USB Virus

If you are a Windows user, I hope this helps you out.

Despite having Panda USB Vaccine installed, I am occasionally hit by a strange USB Virus that changes my USB files into shortcuts. The virus wants the user to think that all the files in the USB have been corrupted and that the only thing left to do is to re-format the USB key, to make it usable.

But don't format just yet. Try to scan your thumb drive first and see if your anti-virus software or malware scanner can clean it.

Next, open up a DOS window by clicking on the Start Icon, then typing CMD on the search box.

Once the command window is open, change to the drive letter assigned to your USB drive, (let's say for the sake of argument, that letter is X:) by typing X: on the command prompt. Now you can run the ATTRIB command on all files in your USB drive. Type help ATTRIB to know more about the command.

The USB virus created shortcuts with the same names as your files and change the attribute of your original files so that they become read-only, and hidden. All you need to do is to remove the hidden, read-only, and system attributes from all the files in your USB drive so that you can see and use these files once more.

Ok, enough explanation, just try typing " ATTRIB -R -A -S -H /S /D X: ". If you are lucky, then the files that you thought were lost should now be seen if you type DIR on the command prompt or open windows explorer and browse the contents of the USB drive. The files should now be re-usable. You can delete the shortcuts created by the virus. And in the future, try to disable autorun on your USB drives.

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Ikariam Port Defense

Prior to version 0.4, a single Ram Ship was considered crucial for defending a city against off-island attackers. Your opponent might send 160 ships full of land units, but as long as you have that single ram ship guarding your port, your city remains safe from pillaging.

But with version 0.4.4, it seems that a single Diving Boat should now be the preferred guardian for a city. Although it will take some time to research and also have higher upkeep, the diving boat has the advantage of not being destroyed in a sea battle as long as there are no other allied ships involved. That means that the diving boat has to be the only ship part of the sea battle against the opponent.

So during times of alliance conflict, all members should have at least a single diving boat in all their city ports. This can make it tough for your opponents since they always have to bring an attacking fleet with them aside from their pillaging land troops. And after they win the battle against that single diving boat, after 4 hours, they will have to deal with it again since the diving boat never dies (4 hours is the time it takes for scattered units to return to their city). Timing is essential in warfare and any delay allows you to ship out valuable resources or ship in reinforcements.

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Restaurant City: New Ways of Earning

Prior to the new update, the only way of earning coins was to rely on selling dishes, picking up trash, shaking trees, and earning from people playing the Arcade Machine. With the latest update of Restaurant City this first week of December 2009, there are now more ways of earning cash without the need for Playfish cash.

• Crazy Planets Pinball - 12,000 coins - more expensive than an 8,000 coin Arcade Machine because it takes 10 games before the need for fixing
• Floating Crystal - 60,000 coins - doubles the amount of money earned from picking up trash
• Wishing Well - 240,000 coins - earn every coin thrown by people in the well

Aside from these new methods of earning, there's new furniture, added player levels, and the new outdoor portion for the restaurant, in case you want your customers to eat in the open air.
New stuff to try out for both old timers and newbies. So is that Restaurant City account of yours long been forgotten? Revive it why don't cha.

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Ikariam Highscore

Hypothesis: By imitating the current top player's strategy, one can find oneself in the top 100 range eventually.

Discussion: Looking at the data below, I came up with the MS / TPS ratio (My Score to Top Player's Score ratio) which will more or less serve as one's strategy guide if one is aiming for the top spot. If everyone were to imitate this strategy though, then getting there might take longer. Whoever has the will to continue expanding while being able to resource manage efficiently will last out other players in the game whose interest eventually wanes =D. (Can't have an angry population now, can we).

Also of interest are the areas in Ikariam which seem to contribute to the top player's ranking. She (assuming the player is female) ranked 1st in Master Builders, Research Levels, and Scientists. But in the area of Build Levels, she ranked 9th, in Generals, she ranked 1909th (giving me more reason to suspect that the player is female since most males are war freaks =D ), and in Gold Stock, she ranked 1881th. So I am assuming that it is more important to have a lot of colonies, and to keep on researching rather than pillaging and blockading ports.

