happen, I can't recommend it highly enough. Go . Follow @cppandbeyond to get updates and info on when/where the three amigos will get together again.
6 Views
17:11:19 08/16/11
I Fanboy Episode #226 San Diego Comic Con 2011 Part 3
[LESS INFO] 6 VIEWS | ADDED 17:11:19 08/16/11
And so it is that another round of San Diego Comic-Con shows comes to a close with part three of our 2011 coverage. Make sure to watch parts one and two as well! Kicking off the episode is the Man himself, Stan Lee, talking about more of his myriad projects, like Blood Red Dragon from Stan, Todd McFarlane, and Japanese pop star, Yoshiki. He's also got The Seekers over at MTV Geek. Finally make sure to follow the modern version of Stan's Soapbox with @TheRealStanLee on Twitter. Next we welcome Greg Pak to our show for the first time ever! Greg tells us about Red Skull: Incarnate, his work with Fred Van Lente on the Canadian heroes of Alpha Flight, and his epic, long run on Hulk. Plus, if you've ever wanted to know how to pronounce his name, this is the place. Bryan Q. Miller joins us to talk about the ending of fan favorite series, Batgirl, telling the behind the scenes story of how he ended it more prematurely than he'd planned. He also hints at upcoming work with DC Comics after the relaunch, contrary to some rumors that there are no new DC Comics planned from Miller. Thomas Jane, star of movies and the TV series Hung is a real deal comic book creator. He's joined by his Raw Studios partner, artist Tim Bradstreet to talk about the various comics they've got on tap like Bad Planet, Alien Worlds, and The Lycan, and just what it is they find important when it comes to making comics, and it's not deadlines. Rob Liefeld chats with us about all the upcoming work he's got hitting the comic shop shelves. First, he gives us the low down on The Infinite with Robert Kirkman, and then he talks about Hawk and Dove, with the DC relaunch. Rob drops some hints that there is Deadpool movie footage out there, and it is happening, then goes on to talk about the longevity of some of his creations. Witch Doctor was the first book announced on Robert Kirkman's Skybound imprint for Image Comics. We're joined by artist Lukas Ketner and writer Brandon Seifert, who are enjoying one heck of a good time at a comic convention. They tell us the story of how Kirkman plucked them out of the blue, just by chance, to announce his new imprint. Jonathan Hickman talks to us about his newest creator owned work, Red Wing and Feel Better Now, as well as what's in store in the future. Then we move over to the work at Marvel like Fantastic Four, including talking about one of his least favorite issues of Secret Warriors. Finally, closing out the show, we're honored to speak with Walt Simonson, legendary Thor creator, about the resurgence of the character for whom he is best known, and currently being celebrated in IDW's Walt Simonson Thor Artist Edition and the Thor Omnibus from MarvelWe talk about the planning behind his long run on the character in the 80s, as well as his reaction to the Thor movie. But the writer and artist isn't done yet. He's got a graphic novel called The Judas Coin on the way from DC Comics, composed of six interconnected short stories featuring lesser known characters. Finally, Josh shares a memory with Walt. We hope you enjoyed all the conversation and love of comics from this year's San Diego Comic-Con. We'll see you next at New York Comicon!
29 Views
22:30:00 06/28/11
Studio Guest of the Week: Albrecht Ritschl
[LESS INFO] 29 VIEWS | ADDED 22:30:00 06/28/11
Ritschl is economic history professor at the London School of Economics.DW-TV: For more we're joined by Albrecht Ritschl, economic history professor at the London School of Economics -and he says that back in the 20th century, no other European country received as much aid as Germany did. So, Professor, is it pay-back time now? Albrecht Ritschl: That's probably for the Greek thing. I'm not quite sure what they think, but let's say, from a historical vantage point, it is, to some extent. DW-TV: What do you make of the views expressed in the report we've just watched? Albrecht Ritschl: It's all very understandable. If people take your money and run, nobody can expect you to be enthusiastic about it, so that's clear. The big question's of course, what to do now, and can we learn for the present crisis from previous ones from history. DW-TV: At the moment what we can see is a kind of anti-Greece movement going on in Europe - while at the same time, there are angry Greeks protesting on the streets of Athens. Is democracy as we know it in danger right now? Albrecht Ritschl: I am a little bit worried about it. If one takes a close look, Greece has a complex history. It had a civil war after World War Two. It had a pretty nasty military dictatorship. And it has lots of tensions - polarization. It's not like Western Europe, where all this is a thing long past. It's all still very much there, and it's not quite clear how society - how its institutions will respond to the crisis. DW-TV: So it's still quite volatile. Nevertheless, we have to deal with the situation right now because a lot of people say, if Greece goes under, the Eurozone goes under, as well. That's why there are these bailout packages, but where did the first tranche end up? Albrecht Ritschl: Well, probably where it should, and that is, to some extent, in the salary payments and whatever of the Greek ministeries and, to some extent, in the coffers and vaults of European banks, because right now, what we are talking about it not so much giving fresh money to the Greeks, but rather, rolling over existing debt. And if we don't do this, it will mean that Greece cannot really meet its obligations to European banks, and that will cause a bigger crisis in Europe - that's the problem. DW-TV: OK, let's look at it the other way around and, just briefly, what do you think Greece itself could do and must do in order to out of the doldrums? Albrecht Ritschl: Well, of course, they must implement reforms; they must try to streamline the economy; they must make sure there is less wasteful spending. But, of course, all this is fraught with social and political conflict. So it's not quite easy to predict what the outcome of all this is going to be. DW-TV: What do you make of the solar power-idea for Greece? Albrecht Ritschl: It's a little bit romantic. I mean, this is a very small drop in a very big bucket. What is important in Greece right now, is to get the public sector right, to make sure that it imposes fewer obstacles on the working of entrepreneurs, of markets, of firms. It's important to get the credit sector right, so that credit can flow to the industries where productivity growth is actually possible. And if, in the end, solar power is a part of that success story, fine! But I don't see it as anything that is going to pull us out of this mess, right now. DW-TV: So, money should flow into industries where productivity is possible, which are, for Greece? Albrecht Ritschl: We don't know! We will see! This is why we have something called a market system. There are lots of people out there with clever ideas - cleverer than the ideas that I have right now, or that you might have. Who knows? And the important thing in a free market is to find these people, and for money to flow in the right direction. Bureaucrats are notoriously not very good at deciding that. DW-TV: So, my favorite question: short and brief: will the Greek economy be a success story in our lifetime? Albrecht Ritschl: It depends. There is an off chance that the lights are going out in Greece right now, and that they won't come back on in our lifetime. But let's be optimistic about this: let's hope that they will sort this out and that the Greek economy will rebound from that, and that it will be a a success story in the end. DW-TV: Let's hope for the best. Professor Ritschl, thank you very much for being here.
