Floor Thirty-Three and a Third: Nicely In Between by LightMeDark

She's welcome in our room if you wish. I was actually hoping to move our occupancy up to 5, as for some reason the hotel doesn't seem capable of spliting days. Anyone can pay for a day, but can't pay for 1/2 a day? Silly people. And the $70 for parking there kinda bit. But parking elsewhere would likely be similar, and harder to lug the luggage.

"Reality is something that you rise above
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run
The fearful fall foul of fate as often as the reckless."
Rich(.Com)-Marillion
visit WWW.Marillion.com for a better way of life.

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Friday, November 24, 2006 5:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by citizen:
Rather than a city adding directly to the Nations influence, cities are used to 'capture' regions. Each region can trade with other regions, but cities can only trade with other cities within it's region. That way as the civilisation grows the number of entities that can trade with each other stay relativly low. Then if you wish you could have one region that concentrates on Farming, another on logging, mining etc.

That adresses the problem of too amny decisions but adds an aditional layer of programming complexity (defining regions and such.) Now it's my considered opinion that extra coding that reduces game play tedium should definitely be done wherever possible so this seems doable. Anyway good luck and let us know how it's comming.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 7:37 AM

Citizen? Will you be joining us again?

"Reality is something that you rise above
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run
The fearful fall foul of fate as often as the reckless."
Rich(.Com)-Marillion
visit WWW.Marillion.com for a better way of life.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 11:03 AM

Sorry, hectic day, got woken up at 8:30 to take delivery of my new XBox360, then took my Brother to work, then went and bought a game for my new XBox and a memory card (does it seem wrong that the basic system for the XBox makes playing games pointless without buying expensive add ons?). BTW Call of Duty 3 rocks bells. Big bells. Not wossy little santa Bells, we're talkin' big ben here.

Then I had grading for Martial Arts, which I thought I was going to fail because out of the four months we're supposed to be in training for this grading I only got about a month and a half in, what with holidays and D*C and such. But I passed, and now I'm back.

Which leads me too:
Have at you jerry erm, I mean

Yes I'll be meandering to D*C next year.

More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 11:26 AM

i had an xbox360 that i sold earlier this year...now i'm crazy enough to consider it again (if only ffxiii was coming to it, it'd be a done deal).

you should pick up gears of war since you've got one...that game looks absolutely killer.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 11:38 AM

I've seen it, but I had to get CoD3 first, I haven't seen it for the PC, but I played a bootleg of CoD2 that I loved and seems to use the same engine, and I played CoD1 religiously. We've still got it on our work network, though we don't play it as much, for some reason the management thought it was a bad idea us having a computer each. Sucks.

Problem is I don't have the money for anymore games for the XBox360. I spent all my money on an XBox360 doncha know

.

I've got a few games on my Christmas list, though I feel bad about asking for games because they're like £40, which is a bit much for a Christmas present, I don't think I'm worth that much.

Another thing, is it just my or are these things bloody loud? I have an office Colour Laser Printer and my PC that make less noise combined. I mean I know it has three CPUs and a GPU, but wow, loud. It's like a vacuum cleaner.

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No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 12:21 PM

you're worth that much

wow, my 360 wasn't quite that loud...but it's been awhile, so i may have forgotten just how loud it was.

i've never played the CoD games because I have an aversion to playing wwii games for some reason

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 12:33 PM

Quote:
Yes I'll be meandering to D*C next year.

So, up for the same room arrangements? I loved doiing the 5 days, nice to have a full day to recover.

"Reality is something that you rise above
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run
The fearful fall foul of fate as often as the reckless."
Rich(.Com)-Marillion
visit WWW.Marillion.com for a better way of life.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 12:44 PM

I find that the WWII games are the most believable and compelling. I liked Battlefield 2 for the same reason. Although I liked both Half Lifes which aren't exactly realistic, based on dimension jumping aliens and all. The current crop of WWII games have one thing I do like though, which is squad work. You can't win the game by charging in alone, because you die, not even HL2 had that, which is why I was slightly disappointed in it, it promised squad based combat and you got about five minutes of that in one level and it was really just a bunch of NPC's getting killed while you played the game on your own as normal.

CoD has been good with that through out, having to fight as a team, more games should do it.

More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 12:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jadehand:
So, up for the same room arrangements? I loved doiing the 5 days, nice to have a full day to recover.

Sounds good to minen earen.