One way to prove this hypothesis is if I eventually become a top 100 player. But pillaging and going to war is so much more fun =) Anyway, for those chasing after a high ranking, try to make sure that your MS / TPS values are near 100% in the areas that the Top Player in your world is excelling in. And if you beat her in the other areas as well, then you might end up being the Top Player instead. Now, I gotta get back to gaming. Have fun!!!

Server 1 Data:

Comparison	My Score	Top Player's Score	MS / TPS
Total Score	9,033	49,285	18.33%
Master Builders	267,380	2,852,305	9.37%
Build Levels	256	431	59.40%
Scientists	73,666	307,786	23.93%
Levels of Research	124	156	79.49%
Generals	97,132	22,660	428.65%
Gold Stock	117,243	240,385	48.77%

NBI Clearance Quality Control

• A Third Trip to the NBI
  • When you are applying for an NBI clearance, it is possible that there are other people with the same name as yours might have committed a crime. If such a person exists, you will automatically get flagged, which is what the NBI refer to as a "hit". I've had an NBI "hit" before, but after a week, I usually just come back to the NBI satellite office and pick up my NBI clearance from their Releasing Department without any trouble at all.
  • But this was the first time I've been asked to come back a third time for an appointment with the NBI. And instead of simply going to their satellite office, they asked me to go to their Quality Control Department in Victory Center Mall, Caloocan City.
• Getting to Victory Central Mall - Caloocan
  • If you are from the Quezon City area, you can take either a bus from Trinoma going to Monumento. From the Monumento Rotunda, the one with Bonifacio's statue, you can talk a long walk going to Victory Central Mall. The NBI offices are located at the 5th level and you might have to take the escalators, or 5 flights of stairs, since elevators are only operational during mall hours. (You typically want to come early so that you can finish early.)
  • An alternative to going there would be by MRT, but from Trinoma, you might have to take a short bus ride to the area after SM North Annex / near Wal-Mart, where the first MRT station with a train going to Monumento is located. The station at Monumento is nearer Victory Center Mall.
• The Quality Control Area - Bring A Lot of Patience
  • If you are not they type of person who likes to read instructions, and instead, asks questions immediately, then prepare to face the wrath of the NBI Quality Control Area. They really dislike being asked questions since they are the ones who are supposed to do the interviewing and questioning. So just follow the instructions on the walls (like writing your full name on the receipt and dropping it in the drop box, then wait for your name to be called).
  • I was fortunate enough to have a "wrong IC" case, wherein the name that was associated with the crime was very different from my name. Even the address and other info about the criminal hardly matched any of mine. So instead of being grilled by the interviewer, I was asked to go to a different area to sort out the misunderstanding.
• Natty Abibas - an example of excellent Government Service
  • Despite the stereotypical perception of Philippine government employees as impatient and corrupt, once in a while, you will find a diamond in the rough. I am fortunate enough to have been helped by Miss Natty Abibas who immediately recognized the NBI's mistake and gave me clear cut instructions on how to resolve the problem so that I could obtain my clearance the same day. She was very patient and had a friendly personality. Contrast this to another employee who was outright mean (one shouted "Matuto po kayong mag-basa!!!" - translated as "Learn to read!!!") and showed you that they were only on the job for the pay, not to serve.
  • Perhaps Miss Abibas was also trying to save face for the NBI, since my having to go there was their mistake. She explained that system errors have a statistical occurrence of roughly 1%. The system matched my surname with the criminal's. I wonder if the NBI's computer system's should be modified so that a full name, age, and address match has to occur before a person is flagged. This can prevent people from experiencing additional hassles in order to clear their name.
• At Least The NBI Caloocan Office Seems to be Less Corrupt
  • Contrast this with the NBI Quezon City office were fixers still hover about despite the Anti-Fixer Streamers posted on the walls. And which fixer in his right mind would give you his name and personal information. He would probably lie and deny outright that he approached you. Maybe Mr. Tulfo should do an expose to catch these crooks and the government employees aiding or benefiting from them.
  • Another NBI Quezon City "racket" is asking for 3 pesos to process your receipt at the releasing window. This is a "finding fee" to locate whether or not your clearance had no problems. There was no "finding fee" in Caloocan. Why didn't the NBI simply add this fee to the receipt if it were a proper fee? Whoever imposed this fee is earning big non-taxable revenue. If 10,000 people were processed in a day, that's a daily revenue of 30,000 pesos, or a monthly revenue of about 660,000 pesos.
  • Alas, there is a business practice in Caloocan similar to one in Quezon City. In Caloocan, there is a vendor selling envelopes for your NBI clearance priced at 5 pesos. Again, a non-taxable revenue stream potentially backed by NBI officials. Considering that the price of a typical short brown envelope is only 2 pesos, then something half as small should not be outrageously priced simply because of a geographic monopoly. Quezon City has tissue paper / wet naps priced at 5 pesos - used to wipe your thumb after they apply the fingerprint on your NBI clearance. Again, this amounts to about 660,000 pesos in monthly revenue if we assume that the cost of the wet nap is about 2 pesos per piece. The person applying your finger print makes you feel that buying the wet nap is mandatory if you are to avail of his supposedly "free" service. Who needs assistance in finger-printing anyway? If they left the ink on the tables, people would do just fine applying their own fingerprints on their own clearance.