14 Views
22:30:00 06/28/11
Studio Guest of the Week: Albrecht Ritschl
[LESS INFO] 14 VIEWS | ADDED 22:30:00 06/28/11
Ritschl is economic history professor at the London School of Economics.DW-TV: For more we're joined by Albrecht Ritschl, economic history professor at the London School of Economics -and he says that back in the 20th century, no other European country received as much aid as Germany did. So, Professor, is it pay-back time now? Albrecht Ritschl: That's probably for the Greek thing. I'm not quite sure what they think, but let's say, from a historical vantage point, it is, to some extent. DW-TV: What do you make of the views expressed in the report we've just watched? Albrecht Ritschl: It's all very understandable. If people take your money and run, nobody can expect you to be enthusiastic about it, so that's clear. The big question's of course, what to do now, and can we learn for the present crisis from previous ones from history. DW-TV: At the moment what we can see is a kind of anti-Greece movement going on in Europe - while at the same time, there are angry Greeks protesting on the streets of Athens. Is democracy as we know it in danger right now? Albrecht Ritschl: I am a little bit worried about it. If one takes a close look, Greece has a complex history. It had a civil war after World War Two. It had a pretty nasty military dictatorship. And it has lots of tensions - polarization. It's not like Western Europe, where all this is a thing long past. It's all still very much there, and it's not quite clear how society - how its institutions will respond to the crisis. DW-TV: So it's still quite volatile. Nevertheless, we have to deal with the situation right now because a lot of people say, if Greece goes under, the Eurozone goes under, as well. That's why there are these bailout packages, but where did the first tranche end up? Albrecht Ritschl: Well, probably where it should, and that is, to some extent, in the salary payments and whatever of the Greek ministeries and, to some extent, in the coffers and vaults of European banks, because right now, what we are talking about it not so much giving fresh money to the Greeks, but rather, rolling over existing debt. And if we don't do this, it will mean that Greece cannot really meet its obligations to European banks, and that will cause a bigger crisis in Europe - that's the problem. DW-TV: OK, let's look at it the other way around and, just briefly, what do you think Greece itself could do and must do in order to out of the doldrums? Albrecht Ritschl: Well, of course, they must implement reforms; they must try to streamline the economy; they must make sure there is less wasteful spending. But, of course, all this is fraught with social and political conflict. So it's not quite easy to predict what the outcome of all this is going to be. DW-TV: What do you make of the solar power-idea for Greece? Albrecht Ritschl: It's a little bit romantic. I mean, this is a very small drop in a very big bucket. What is important in Greece right now, is to get the public sector right, to make sure that it imposes fewer obstacles on the working of entrepreneurs, of markets, of firms. It's important to get the credit sector right, so that credit can flow to the industries where productivity growth is actually possible. And if, in the end, solar power is a part of that success story, fine! But I don't see it as anything that is going to pull us out of this mess, right now. DW-TV: So, money should flow into industries where productivity is possible, which are, for Greece? Albrecht Ritschl: We don't know! We will see! This is why we have something called a market system. There are lots of people out there with clever ideas - cleverer than the ideas that I have right now, or that you might have. Who knows? And the important thing in a free market is to find these people, and for money to flow in the right direction. Bureaucrats are notoriously not very good at deciding that. DW-TV: So, my favorite question: short and brief: will the Greek economy be a success story in our lifetime? Albrecht Ritschl: It depends. There is an off chance that the lights are going out in Greece right now, and that they won't come back on in our lifetime. But let's be optimistic about this: let's hope that they will sort this out and that the Greek economy will rebound from that, and that it will be a a success story in the end. DW-TV: Let's hope for the best. Professor Ritschl, thank you very much for being here.
19 Views
19:27:35 06/28/11
Lebron James Talks to God and Sarah Palin Cat Lover - Nearly The News #058
[LESS INFO] 19 VIEWS | ADDED 19:27:35 06/28/11
Nearly the News #058
GOD TO LEBRON: NEXT TIME, PRAY HARDER
God has responded to a Lebron James tweet about how the “man upstairs” will know when it’s time for him to win an NBA title. In a prepared statement, the master of the universe, both known and unknown, said “Don’t blame me for your fourth quarter disappearing act, fool. I had money down on your ass. Now if you all will excuse me, I’ve got more important things to do than plan who wins a freakin’ basketball game! Seriously, get over yourself.”
MAYBE AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT, GET IT?
Eighty nine year old Harold Camping, the born again Xian who had predicted the end of the world last month, has suffered a stroke… or as his followers are calling it, a partial rapture. “Clearly God has taken the good bits of Harold,” said a Camping follower. “The rest of him will stay here with you gays, Muslims, Jews, Mormons and atheists when the world totally ends for sure this time later this summer.”
And finally…
PALIN: GOV LOL!
The release of hundreds of thousands of e-mails from Sarah Palin’s time as governor of Alaska is providing some real insight into the mind of the potential presidential candidate. Reporters looking over the mail boxes say the former Governor really likes cats, pictures of kittens, videos of cats, links to blogs about cats, and the phrase LOL and OMFGWACC, which we assume means oh my freakin’ gosh, what a cute cat! The governor was also not adverse to passing on chain letters that promised bad luck for those who didn’t forward the message, and pictures of Democrats planking.
This episode written by Collin Friesen.