More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 12:50 PM

SERYN

my brothers just finished playing gears of war - he said it was kind of disappointing - his main gripe was that you didn't actually get to fight the big meany thats in all the ads for it. but he guessed you got to do that at a harder level setting or something - is he right?

(yup, look at that! I actually had something to say in a discussion about computer games! go me!)

Isn't sanity really a one trick pony, anyway? I mean all you get is one trick, rational thinking! But when you're good and crazy...ooh hoo hoo hoo... the skys the limit!
http://www.myspace.com/seryndippyt

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 12:57 PM

*taps fingertips together*

Eeeexcellent.

"Reality is something that you rise above
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run
The fearful fall foul of fate as often as the reckless."
Rich(.Com)-Marillion
visit WWW.Marillion.com for a better way of life.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 1:00 PM

Typically, increased difficulty levels do not add content. Just make things harder via, increasing enemy accuracy, increasing enemy toughness/defense, increasing enemy numbers or abilities. I've never seen content added. But I haven't played everything either.

"Reality is something that you rise above
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run
The fearful fall foul of fate as often as the reckless."
Rich(.Com)-Marillion
visit WWW.Marillion.com for a better way of life.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 1:09 PM

Just completed the Canadian campaign, which is nice, cause they have a hell of a time.

More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 1:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jadehand:
Typically, increased difficulty levels do not add content. Just make things harder via, increasing enemy accuracy, increasing enemy toughness/defense, increasing enemy numbers or abilities. I've never seen content added. But I haven't played everything either.

Not true, actually. Quake and Half Life 1 both had extra enemies for harder levels. I doubt it's as drastic as adding in a new 'boss' but you do often get extra enemies.

More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 1:32 PM

i'm not sure about the extra enemies on a more difficult setting for GoW. i wouldn't be disappointed by something as small as not fighting the big baddie shown in the ads, though...but that's just me and i'm strange ;D

citizen: the squad combat is just another reason for me to dislike WWII games...i prefer to charge in as the lone hero and not have to worry about the retarded AI-controlled squad-mates. Battlefield 2 was lots of fun. I've heard BF1942 is even better, but I never played it as, you guessed it, it was WWII-based.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 1:48 PM

Really, I find the games where you have to run around alone kind of, I don't know, samey. I prefer the idea of having squad mates helping.

I'm thinking about starting to put money aside for a new PC. My Desktops nearlly Two years old now, and it's well behind now dual core is becoming the norm. I saw a really good looking case in Maplins when I was in there buying some parts for a job on Thursday:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/images/full/A64FZ. jpg

It has some similar features to my current case, which has the handle on top and the same style panel fan. Though overall it's entirely different, my current case is black with Chrome trim, a front panel door to hide the drive bays (two minds about that, it makes the case neater but makes accessing the drive bays harder) and a funky Alien head whose eyes light up blue when the machine is on and flash red on HDD activity.

Thing is I also saw this case:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/images/full/A13FX. jpg

Now lets be honest, what man can resist a bloody great fan like that?

EDIT:
okay this one is just silly:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/images/full/A14FX. jpg

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No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 2:15 PM

yeah, that's silly, lol

squad mates is now samey, too, if i understand what you mean by samey...it just comes down to personal preference, and fortunately for you and unfortunately for me, games are starting to move the way of having squad helpers.

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Saturday, November 25, 2006 3:12 PM

I agree with LMD. Until the AI improves or the ability to command the squad improves, they just get in the way. Far too often in HL2 I had to 'accidentally' cause my squad to get dead. They were in the way. When I say, Stand right there. That means stand right there. Not, wait until I'm X distance away then run towards me.
Now leading the Bugs... that was fun.

"Reality is something that you rise above
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run
The fearful fall foul of fate as often as the reckless."
Rich(.Com)-Marillion
visit WWW.Marillion.com for a better way of life.

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Sunday, November 26, 2006 7:21 AM

Yes, but HL2's squad system was terrible.

More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

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Sunday, November 26, 2006 7:50 AM

Actually, for my tastes, HL2's squad system is as far as it should go in a singleplayer game. It's just my preference to not have to depend on anyone/thing else but my own skills (or lack thereof ;D). When it comes to games I can suspend my disbelief a great deal and actually tend to prefer to. I like to be the lone hero that doesn't have to worry about others (much like the lone wolf i am IRL but without responsibility and with the power to be something exceptional).