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Alteil: EX Langbart

Whenever an EX Set is released, I have always tried to watch out for the next EX Lapierre card. Grabados was the orc's EX Lapierre, and with EX 9, Duchy of Crest decks get EX Langbart.

Let's take a look at his skills.

Burn the Body or He'll Rise

This skill might seem strange for a Lawtia card, since undeads depend on the cemetery for recycling, but Alteil has added a much needed answer to graveyard recycling decks like Undeads and Big Refess (True Retear). Prior to Langbart, you would probably use Orthos (for Refess) or The Forest of Hate (for Gowen), to try to put a stop to the recycling engine.

But the weakness of this skill starts with the "and then" clause. You have to send a card from your cemetery out of the game, before you can send 2 cards from your opponent's cemetery out of the game.

Clear the Way

This counter skill takes effect as long as Langbart's AT is 50 or lower. He gets AT+20 and then damages one random enemy unit in range of 30 HP or lower. From a base AT of 20, you could end up with 60 AT after 2 counters. And the AT boosts are permanent, not unlike most boosts that only last during the turn.

Leader of Knights

While not as potent as EX Lapierre or Grabados' start skill, Langbart serves as another stat booster aside from Afeemina or Crest Paladin. One Duchy of Crest unit gets AT+10 and DF+5 for the turn, except Langbart.

Captain's Honor

In my opinion, this open skill is the reason Langbart is so effective with Crest Lady Paladin. As long as your Refess LV is 0, you get Refess LV=1. Generating an additional SP will always find use in most decks.

On Your Feet Soldier

An alternative to Skeleton Warrior as an SS with 2 LP. It also ends up reviving a closed friendly unit, but I think I would prefer Skeleton Warrior's boost of AT+20 and AG+1 to Langbart's AT+10 and DF+10. But in a deck where attack boosters are aplenty, you might want to opt for the additional DF (unless your packing a Lebeau or Alphonce SS). An unkillable unit is still one of the stronger end games in Alteil (Zugateroza with DF=50 usually means GG ^_^)

Now let's analyze his stats. LV=4 means anti-Return. HP=60 and DF=10 makes him a good tank. And AGI=3 is decent for any front liner. And while his AT starts at 20, Clear the Way, should remedy this initial setback.

So out of the EX 9 cards, I think EX Langbart is the "steal" if you are planning on running DoC. And DoC decks have started popping up in Folrart Arena and even in Tournaments. Have fun experimenting. ^_^

ECS P4M900T-M2 No Sound

After installing Windows 7, my system has no sound. But if I revert back to Windows XP, my system has sound. Have tried several driver downloads but no go. Device Manager simply sees the Audio Driver as “High Definition Audio Device”. Can’t find the motherboard driver installation CD.

If anyone can post a link to the most recent audio driver for this mother board, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

POSTCRIPT

Finally found the correct driver from ECS’s website, HDA_V500b. Here’s the link.