5 Views
16:21:53 06/08/11
Former Governor Arne Carlson On The Budget Impasse And The Problems Inside The Republican Party
[LESS INFO] 5 VIEWS | ADDED 16:21:53 06/08/11
Former Governor Arne Carlson on the Budget Impasse, and the problems inside the Republican Party. "If you look today at the Minnesota stalemate that has occurred--the two most important people in that contest are the governor of the state of Minnesota Mark Dayton and Tony Sutton. And the big difference is, we the people elected one of those."--Arne Carlson. On May 27th in Minneapolis City Hall, hundreds met to celebrate the birthday centennial of Hubert Humphrey. Arguably one of the most effective legislators of our time. Authoring countless iconic bills, and producing them with the help Senators on the other side of the isle. Famous relationships developed between Humphrey and Republicans Everett Dirksen, Barry Goldwater and others. Humphrey, is also credited with breaking the longest running filibuster in Senate history. How did he do this? How did he perfect the "art of the compromise?" Minnesota, can look to Humphrey for solutions to today's problems, and that includes the current budget impasse. Former Governor Arne Carlson spoke strongly against the "no-compromise" strategy of the current Republican Party and its Chairman Tony Sutton here at the Humphrey Centennial, here are 3 clips assembled from an afternoon panel on "Civility in 21st Century Politics" that he sat on along with Hubert (Skip) Humphrey III, former Vice President Walter Mondale, and moderated by Federal Judge John R. Tunheim. Clip 1 : "Nowadays it's sit down, be quiet pass the bill, the flow of moneyed interests etcetera... Now we have in the state legislature is something that bothers me enormously, and that is the brazen attitude of the chairman of the Republican Party bringing legislators in and if you will "persuading them" of the virtues of no compromise. What bothers me about that kind of position is you can not govern in a democratic society if you're not willing to give and take--there is no governance. Now I realize I've got a bit of a partisan audience here, but my point is simply this : All these jobs, be it the governor, be it a member of the legislature, all of these people get tugged in different directions by different interests for different purposes. Their job is to broker the concerns, but much more importantly it's to broker the concerns within the confines of what you and I understand the role of government to do. Government in this particular instance brokers between the concerns of those who have power and those who do not. That requires a sense of judiciousness, a sense of fairness, a sense of decency. The good senator usually came down on the side of those who lacked power. But the system as a whole be it democrat, republican, liberal, conservative by in large has been protective of things like growing the middle class, making sure that there's opportunities for those who lack opportunity. Those are the normal struggles that will take place in a democratic society. And what we see here is increasingly the influence of money coming into politics to buy more power for those who have power at the expense of those who do not have power and do not have access to power. And nothing symbolizes that battle more, than what's happening in Minnesota and nationally on the issue of health care. Over 80 some odd thousand people, will be off of Minnesota Care, which is a modest health program, a kind of program we should be expanding year after year, that should be our discussion point, not how you whittle it back. But here they want to voucher-ize the system, but at the same time when I ask that they place themselves in that same system, and they become the experimentees of that system, and then report back to us in two years about how well the system worked, and how they enjoyed the high deductibles that they're willing to impose on poor people, then if it works for them, it stands to reason it's probably a pretty good program. But instead we have "Oh no"; let me promulgate a goody for you, but it's not sufficiently good for me. And that to me violates all concepts and all parameters of decency in public service. The only way we're going to change the lack of civility in our political discourse, is frankly by wining elections. It's not going to happen by having forums like this. As much as this is an enjoyable experience, we are not going to change the world because we agree that lack of civility has no place in American politics. But the moment the lack of civility becomes a political detriment, that element in the Republican party that has adopted as its mantra will immediately drop it. And so it compels in this case the Democratic party to realize that its best will not come out until such time as the Republican can match them in talent. When the two political parties compete for ideas, as they did in the Humphrey days, as they did in the Mondale days, as they did in the days of Skip Humphrey, if they can compete and have a collision of ideas, we the public win. But when one party questions the truthfulness, the patriotism and the person carrying the message and demonizes the person over the message, and that works and becomes part of the stream of media, we the public lose. We lose big. And so if we want decency, we the broad we, and I would ask you as Democrats to reach out to moderate Republicans, to all those of us who have been excommunicated if you will, and to independents, and build a positive agenda that actually wins elections, and allow this minority to assume a smaller minority status in our society. And with that I think we can bring back civility, during the process of this discussion I'll be happy to put more meat on that proposal. But I do want us to start to think about : Can we build a broad coalition as Humphrey did with the farmer labor group and the democratic group, can we build an informal kind of a coalition that focuses on the Constitutional Amendments that are coming before the people, and build the bridges necessary to coalesce support from all disaffected wings, and make sure the majority of Minnesotans and that their voices are truly felt?" 6:30 Clip 2 : "But I'll end if I may on this political note, and it's critical of the Democratic Party : I would argue that when one party significantly over-reaches, it can only over-reach with the permission of the other party. The other party has an obligation to fully participate to the fullest extent of it's capacity. If there's anything that we can remember of Senator Hubert Humphrey it's not one single human being on this planet ever accused him of not participating in debate. Even when it was on a topic when he was not sufficiently expert. And I won't digress, but there was delightful debate over botany and particularly as it effected the capitol grounds, and little did the good senator know that Everett Dirksen was an expert botantist. It was a long tough debate for the good senator. But suffice it to say, he taught us to participate. When a political party sits back, protects its own individual self-interests, the other party will over-reach as the Republican Party has. And it's up to the moderates, those of us who are moderate in the Republican Party to fight back, and to fight back publicly. It's up to Independents to fight, because if we're going to have a two party system, we're want to make sure that both political parties are producing the best and the brightest. And it's up to the Democratic Party to fight, and I think in the last several weeks we finally have seen some life on that side. That's good--and I hope it continues--but the way it can continue is coalescing this kind of a group, bring together these kinds of leaders, and say : "O.K.; we will go out and campaign throughout all of Minnesota; we will define what is in the best long term interests of the people of this state, and at the same time, defines our quality of life." And I think when we coalesce behind these kinds of issues, I think we the public win. And then both political parties are invigorated. If you go back to the hallmark years of Minnesota, it was the years when the Republican party woke up and started to compete finally in the 60's and the 70's. And you look at those days, those were hallmark days. They truly were. It was a competition of ideas. I remember when we came in the legislature together, all four caucuses worked day and night to be the first to complete their policy initiatives and then rushed to the cameras to announce what they were for, and then beat the other team. Now there's no rush. No, I want to see every single 201 members of the legislature remember that they represent the well being and the long term good of their constituents. And the idea that a political party can pull them in for an internal threatening session, I find offensive. And it's not something that any of us, in any way shape or form, allow to occur. Let me close on this final note : If you look today at the Minnesota stalemate that has occurred--the two most important people in that contest are the governor of the state of Minnesota Mark Dayton and Tony Sutton. And the big difference is, we the people elected one of those. And I would strongly urge Republican legislators to remember who it is that they represent. And once that recognition occurs then they begin to realize that any proposition involving the governor, also involves compromise, and compromise contrary to the Chair of the Republican Party is not an evil, it's an essential positive ingredient