Multiplayer games are a different story...there, I love teamwork and the human element.

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Sunday, November 26, 2006 8:06 AM

Rainbow six: Athena Sword is nice for multiplayer squads. Also in singleplayer you can give very specific instructions almost to the point that the game plays itself, or you can set up 3 squads of troops and switch back and forth between them controlling all of them.

"Reality is something that you rise above
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run
The fearful fall foul of fate as often as the reckless."
Rich(.Com)-Marillion
visit WWW.Marillion.com for a better way of life.

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Sunday, November 26, 2006 8:18 AM

For mulitplayer action I prefer Frontline Force for HL, the original Team Fortress for quakeworld, and Battlefield 2. Also, PVK (pirates, vikings, and knights) for HL is fantastic if you can find a server with players, ha.

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Sunday, November 26, 2006 9:00 AM

I used to love Multiplayer free for alls with HL. We had a large collection of unusual skins. Two guys who were brothers used to be Santa Claus with only the crowbar and could take 6 others consistantly dispite the others using any weapon they could find.
I always loved, of course, the Johnny The Homicidal Maniac Skin, but everyone else hated it, cause it was so dark that I could crouch under stairs nearly impossible to see, and use the satchel charges.
The fun ones included the smaller ones, like the powerpuff girls and Kermit the frog. Tiny little green guy running around with a full sized bazooka was hilarious.

"Reality is something that you rise above
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run
The fearful fall foul of fate as often as the reckless."
Rich(.Com)-Marillion
visit WWW.Marillion.com for a better way of life.

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Sunday, November 26, 2006 7:32 PM

ORPHEUS

Never could get HL's multiplayer to work for me for some reason. I did enjoy CounterStrike, but HL always eluded me.

____________________

"Bible, Wrath of Khan, what's the difference?"

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Monday, November 27, 2006 3:41 AM

*while the guys discuss games or whatever the heck they're talking about, Serenity hangs out in the kitchen making cookies and fudge and singing Christmas songs in Latin.*

Serenity,
President of The Juggled Gosling Chatroom
Bride8

http://callmeserenity.livejournal.com/

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Monday, November 27, 2006 4:34 AM

SERYN

*giggles at the occasional rude sounding latin word*

Actually i think they should make LMD his own computer game with however many squad mates he does or doesn't want (sorry, i phased out about two posts in - can't tell what he liked) but all of his squad mates a ferrets, and when his tells them to they go hide in any spare guitars they can find. And chitter fearsomly at the enemy.

Isn't sanity really a one trick pony, anyway? I mean all you get is one trick, rational thinking! But when you're good and crazy...ooh hoo hoo hoo... the skys the limit!
http://www.myspace.com/seryndippyt

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Monday, November 27, 2006 5:21 AM

I think I'd play that game!

Serenity,
President of The Juggled Gosling Chatroom
Bride8

http://callmeserenity.livejournal.com/

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Monday, November 27, 2006 6:55 AM

CYBERSNARK

Of course you'd need the one random squadmate/ferret who jumps up in front of you just as you're about to take a shot, and ends up costing you points for shooting the Idiot in the back.

(The noise of which warns the Bad Guys so that they have time to take cover and organize a counterattack.)

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Monday, November 27, 2006 8:06 AM

Okay, I wouldn't play THAT game. Poor dead ferrets. :(

I only like games where I don't have to kill cute and fuzzy creatures.

Like Tetris. I like Tetris.

Serenity,
President of The Juggled Gosling Chatroom
Bride8

http://callmeserenity.livejournal.com/

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Monday, November 27, 2006 8:28 AM

speaking of games with fuzzy things:
http://www.burststudio.com/flash/kitten.php
use the up and down arrow keys to change elevation, and the space bar to fire based on the power indicator on the cannon.

"Reality is something that you rise above
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run
The fearful fall foul of fate as often as the reckless."
Rich(.Com)-Marillion
visit WWW.Marillion.com for a better way of life.

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Monday, November 27, 2006 8:57 AM

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Monday, November 27, 2006 11:53 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by seryn:
but all of his squad mates a ferrets, and when his tells them to they go hide in any spare guitars they can find. And chitter fearsomly at the enemy.

lol, that's fantastic

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Monday, November 27, 2006 7:35 PM

OK. Where have I been? I'll tell you where I've been. Locked incommunicado while Bryce spent 19 hours rendering a very so so scene.