Jack Savoretti One Day Chords

An attempt at coming up with Guitar Chords for a song I like ^_^

Stanza Pattern

Am               G                  D

I'm counting the street lights

Am               G                  D
It's all I can do

Am               G                  D               CM7                D

While driving myself crazy trying to get to you

Am               G                  D
Feels wrong at the right time

Am               G                  D

To reveal my hand

Am               G                  D

It's like I'm doing the worst I can

CM7                            D
To make you understand

Chorus Pattern

Dm             G                              C - Em7 - Am
Maybe one day you will know

Dm             G                              C - Em7 - Am G
How hard it is for me to show my heart

Dm                 G
And all the love

C                   Em7    Am    G

Running through my soul

Dm                 G                          C
Maybe one day you will know

Repeat Stanza Pattern

I'm hoping you just might
Take a moment to realize
That everything you're looking for
Is hidden in plain sight
I know you better than I know myself
How I feel is the only thing I could never ever tell ya

Repeat Chorus Pattern

Maybe one day you will know
How hard it is for me to show my heart
And all the love
Running through my soul
Maybe one day you will know

Am   G     D
Maybe one day

Am          G              D
Maybe baby one day you will know

Am    G             D                       CM7 D
Maybe one day you will know.
Dm             G                              C

Maybe one day you will know
Dm             G                              C - Em7 - Am - G

How hard it is for me to show my heart

Dm                    G
And all the love
C                  Em7      Am      G

Running through my soul

Dm                     G                     C
Maybe one day you will know
Maybe one day you will know
Maybe one day you will know
Maybe one day
Maybe one day you will know

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Alteil: EX Mystere

I have been playing Alteil for quite some time now and here's my attempt at card analysis. I hope it will help beginning players out there improve their deck construction, and perhaps veteran players will also decide to explore other deck builds outside of the currentmeta (for the uninitiated, meta simply means the best decks used most of the time in Folrart Arena).

After much anticipation, and having Set 9 out for some time now, players are excited with the new release of Alteil's EX pack for Set 9. Let's try analyze these cards, starting with one of the better cards, in my opinion, Ex Mystere. Click the link to view one of the latest cards in Altel's latest expansion, EX9, the EX Mystere card.

First, let's look at her skills. Ultimate Elementalist will probably be the skill that will catch most seasoned player's attention. It converts all friendly level 1 Great Spirit units into units with the following stats. LV=3, MAX HP=50, HP=50, AT=30, DF=0, AGI=2 and RNG=2. Great Spirits at the top of one's mind would be Undine and Sylph for Falkow, Dryad and Salamander for Gowen, Shade for Lawtia, and Wisp for Refess. If you're playing Multi-color with Galdirea or Stronghold, then you might want to experiment with an EX Mystere / Great Spirits deck.

Another interesting skill would be Wind on the Water. You deal 30 damage to one enemy unit of AGI 4 or higher and  60 damage to one random enemy unit of AGI 0 or lower. This skill would be great in killing off Kurina in Gowen based decks. The random clause in the second part of the skill might not be a factor since how many units usually have an AGI less than or equal to zero? Undine is the obvious combo for taking advantage of this second part of the skill. Problem with Sea Serpent, use Undine on it then use this skill.

Elemental Cycle is great if your field is getting populated with great spirits. It is good to get back an Undine or Sylph so that you can keep reusing the AGI modification resulting from their open skills. Rapier Fencer of Regus or even Soul Skills like that of Metia of Ladol will always be triggered by Sylph. And as mentioned above, Undine is useful combined withWind on Water.

Finally, Balance of the Elements is the SS equivalent of the Set 9 card Withdrawal Strategy. But I don't really see EX Mystere being used as an SS since there are other more useful cards for removing a level 3 enemy unit, (Afeemina is way better).

Next, let's take a look at her stats. EX Mystere is a level 4 card, which is great if you want to avoid level 3 return based decks or Afeemina as an SS (Soul Skill).

60 HP is pretty standard for a level 4 card, and surprising for a Falkow card, but Mystere is not really a tank. You would still want some other unit tanking for her. I've seen some players use Sea Claw or Sea Sea Hunter to front for her.

3 AGI makes her evade Elite Fencer, but I actually wish she had higher AGI since her skills are what's important and being first to fire off in a turn is what usually wins games. It is surprising that the designers did not make her skill Ultimate Elementalist a start skill.

I would have wanted a higher attack from her, since 10 ATK is not really useful these days. The regular Mystere card has an attack power of 20 so I guess this is one way for the designers to "weaken" the card and not make it over powered (OP).

As for her range, 3 is decent for any card you'ld expect to place behind a tank.