of a democratic society. Thank you." 11:00 Clip 3 : And we've always joked about never watch the legislature in process because it's sort of like watching sausage being made, and there's truth to that. It never was a smooth process. But the sad part is, it has gotten increasingly worse, and a large part of the reason is the nominating process. The traditional politeness says well the left is skewed to the left, the right is skewed to the right, it's kind of like two bad boys got together and had a fight, you know that's kind of American. But the reality is--that it's not. When you look at the Republican side, and you wonder why so many capable candidates have dropped out? And I thought today's cartoon in the Star Tribune depicted it very well, and that is there is no-way a moderate or a traditionally conservative Republican make it through the nominating process. Look back and ask yourself the question : Could Robert Taft who was the conscience of the conservative movement for decades in the United States Senate, and for the United States, could he be a Republican today and the answer is "no". Could Barry Goldwater? Clearly Mr. Republican, could he, no and as a matter of fact in his declining days it was known, he was not and could not be. Could Dwight Eisenhower, the last Republican to balance the federal budget, could he succeed in today's environment? Probably not. The last piece of irony is Ronald Reagan. Who on one hand is the god, or held up as the god of the movement but his record would make certain that he could not get through the process. Let's suppose his name were John Johnson, and he instituted eleven tax increases. Appointed a pro-choice female to the Supreme Court of the United States, strongly opposed proposition 6 in California, which was an anti-gay proposition sponsored by the Republican Party. Could he be nominated today--or would he be demonized? I would argue he would be open to a lot of demonetization. And so what has happened is that not just the moderate wing of the Republican Party, but anybody who disagrees with the agenda that's set forth by people who have never run for dog-catcher, will be rigidly applied. And so competence is one of the first things to go along with truthfulness. Now forget about our individual biases, but when you look at the array of candidates that are now before us, can you honestly truly as an American say that they represent our best and our brightest? When you look at the survey by a national legislative groups, on finances two of the worst financial records go to the states of Alaska and Minnesota, both of whom may have horses in the race. I'm not going to pick up on that one. Now the question that you may raise is--well why should we Democrats care? The answer is, why you should care, is because you are first Americans. Secondly, none of us today can predict what will transpire a year and a half from now. Thirdly, any person who is on the ballot could be elected. And we in Minnesota have some history on that. (Why are they looking at me!) But suffice it to say, as Skip [Humphrey] has pointed out, we continue to take our best and our brightest and our most competent and put political theater ahead of political substance... One, we as a nation will not continue to be a first rate international power; two, we will not grow those kinds of quality employment opportunities that we like to think are part of our heritage; and thirdly we will find ourselves being dictated to rather than as Walter Mondale has said being a government of the people, by the people and for the people. We have a splinter wing in the Republican Part, that I believe comes across as wanting to create a theocracy. That is frightening. As a person who minored in religion, I never realized that Jesus was for greed, that Jesus was for the well-to-do and the powerful and had disdain for those who were sick or impoverished. But what's sad about that is we the people have allowed others to define religion, to define their mission in the context of a higher power, blessing that mission and we do it without proper fight back. We have to learn as the good senator taught us, we have an obligation to participate, to speak out, to be truthful, and when need be, to throw the rascals out, and frankly I think the time has come for that."--Arne Carlson.
15 Views
16:04:00 04/07/11
NTN Wrong About End of World and New Study on Rum! - Nearly The News #034
[LESS INFO] 15 VIEWS | ADDED 16:04:00 04/07/11
Nearly The News #034
OOPS – OUR BAD!
We here at NTN would like to apologize for a recent report stating all life on earth was doomed as a fiery ball of death from the sky was headed our way to obliterate civilization as we know it and plunge us all into a century of the frozen hell that would be akin to a nuclear winter. Turns out, scientists forgot to clean the lens of the telescope at Mount Palomar in Southern California and with the dead bug now out of the way, we’re all clear. NTN regrets the error, and apologizes for any sporadic looting this may have caused.
SCHWARZEN-NOT SO MUCH AFTER ALL
Former governor of California and one time A-list movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger is having some trouble with his come back. Word around Hollywood is a complete and utter lack of acting ability is making prime roles tougher to come by. Says one insider, it was fine when he was younger, but no one wants to see a former steroid freak who’s as old as your grandfather walking around shirtless. Ouch. Talk about your total recall.
And finally…
IT’S RUM-A-RIFIC!
A new study by rum manufacturers says rum may be good for you. The association just released the finding of a month long study into the health benefits of drinking rum, which found that rum is “rum-tastic.” The studies founders are quick to point out that since rum-tastic isn’t a word, there’s really no legal implication as to any lasting positive benefits, but say the result of the study speak for themselves.
---------------
This episode is written by Collin Friesen.
20 Views
22:45:57 03/25/11
First Love - Piano
[LESS INFO] 20 VIEWS | ADDED 22:45:57 03/25/11
"Composed by Hikaru Utada This was requested by Dan DeGuzman, Jr. from Washington USA, Who informed me that this song sold over five million copies from March to April 1999. First Love was not only the fastest selling debut album in Japanese history, but also had the highest initial first-week and overall sales for a debut album, achieving multi-platinum status in its first week of release. Utada would be noted in the Guinness Book of World Records 2000 for being the ""Most Popular Singer in Asia."" A month after the album First Love was released, the song ""First Love"" was released as a single, mostly because of popular demand, and sold 804,000 units cumulatively of its 8cm and 12cm version. In addition to the album reaching #1 status on the daily, weekly and monthly charts of the Oricon Top 200, Utada also broke the record for units sold of a single album in Japan by the year's end (over 7.650 million units), all by age 16, which record she still holds to this day. First Love is the most commercially successful debut CD album, and most commercially successful album overall by a Japanese artist, in Japanese music history, having sold over 10 million copies throughout Asia, with nearly 8 million copies sold in Japan alone. The year ended for Utada on a high note, being ranked #5 on Japanese radio station ""Tokio Hot 100 Airplay's"" Top 100 Artists of the 20th Century by the station and its listeners. Haven't heard this song before and it's awesome. Hope it made you think about your first love :) Lyrics : Once in a while You are in my mind I think about the days that we had And i dream that these would all come back to me If only you knew every moment in time Nothing goes on in my heart Just like your memories How I want here to be with you Once more You will always gonna be the one And you should know How I wish I could have never let you go Come into my life again Oh, don't say no You will always gonna be the one in my life So true, I believe i can never find Somebody like you my first love Once in awhile Your are in my dreams I can feel the warmth of your embrace And I pray that it will all come back to me If only you knew every moment in time Nothing goes on in my heart Just like your memories And how I want here to be with you Once more yah yah yah You will always be inside my heart And you should know How I wish I could have never let you go Come into my life again Please don't say no Now and forever you are still the one In my heart So true, I believe I could never find Somebody like you My first love oh oh You will always gonna be the one And you should know How I wish I could have never let you go Come into my life again Oh, don't say no You will always gonna be the one So true, I believe I could never find Now and forever * I do not take claim to any of the original materials used in this video. All rights are reserved by the respective record company's and artists"
5 Views
18:00:41 12/13/10
Does John Boehner's 60 Minutes Interview Confirm That He's A Pathological Cryer?
[LESS INFO] 5 VIEWS | ADDED 18:00:41 12/13/10
Click here to view this media
Did you see all the golf references in the 60 Minutes segment on Rep. John Boehner? You can thank your donations to Blue America and Americans for AmericaPac, because CBS contacted us for permission to use our "golf ads" in their program. Lesley Stahl brought up his golf game a couple of times as she gave CBS a puff piece on Boehner just in time for Christmas.