It didn't even come out as well as I'd hoped as there is still a very visible underwater line where the terrain feature ends and nothing else begins and the internal light source that I put within the towering mountain of diamond isn't well placed and the obligatory very reflective surface isn't properly positioned to show off anything intersting in the picture. But it took 19 hours to freaking render so for sure it's my desktop. Can't waste all of that processor time.

Arrgh.

And yes I realize it's only been a day since I've posted so nobody has actually gotten around to wondering where I've been but still I felt the need to rant.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 4:09 AM

huh?

Oh, never mind. Hi Dave!

Have a cookie.

Serenity,
President of The Juggled Gosling Chatroom
Bride8

http://callmeserenity.livejournal.com/

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 5:03 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by CallMeSerenity:
huh?

My pretty picture didn't turn out as prety as I'd hoped and it took a much longer time than I had anticipated while the stupid CG program that doesn't play well with others was hogging my computer.

Quote:
Oh, never mind. Hi Dave!

Have a cookie.

Thanks. I can sure use a cookie.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 5:34 AM

Cookies always help.

Serenity,
President of The Juggled Gosling Chatroom
Bride8

http://callmeserenity.livejournal.com/

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 6:42 AM

COZEN

I've just completed a 3 day hiatus from 'puters, thus have taken a mental piss break off of the internet highway. And it was good.

Sometimes I need a break.

I now own half my mother's condo. My brother owns the other half, but doesn't really want it. Well, technically, we own thirds, but that's all dependent on who dies first. When dear mom's days are done, I'm going to relocate to British Columbia, partly to eliminate a large inheritance tax. How cynical is that? Also puts me further away from Atlanta, eh?

I gotta get off of this overnight shift, cuz it tends to deprive me of sleep, and one result of sleep deprivation is that I tend to become maudlin.

Other than that, life is good!

***
An oatmeal cookie would be right nice about now, thanx. With a hot choccy drink for dippin' & sippin'.

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 6:52 AM

with or without raisins?

Serenity,
President of The Juggled Gosling Chatroom
Bride8

http://callmeserenity.livejournal.com/

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 7:25 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by CallMeSerenity:
Cookies always help.

I wouldn't go that far. But only very rarely however do they actually hurt so it's all good.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 7:47 AM

I've never been hurt by a cookie ever!

Obviously, they like me more than you.

Serenity,
President of The Juggled Gosling Chatroom
Bride8

http://callmeserenity.livejournal.com/

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 8:27 AM

It's almost funny that "distance to Atlanta" figures into moving plans. Almost.
only 275 days.

"Reality is something that you rise above
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run
The fearful fall foul of fate as often as the reckless."
Rich(.Com)-Marillion
visit WWW.Marillion.com for a better way of life.

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 8:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by CallMeSerenity:
I've never been hurt by a cookie ever!

Obviously, they like me more than you.

Well who wouldn't.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 9:25 AM

Serenity,
President of The Juggled Gosling Chatroom
Bride8

http://callmeserenity.livejournal.com/

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 11:39 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by CallMeSerenity:

It's so cute when you blush.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 11:57 AM

Well, I guess it's good I blush ALL THE TIME then. Can't help it!

Serenity,
President of The Juggled Gosling Chatroom
Bride8

http://callmeserenity.livejournal.com/

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Wednesday, November 29, 2006 4:11 AM

Personent hodie
voces puerulae,
laudantes iucunde
qui nobis est natus,
summo Deo datus,
et de virgineo ventre procreatus.

In mundo nascitur,
pannis involvitur
praesepi ponitur
stabulo brutorum,
rector supernorum.
perdidit spolia princeps infernorum.

Magi tres venerunt,
parvulum inquirunt,
parvulum inquirunt,
stellulam sequendo,
ipsum adorando,
aurum, thus, et myrrham ei offerendo.

Omnes clericuli,
pariter pueri,
cantent ut angeli:
advenisti mundo,
laudes tibi fundo.
ideo gloria in excelsis Deo.

Serenity,
President of The Juggled Gosling Chatroom
Bride8

http://callmeserenity.livejournal.com/

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Wednesday, November 29, 2006 8:51 AM

oops

"All these years
Truth In front of my eyes
While I denied
What my heart knows was right."
Neverland(Marbles)-Marillion
visit WWW.Marillion.com for a better way of life.

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Wednesday, November 29, 2006 9:37 AM