Will EX Mystere beome meta soon? I highly doubt it. But she should introduce some creative game play for those who are tired of running Sea Behemoth files. Happy experimenting. ^_^

YouTube Full Screen Does Not Work

I can normally play YouTube videos in full screen mode on most computers, but when I was using one particular laptop, and tried to go full screen mode, all I saw was a "broken screen" - a grayish screen that was pixelated. I though that uninstalling and re-installing Flash player on the problem machine would fix the issue but even after doing this, the problem remained.

This video is really helpful. It explains that in order to solve the Flash player problem, you can

1. right-click the Flash player video, then click on "Settings",

2. then finally, uncheck the tick box which states "Enable hardware acceleration".

This also solved a problem I have been having with Queeky Paint. The application was also showing up as a gray pixelated screen but worked fine after I applied the settings above.

I hope this helps other computer users having the same frustrating problem out there.

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Diamond Rush: Six Boulders Solution

Was stumped for several "lives", trying to figure out the solution to the 6-boulder puzzle in the Diamond Rush game created by Gameloft. Finally figured it out with some help from the internet. Here's a visual guide for other players who are having a hard time with this puzzle.

Aside from this puzzle, the only other difficult part I've encountered so far was the "floating ball on water" puzzle. But I found out that you needed to acquire the "mystic potion" in one of the stages in Bavaria so that you're character can swim and breath underwater and eventually push the floating ball. So until you've drank the potion, this puzzle cannot be solved.

Thanks Gameloft for a very creative and brain-teasing game. I wish more developers would create simple and yet challenging games like Diamond Rush which shows that 2D games still have their place in today's modern video gaming. ^_^

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Job Type Affinity

Back when I was in school, our teachers loved to use frameworks like Michael Porter's Value Chain or the Boston Consulting Group Matrix. Frameworks are used to try to understand things, the why's and the how's, and if you're lucky, perhaps you can deduce the where and when.

So I've been doing a lot of thinking on my current state of being "in-between" jobs. And in the process, I've developed what I call the Job Type Affinity Framework. Jobs are classified as Easy or Difficult and Repetitive or Sporadic. The definition of easy or difficult will probably depend on the person making the distinction. Mozart probably considers what he did as easy, but composing music for me would be difficult. The same thing goes for categorization of what is repetitive and what is sporadic. I've heard some people say that they hate doing the same thing day in and day out, so to them that task is probably repetitive. Others might only do a task once a month but still feel that it is repetitive.

The idea is that each person is fit for certain types of jobs and will only find longevity in fields (I, II, III, IV) where they find the most satisfaction. And satisfaction is attained through a combination of Growth (Personal and Professional, Recognition), Salary (or Rewards), Free Time (or Freedom), and Lack of Stress. Some value their free time more than their growth. Others may not mind being overstressed as long as they are well paid.

Each field or region (I, II, III, IV) has certain trade-offs between the sources of satisfaction. A computer programmer who may be doing difficult repetitive tasks of putting up websites will most likely be paid more than a baggage boy in a supermarket. But that baggage boy will most likely have more free time on his hands since he usually works between 9 to 5, while the programmer may need to "camp" in the office until the project is done. The stress levels are usually greater in tasks that are more difficult. Some people can't stand the stress that comes with the job so they opt to do something else.

I also believe that Growth or Learning is affected by the environment. Repetition ingrains something on our minds but having too much stress can also take away from the learning. Also, if you've been doing the same thing for say 10 years, the added learning diminishes over time. But if you take on entirely different tasks, then the added learning is improved. This is the reason why some people might opt for job rotation or lateral movement than being promoted to a higher level doing more of the same.

So if you find yourself not lasting in the jobs that you've been doing, try to analyze which region the job falls in. Are the amounts of sources of satisfaction enough for your appetite? If not, then you really might not last long in that type of work. It is best to find the area which complements your needs for satisfaction.

Note: Frameworks are to be used as tools to try to understand things so if you feel that something is "wrong" with this framework, then let's discuss and see what can be revised and what can be retained =D

AVG .bin file missing

Just like a lot of AVG users around the world, I got the above error message when I booted up my PC. After searching and reading a bit of forums and blogs, I saw this helpful post by Sean Kearney. I'm reposting it here and adding a few helpful images so that other users encountering the same problem can have a bit of peace of mind.