I didn't really expect too much from her, but it would have been nice to mention a little of his sordid history of handing out checks from Big Tobacco if she was going to do a personal profile. >
In this 1996 documentary by PBS called "The People and the Power Game ," John Boehner is caught red-handed in an amazing act of corruption, and his biggest critics are fellow Republicans. >
Boehner: Mine asked me to give out a half dozen checks quickly before we got to the end of the month and I complied. I did it on the House floor which I regret and I should not have done, it's not a violation of the House rules, but it's a practice that's gone on here for a long time.
Were the checks from tobacco companies?
Boehner: Ahh, I think if my memory serves me correctly, I think it was a tobacco company, yes.
Q)....but in this case tobacco's well timed contributions helped save its subsidy. The people that were passing out the checks won.
He did say that he's never been to a tanning salon before so I guess it's all that golf he plays in the bright sunlight that gives him that orange hue. Lesley also got hung up on the fact that President Obama repeatedly said that the Republicans were holding America hostage. >
Stahl: He basically called you a hostage-taker.
Boehner: Excuse me, Mr. President. I thought the election was over. You know, you get a lot of that heated rhetoric during an election. But now it's time to govern.
{}
Stahl: There have been moments of disrespect shown to President Obama.
Boehner: Well, there was some disrespect, I would suggest, that was shown to me yesterday by the president.
Boehner repeatedly attacked the Democratic Party and the President too many times for me to recount but here's a few: >
Hmmm. So let's see now. This would be the same John Boehner who threw an hour-long hissy fit on the House floor, called President Obama a "leftist" (when you stop laughing so hard, remember that David Gregory didn't bother to challenge him on that either), promised to do everything within his power to make it difficult to pass health care reform , advocated layoffs of police and firefighters rather than compromise on the stimulus bill, and called President Obama a socialist before lying about calling him a socialist .
He's so sensitive, or is he? One of the most alarming things in this interview was the fact that he starts crying like a baby at the drop of a hat. There's "sensitive" and then there's pathological . It was truly bizarre. People think that's it's hard for an actor to cry during a scene, but watching Boehner weep more often than Glenn Beck illustrates that it's not very hard at all. >
And on election night, in his victory speech, the public saw something they probably never expected from Boehner: it was called "the sob heard round the world."
Can you imagine if Democratic politicians acted this way? FOX News would be running stories 24/7 about how al-Qaeda and all the lone wolf cells would be emboldened to terrorism because of their weakness. It would be non-stop.
How serious is a man like John Boehner after all? Here's his take on global warming with the very serious George Stephanopoulos.
Boehner cites cows' flatulence to defend his sacred carbon emissions">Rep. John Boehner cites cows' flatulence to defend his sacred carbon emissions >
STEPHANOPOULOS: So what is the responsible way? That's my question. What is the Republican plan to deal with carbon emissions, which every major scientific organization has said is contributing to climate change?
BOEHNER: George, the idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical. Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide. Every cow in the world, you know, when they do what they do, you've got more carbon dioxide. And so I think it's clear...
Stahl missed that one too. His Tea Party allies will not be pleased as soon as he has to vote to raise the debt ceiling, but just think about it. He's like the choice after VP Biden to take over the White House in case of an unforeseen emergency.
4 Views
22:25:43 12/05/10
Elaine's, Elaine Kaufman celebrated by Alec Baldwin, Gov. Patterson
[LESS INFO] 4 VIEWS | ADDED 22:25:43 12/05/10
The celebrated New York bar and eatery Elaine's was celebrated by celebrities, politicians, New Yorkers and Twitterers after the passing of its founder, Elaine Kaufman, last week. Ms. Kaufman died of complications due to emphysema, and lived to 81 years of age. (Photo courtesy of New York Daily News.)
What's so sad for this blogger is to have gone to New York and visited 21 club (six times including this year), Tribeca Grill, Windows on The World (before the passing of the Twin Towers of The World Trade Center), Trump Bar, Club Macanudo, the model-as-waitress cafe called Coffee Shop, and many other places. But there are three places I've never set foot in and feel as if I still don't know New York for that reason. One of the three places is Elaine's.
This, famous eateries and places around the country, is one way this blogger "keep's score." Everyone has their way, but for me life's filled with many interesting people, events, and experiences, and it's important to stock up on them before you check out. Sadly, I missed meeting Elaine Kaufman before her trip to Heaven.
Now, had I walked into Elaine's last night, I'd have shared space with " Jack Donaghy" for the second time this year .
On Saturday, Actor and Star of NBC's 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin (AKA Phil Tagami), shared the space with New York Governor David Patterson according to Will B who goes by brigantiw on Twitter:
> @brigantiw Will B
Alec Baldwin at #Elaines tonight in honor of Elaine Kaufman.
3 Dec via HTC Peep Favorite Retweet Reply
From the looks of the tweets, Elaine's was packed on Saturday night. Even New York Governor David Patterson stopped by and was spotted "just chilling" by New York Poltical Correspondent Miles Miller who sent this tweet :
> imareporter Myles Miller
#GovernorPaterson is chilling with #colallen and #bodietel at #Elaines tonight. #govny
3 Dec Favorite Retweet Reply
As to who h #colallen and #bodietel are, the hashtags lead to nothing, so as of this writing, it's not known.
Home To Celebs, Writers, and Athletes
Elaine's is one of those places that is shaped strictly by the person who started it, and who's name is on the window. From what I've read and watched, Ms. Kaufman is every bit the "living New York Landmark" she was designated to be.
That place, her place, has been immortalized in every way possible. Woody Allen, one of Elaine's most famous regulars, filmed this scene from his classic movie celebration of New York, Manhattan, in Elaine's:
Vanity Fair's John Heilpern wrote a classic piece on her in 2009, in which he ponders why she had not "slugged any of her patrons lately."
The last major celeb (there are scores of minor ones) to have been involved in a physical or verbal joust with Elaine was, most famously, Norman Mailer. But not every celebrity has had such a relationship with Elaine Kaufman.
For example, Rachel Welsh on Twitter :
> Raquel_Welch Raquel Welch
So sad about Elaine Kaufman. #Elaines is a NY institution. Such good memories.
4 Dec Favorite Retweet Reply The End of An Era?
I fear that in this hyper politically-correct, male emasculated culture some seem bent on creating in America, we may not see another Elaine's. I certainly hope I'm wrong. There's nothing wrong with a place where people can be the characters they really are.
11 Views
21:23:18 11/23/10
Patch 4.0.3a and more
[LESS INFO] 11 VIEWS | ADDED 21:23:18 11/23/10
UPDATE: Title fixed. Sorry for the confusion. Grrr...
I didn't want to post anything about the new patch until I was absolutely sure Blizzard will release it this week. Now is time to speak about it since they already start "breaking" the US live realms.
This is the patch responsible for breaking the whole Azeroth. After this goes live the world wont be the same again. This is NOT Cataclysm yet. Most of the Cataclysm features are going to be added on December 7, when the new expansion will be launched.