I used his solution and it worked like a charm.

Thanks Sean Kearney!!!

After poking around on the web for a while it has become apparent that this is a widespread and to many users a scary problem. I did find the fix and it works like a charm. To get AVG 8.0 working properly again you must do the following:

1) Go to the AVG website at the following URL: http://www.grisoft.com/ww.download-update

2) Create a folder on your desktop and download the following files to the folder:
a) AVI: 270.6.4
b) IAVI: / 1616

3) Open the AVG control panel and click the "Tools" link. Select "Update from Directory," navigate to the desktop file that you created and placed the downloaded files into and select the file as the update source.

AVG should automatically load the update files and all of your notifications should go back to green. Hope this helps.

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A Significant Lack of Trek

I miss Star Trek. I was looking for a show to replace my sci-fi craving but couldn't seem to find any. I googled and came up with a list of the top 50 sci-fi shows of all time and was surprised that Star Trek: The Next Generation wasn't number one. Perhaps because a lot of votes for that list came from the original Star Trek fans.

But comparing the Shatner star trek to TNG is like comparing Adam West's Batman with the Michael Keaton's version. The first is more of a comedic fantasy feel, but the latter has a realism to it, you'ld know that it could be possible in real life.

Now, now, before you jump to the impossibility of warp theory, food replication, and transporters, try to look at modern day inventions that no doubt have some influence because of Star Trek TNG. Data is probably the ultimate aspiration of modern day inventors of robots and artificial intelligence. The computer camera which allows video communications and transmission remind me of Captain Picard saying "Onscreen" everytime they are hailed by a starship. And PDA's are not far from PADDs and Tricorders. I saw a "holographic" soccer ball being kicked around in a mall about a month ago and perhaprs soon, holodecks can become a reality.

These inventions are just a part of what I miss about Star Trek. I wish a new Star Trek show could replace the TNG cast, but rarely can one find a balanced and intriguing crew. I can't really say I know the Shatner-Spock team since I've watched very few episodes of the original series. Sisko's team had too many aliens while Bacula's team had too few. I guess the team that come's second to Picard's team is Janeway's crew.  Too bad, a Star Trek series has a maximum of 7 seasons. I really wonder why the people behind Trek can't come up with a good replacement. This drought has allowed shows like Battlestar Gallactica and Firefly to replace the void. Not that I have anything against those shows, they too have their own merits, but if any Sci-fi TV series should reign the airwaves, it should be a Star Trek show.

You'ld think that with the more advanced special effects we have these days, it would be easier to create a show like this, with stranger less humanoid looking aliens, cooler looking starships, and more advanced technology ... have people finally run out of ideas for what tomorrow's world might look like? Then perhaps the universe isn't so unexplorable as it seems. Writers have exhausted all possibilities of time travel, alternate realities, and human interaction and exploration that there appears to be no stories left to tell. Have we as audiences become so difficult to please?

So until then, I will have to settle for Star Trek: TNG, DS9, and Voyager re-runs. I may even try Battlestar Gallactica if I exhaust those. I don't really think going back to the original series for the 2008 movie will inspire audiences to clamor for more Trek. Going back to the past was the idea behind Enterprise, something counter-intuitive to a franchise that's supposed to challenge people to think about the future. And that is where people want to go because the unknown ideas of the future are what we really explore when we go where no one has gone before.

About My Soliloquy

This is the place where I get to express my thoughts and ideas freely, in the hope that others learn from my mistakes, relate to my experiences, and share their own so that I may learn as well.

If you have enjoyed any of my posts, feel free to comment and let me know how I can improve further. If there is a product or service you would like me to write about, e-mail me at nathanweisz@yahoo.com and if I enjoy that product or service, I will definitely post about it. You can also reach me via Twitter: https://twitter.com/nathanweisz

I'm also trying out a bit of being a free lancer / consultant so if you believe my services can be of use, perhaps we can come to an agreement. Again, just get in touch with me via nathanweisz@yahoo.com.

Thanks and I hope you enjoy the other articles on this blog. Peace!!!