A while ago a player compiled the features of this patch and Cataclysm and grouped them so we can know what we can do in 4.0.3a and what we can no until Cataclysm.
If somehow you have misses our Cataclysm reviews and our Cataclysm Exploration episodes you can still find them over here and read them while you download the patch and wait for your realm to go online.
Plus, do not forget to check out the Blizzard store . If you want to make a game present or you miss any wow expansion this is the moment to buy them: WoW $5, BC $5, WotLK $10... until Nov 30th.
What IS in:
* Portals in Dalaran Removed (you have trainers instead)
* New race-class combinations (except worgen/goblin)
* Race Changing to new class combinations (check the wowhead table for them)
* New Gnome/Troll starting areas
* Changes to existing zones (the world that you know it will change forever)
* New cata load screens, cinematic, music and login screen
* City Quartermasters, with rep tabards for championing
* Class balancing and bug fixes
* Druids, paladins, priests, and shaman will have their talent trees reset
* Experience required to gain levels 71 through 80 is being reduced by 20%
* New tamable hunter pets (monkey, fox, dog, and beetle) as well as new skins for existing pet classes. (check more on wow-petopia )
* A steam powered auctioneer, similar to the engineering only one in the Like Clockwork store, has been added next to the justice point vendors in Dalaran. They are now usable by all non-engineers.
* Some mounts other items are being removed (check this for details) (thanks WarcraftPets )
What IS NOT in this patch:
* Creating worgen/goblin characters
* Worgen/Goblin start zones
* Archeology profession
* Professions past 450 (Illustrious Grand Master)
* Guild leveling
* Guild achievements
* Eastern Kingdoms/Kalimdor flight skill
* New Zones (80+)
Official 4.0.3a Patch Notes
In the frigid wastes of Northrend, the final battle against the merciless Lich King ended in victory for Azeroth's defenders. Upon returning home, veterans of the unforgiving conflict against the Scourge were showered with praise for their valiant sacrifices, while the honorable dead were mourned. Yet as hope flared anew in the wake of the Lich King's fall, Azeroth's native elemental spirits grew confused and erratic, setting off a series of deadly natural disasters. Horde and Alliance leaders scrambled for clues about the troubling state of the world, but nothing could have prepared them for what was to come.
Without warning, the corrupted Dragon Aspect, Deathwing, erupted from the stone heart of Deepholm, the domain of earth within the Elemental Plane. Jagged fissures were torn across the earth, and monstrous waves pummeled coastal regions. From Thousand Needles to the Blasted Lands, the surface of Azeroth was reforged through violent upheavals. Now, the Horde and the Alliance must defend their homes against Deathwing and his minions, burdened by the unsettling fact that the world as they know it has changed…forever.
General
* Azeroth Shattered
* Deathwing's return has had an immeasurable impact throughout the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Players will notice drastically altered terrain, thousands of new quests from levels 1-60, and updated level ranges for some zones to improve the questing flow.
* New Race/Class Combinations
* In the wake of a world on the brink of destruction, members of the Horde and Alliance have taken to new cultures and studies, mastering crafts previously foreign to them. Many existing playable races now have new class combinations. Check the official World of Warcraft: Cataclysm website for a breakdown of the new combinations.
* The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm cinematic trailer and login screen have been added to the game.
* Experience required to gain levels 71 through 80 has been reduced by 20%, which increases leveling rate by 25%.
* Many quests in zones on Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor have been removed from the game to make way for new adventures. These quests have been automatically removed from players' Quest Logs.
Classes: General
* Due to several talent revisions for select classes, druids, paladins, priests, and shaman have had their talent trees reset.
* The damage and healing done by players from levels 1-79 has been retuned, with the base points of almost all spells and abilities reduced. This was done to bring combat times at low levels to a more reasonable length. For most abilities that deal weapon damage, the weapon damage percent now rises per level until level 80, and starts at a lower percent.
* Healing Rain, Efflorescence, Holy Radiance, Holy Word: Sanctuary now have a diminished effect when healing more than 6 players at once.
* Mortal Strike, Furious Attacks, Wound Poison, Widow Venom, Permafrost, Improved Mind Blast, Monstrous Bite, and Legion Strike now reduce healing by 10%, down from 25%.
* Effects which are broken from taking too much damage (Fear, Frost Nova, Entangling Roots, etc.) now break automatically from about half as much damage taken as before.
Death Knight
* Death Pact now heals for 25% of maximum health, down from 40%.
* Death Strike now heals for 25% of damage taken in the last 5 seconds, down from 30%, and will heal for a minimum of 7% of maximum health, down from 10%. The tooltip may not yet be updated to reflect this change.
* Icebound Fortitude now provides 20% damage reduction, down from 30% (now 50%, down from 60% when talented), and has a 3-minute cooldown, up from 2 minutes.
* Talent Specializations
* Blood
* Rune Tap now heals for 10% of maximum health, down from 15%. The tooltip may not yet be updated to reflect this change.
* Glyphs
* Glyph of Rune Tap now heals for 5% of maximum health, down from 10%.
* Bug Fixes
* Frost Fever critical strikes now apply the correct amount of bonus damage.
* Horn of Winter will once again provide runic power when used while another Attack Power buff is already present on the death knight.
Druid
* Bear Form now provides 10% bonus health, down from 20%.
* Nourish no longer consumes Omen of Clarity.
* Rejuvenation has had its mana cost increased by 30%.
* Soothe now has a 1.5-second cast time.
* Swipe (Cat Form) can now be used even if the druid does not have a primary target selected.
* Thorns: beginner tooltip revised to no longer imply the spell could be kept up at all times. In addition, Thorns damage has been reduced by 60%.
* Talent Specializations
* Balance
* PvP set bonus redesigned. While not in an Eclipse state, critical attacks against the druid restore 5 Solar or 7 Lunar energy, whichever is more beneficial. This effect can only occur once every 6 seconds.
* Feral
* Brutal Impact now increases the mana cost of spells on the victim by 5/10% for 10 seconds, down from 15/30%.
* Leader of the Pack now heals for 4%, down from 8%.
* Survival Instincts now provides 50% damage reduction, down from 60%, and its cooldown has been lowered from 5 minutes to 3 minutes.
* Swipe (Bear Form) damage has been reduced by 20%.
* Vengeance is no longer cleared on exiting Bear Form, and instead is cleared upon entering Cat Form.
* Restoration
* Empowered Touch now procs from Healing Touch as well as Nourish.
* Heart of the Wild: the Bear Form Stamina bonus from this talent is now 2/4/6%, down from 3/7/10%.
* Malfurion’s Gift no longer has Fury of Stormrage as a prerequisite talent.
* Natural Shapeshifter now also increases Tree of Life duration by 5/10 seconds.
* Revitalize is now a 2-point talent, down from 3. It provides a 20% chance to return 1/2% of the druid's total mana on periodic heals from Lifebloom or Rejuvenation. This effect cannot occur more than once every 12 seconds.
* Swift Rejuvenation is now a 1-point talent, down from 2. The global cooldown reduction this talent provides to Rejuvenation remains 0.5 seconds.
* Symbiosis: heal-over-time spells (Rejuvenation, Regrowth, Lifebloom) can no longer benefit from this Mastery merely by refreshing themselves. A different heal-over-time spell must be present.
* Glyphs
* Glyph of Healing Touch now reduces the cooldown on Nature's Swiftness by 10 seconds after using Healing Touch, up from 5 seconds.
* Glyph of the Treant (new) allows druids to keep the original treant Tree of Life look... if they must. Must they?
* Bug Fixes
* Blood in the Water now refreshes Rip to the correct value.
* Flight Form now properly appears in the trainer window before Expert Riding is learned.
Hunter
* All special attacks based on weapon damage (except Scattershot) are now normalized.
* Scare Beast is now available at level 36, up from level 14, and has had its training cost updated.
* Deterrence is now available at level 78, up from level 36, and has had its training cost updated.
* Disengage is now available at level 14, down from level 78, and has had its training cost updated.
* Glyphs
* The level requirements for glyphs that affect Scare Beast, Deterrence, and Disengage have been altered to correspond with the level changes of these abilities.
* Bug Fixes
* The Core Hound pet ability Ancient Hysteria now places its own unique debuff on affected players that has the same effect as Sated and Exhaustion.
* Certain pets should no longer forget how to Dash.
Mage
* Arcane Blast now increases damage of the next Arcane Blast by 10% per stack, down from 20%, reduces cast time by 0.1 seconds per stack, and increases the mana cost by 150%, down from 175%. In addition, the base cast time of Arcane Blast has been lowered to 2.35 seconds.
* Arcane Explosion now costs 15% of base mana, down from 18%.
* Arcane Missiles damage has been increased by 5%.
* PvP set 4-piece bonus changed to increase damage by 5% instead of providing 5% Haste.
* Talent Specializations
* Arcane
* Arcane Barrage damage has been increased by 5% and its cooldown is now 4 seconds, down from 5 seconds.
* Arcane Concentration: Now has a much higher chance (13/27/40%) of entering a Clearcasting state. This effect cannot occur more than once every 15 seconds. The tooltip still states that there is a 3/6/10% chance, as it averages out to approximately the same chance with the internal cooldown applied.
* Arcane Specialization again increases arcane damage by 25%.
* Fire
* Blazing Speed no longer dispels movement slowing effects (it still dispels effects that totally stop movement).
* Fire Specialization again increases periodic fire damage effects by 25%.
* Molten Shields now also causes Blazing Speed to dispel movement slowing effects in addition to its current functionality.
* Pyroblast base mana cost is now 17%, down from 22%.
* Frost
* Deep Freeze: the cooldown on this ability is no longer reduced by Haste.
* Early Frost now reduces Frostbolt cast time by 0.3/0.6 seconds, down from 0.35/0.70 seconds.
* Fingers of Frost proc chance is now 7/14/20%, down from 10/20/30%.
* Frost Specialization again increases all damage against frozen target by 25%.
* Reactive Barrier is now triggered by any damage which causes the mage's health to be below 50%, even if the mage was already below 50%.
* Shatter now also increases Frostbolt damage by 10/20% against frozen targets.
* Shattered Barrier duration is now 2/4 seconds, down from 3/6 seconds.
* Glyphs
* Glyph of Evocation now heals for 40%, down from 60%.
* Glyph of Deep Freeze now increases damage done by Deep Freeze by 20% (no longer increases Frostbolt damage against Deep Frozen targets).
* Bug Fixes
* Improved Polymorph now correctly shares diminishing returns with controlled stuns.
Paladin
* Exorcism damage has been increased by approximately 50%.
* Holy Radiance now has reduced effectiveness on targets over 8 yards away from the paladin.
* Seal of Truth: periodic damage from Censure reduced by 25%.
* Talent Specializations
* Holy
* Beacon of Light now lasts 5 minutes, up from 60 seconds.
* Blessed Life: the effects of this talent cannot occur more than once every 8 seconds, up from every 2 seconds.
* Illuminated Healing absorb shield now absorbs 10% of the total amount healed, up from 8%. Each point of Mastery increases the effect by an additional 1.25%, up from 1%.
* Light of dawn has been redesigned. It no longer has an enforced cooldown, now costs Holy Power instead of mana, and scale in direct proportion to the amount of Holy Power used. In addition, it now heals the 5 most injured group targets (including self) in a 30-yard frontal cone.
* Protector of the Innocent no longer triggers from self-heals.
* Protection
* Divine Bulwark now grants 2.25% less block chance per point of Mastery, up from 2%.
* Holy shield no longer increases chance to block. Instead, it increases the amount blocked by an additional 10%, for a total of 40% damage blocked.
* Shield of the Righteous: Contribution of attack power halved (now 60% with full Holy Power) and base damage brought up so that a level 85 paladin in Heroic dungeon gear deals the same damage with no Vengeance, but Vengeance has less impact.
* Shield of the Templar now reduces the cooldown of Guardian of Ancient Kings by 40/80/120 seconds, down from 1/2/3 minutes.
* Wrath of the Lightbringer now increases Crusader Strike and Judgement damage by 50/100%, up from 30/60%.
* Retribution
* Crusade now also has a proc on kill to increase the healing done by the paladin's next Holy Light by 100/200/300% for 15 seconds, in addition to its current effects.
* Divine Storm: This ability has been redesigned. It no longer consumes Holy Power and instead costs 5% of base mana. It shares a cooldown with Crusader Strike and hits all nearby enemies for 60% weapon damage.
* Pursuit of Justice now has an 8-second internal cooldown, shared with Blessed Life.
* Rebuke no longer initiates Auto Attack.
* Sanctity of Battle now also causes Divine Storm’s cooldown to be reduced by Haste effects.
* Zealotry no longer consumes 3 Holy Power, but still requires 3 Holy Power to use.
* Glyphs
* Glyph of Beacon of Light now makes Beacon of Light free, instead of increasing the duration by 30 seconds.
* Glyph of Divinity has been redesigned. It now grants the paladin 10% of maximum mana upon use.
* Glyph of Light of Dawn now increases the total number of most injured targets healed by 1.
Priest
* Binding Heal now provides roughly double the amount of healing.
* Prayer of Healing has had its mana cost reduced by nearly 30%, and its base points and Spell Power coefficient increased by 20%.
* Talent Specializations
* Discipline
* Divine Aegis is now always triggered by Prayer of Healing, in addition to critical heals from all other spells.
* Grace has been increased to 4/8% stacking 3 times, up from 2/4% stacking.
* Inner Focus now works with Binding Heal, but no longer works with Heal.
* Power Word: Barrier has been redesigned. It no longer acts as a shared absorb shield. Instead, all affected friendly targets take 30% reduced damage for the duration of the shield, which is now 10 seconds, down from 25 seconds.
* Shadow
* Shadow Orbs: redesigned slightly. The Shadow Orbs continue to increase damage done by Mind Blast and Mind Spike and stack up to 3 times, but now when the priest casts Mind Blast or Mind Spike (consuming the orbs), the priest gains a 15-second duration buff (Empowered Shadow), which increases the damage done by all Shadow periodic spells. Empowered Shadow does not stack. Mastery increases the damage bonus of Shadow Orbs and Empowered Shadow by the same amount, 10% with the base 8 Mastery, and an additional 1.25% per Mastery.
* Vampiric Embrace healing to the caster has been reduced to 6%, down from 12% (there was a tooltip error which stated that the self-healing amount was 15%). Party members still receive 3% healing.
* Bug Fixes
* Dark Archangel now correctly increases the damage done of certain abilities by 4%.
Rogue
* Deadly Poison base damage and attack power coefficient have been increased by 30%.
* Recuperate now restores 2% of maximum health, down from 3%.
* Venomous Wounds base damage and attack power coefficient have been increased by 30%.
* Talent Specializations
* Combat
* Aggression now increases damage of Sinister Strike, Backstab, and Eviscerate by 7/14/20%, up from 5/10/15%.
* Bandit’s Guile now gives 10/20/30% increased damage as the rogue gains greater insight, up from 5/10/15%.
* Subtlety
* Executioner no longer affects Recuperate.
* Bug Fixes
* Bandit's Guile now applies more consistently to all of the abilities it's supposed to modify.
* Player guardians and temporary pets now stop attacking when a rogue uses Vanish, but city guards will not.
Shaman
* Chain Heal mana cost increased from 17% to 20% of base mana.
* Earthliving Weapon now only has 25% of its full chance to proc from a single hop of Chain Heal.
* Talent Specializations
* Elemental
* Elemental Reach now also increases Searing Totem range by 7/15 yards.
* Fulmination now has a Spell Alert visual associated with it, which appears when the shaman gets to 9 Lightning Shield charges.
Warlock
* Bane of Agony damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Bane of Doom damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Corruption damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Death Coil damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Drain Life damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Drain Soul damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Immolate damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Incinerate damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Rain of Fire damage has been increased to be more comparable to other area-of-effect abilities.
* Searing Pain damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Seed of Corruption damage has been reduced to be more comparable to other area-of-effect abilities.
* Shadowbolt damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Soul Fire damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Talent Specializations
* Demonology
* Hand of Gul'dan damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Destruction
* Chaos Bolt damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Conflagrate damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Shadowburn damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Bug Fixes
* Drain Life: The Soulburn version of this was charging 17% of base mana instead of 12% like the normal version. This has been corrected.
Warrior
* Cleave damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
* Execute damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
* Heroic Strike damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
* Overpower now does 125% weapon damage, down from 150%.
* Rend base damage has been reduced by approximately 17% and percent of weapon damage per tick lowered to 25%, from 30%.
* Shield Block now only increases block chance by 25%, but excess block that pushes avoidance plus block to over 100% is now converted to critical block chance.
* Slam now costs 15 rage, down from 20, and now does 125% weapon damage, down from 150%.
* Victory Rush damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
* Whirlwind now does 65% weapon damage, down from 75%.
* Talent Specializations
* Arms
* Mortal Strike now does 150% weapon damage, down from 185%.
* Second Wind now heals for 2/5% of total health, down from 5/10%.
* Strikes of Opportunity now does 100% weapon damage, down from 115%.
* Fury
* Blood Craze now heals for 1/2/3% of total health, down from 2.5/5/7.5%.
* Bloodthirst damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
* Raging Blow now does 110% weapon damage, down from 150%.
* Unshackled Fury now gains approximately 50% more benefit per point of Mastery.
* Protection
* Critical Block now grants an equal amount of block chance and critical block chance (1.5% each per point of Mastery).
* Devastate no longer provides bonus threat.
* Shield Slam: Contribution of attack power reduced to 60%, down from 75%, and base damage brought up so that a level 85 warrior in Heroic dungeon gear deals the same damage with no Vengeance, but Vengeance has less impact. In addition, Shield Slam no longer generates 30% bonus threat from its damage.
* Vigilance no longer provides 3% damage reduction, but still refreshes Taunt and provides Vengeance.
* Glyphs
* Glyph of Bloody Healing increases the healing received from Bloodthirst by 40%, down from 100%.
* Glyph of Intimidating Shout no longer causes targets to flee slowly, but roots them instead.
* Glyph of Shield Wall increases damage reduction to 60%, but increases the cooldown from 2 minutes to 4 minutes (talented).
* Bug Fixes
* Taste for Blood should once again proc on every other tick of Rend.
Achievements
* The Gladiator reward mounts now award Master Riding.
* What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been now awards Master Riding.
Items
* Mysterious Egg now takes only 3 days to turn into a Cracked Egg and has a slightly greater chance of awarding the Reins of the Green Proto-Drake.
* PvP set bonuses now provide 70 of stats such as Agility, Intellect, and Strength (down from 100) at 2 pieces, and 180 of these stats (down from 300) at 4 pieces.
Professions
* Perfect Gem Cutting and Mixology have been removed as trainable skills and are instead passives profession abilities. When players reach the appropriate skill levels, they will start getting bonuses from Mixology (they must know the recipe to gain the benefit) and/or cutting perfect gems (depending on their profession, of course).
* Alchemy
* Alchemy recipes now require Crystal Vials. Deathwing broke all the others because he’s mean (or because he didn’t want alchemists to carry 5 different vials around with them).
* Engineering
* The Engineering Tinkering enchants will no longer provide their bonus stats, but the activated effects will stack with other enchants. In 4.0.1 the stats were there (but hidden) and are now removed.
* Bug Fixes
* Several epic gem transmutes that were missing from the trainer have been added back.
Bug Fixes
* Certain area-of-effect abilities are no longer ignoring the area-of-effect damage cap.
* Mobs and NPCs should no longer appear to randomly gain or lose health during combat.
* Re-summoning pets in Battlegrounds should no longer count towards a player’s total healing done.
Known Issues
* Some tooltips may not reflect the most recent changes to certain abilities.
* Worgen hunters are currently unable to learn Dual Wield.
* The achievement Explore Tol Barad will not be possible to complete upon release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.