Nathan – 10.21.12

Superhero

With all the superhero shows that are around like Smallville, Heroes, and Kyle XY and the popularity of movies like Spiderman, the Hulk and the Fantastic Four, people might begin to take the Bible for granted. People who see powers of telepathy, super strength, and regeneration might soon see the Lord Jesus Christ's miracles as nothing compared to these. All He did was heal the sick, multiply food, and rise from the dead. A lot of other heroes have done way  cooler stuff than He has. What better way for the enemy to discredit the works of God than to make the extra-ordinary seem ordinary.

The heroes of today probably have been influenced by characters from the Bible. Samson is a basis for comic characters with super-human strength. Elijah was probably the basis for comic heroes with super-speed or flame based powers. Look on to David's mighty men when it comes to heroes with expertise in archery and other projectiles. And Moses was probably the basis for wizards and magicians. God's omniscience, and ability to read other people's thoughts, a trait that He alone possesses and not even angelic beings have, has been given to telepaths in the comic world.

But let us not forget that everything written in the Bible is true and real, and has either occurred or will occur. Comic books on the other hand are mere fiction. Some heroes like Thor may be sons of fictional gods. But Jesus Christ is the real son of God. Some heroes like Superman claim to be the savior of mankind. Jesus came into the world to save us from our sins and offer us everlasting life. Characters like Linderman have the abililty to give life but cannot save their own life, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and He has risen from the grave and has over come death.

Let us not forget our true and real hero. Jesus Christ. He rescues us not only from physical pain, but from emotional and spiritual anguish. And entrusting your life to him is a safer choice than entrusting it to a fictional hero. Jesus is my Superhero.

Ikariam v0.4.4

Version 0.4.4 introduces the features below:

Feature - Forms of government
From now on you can select a form of government via the palace as soon as the new research topic Government Formation has been researched. There are eight different forms of government in total, which will bestow different bonuses but also different disadvantages on your island kingdom. The form of government can be changed as often as you like, although anarchy rules after each change. During anarchy, corruption in all towns is increased by 25% and no troop actions are possible. Completed research topics must precede the forms of government, whereby existing research topics have been extended and three new research topics have been added, Government Formation, Legislation and State Religion.
Feature - Alliance Chat
Every alliance has its own chat room, in which members can talk amongst one another. This can be entered via a button on the main page.
Feature - Alliance Forum
Every alliance receives its own forum in the Diplomacy Advisor. This means there are also new alliance rights, with which each alliance can determine who is allowed to administrate the up to 5 subforums with a maximum of 15 different threads and which members of the alliance can read and write in them.
Feature - The information screen about the Premium account has been revised.
For optimum loot distribution when pillaging, a player`s individual waves are now summarised.
Feature - Different dummy packages can be bought for Ambrosia, which enable you to fool opposing spies about the real troop strength of a town.

Aristocracy

Aristocracy is a government ruled by nobility, so an elite group.
Advantages:
-20% Building time for buildings
+20% Counter-espionage

Disadvantages:
+3% Corruption in all towns, apart from the capital city


Democracy

Democracy is a government ruled by the people.
Advantages:
+75 Satisfaction in all towns
+1 Research points per hour for each issued cultural goods treaty

Disadvantages:
-20% Counter-espionage
+5% Building time for ground fight units


Dictatorship

Dictatorship is the leadership of a commander, so an individual person.
Advantages:
-2% Upkeep costs for ground fight units
-2% Upkeep costs for sea fight units
-2% Building time for ground fight units
-2% Building time for sea fight units
+2 additional trade ships

Disadvantages:
-75 Satisfaction in all towns


Nomocracy

Nomocracy is a form of government ruled by law in which the rulers themselves cannot easily change the laws.
Advantages:
-5% Corruption in all towns
+20% Counter-espionage

Disadvantages:
+5% Building time for ground fight units
+5% Building time for sea fight units
+50% Loading time in your own port


Oligarchy

Oligarchy is a form of government in which a minority rules, in Ikariam these are the rich merchant families.
Advantages:
+5 Range of all trading posts
+10% Speed for merchant ships
-2% Upkeep costs for sea fight units
+2 additional trade ships

Disadvantages:
+20% Building time for buildings
+3% Corruption in all towns


Theocracy

Theocracy is a government ruled by clergy.
Advantages:
-20% Miracle cooldown
Satisfaction in all towns with a temple is increased by +2 times the conversion rate. The maximum bonus is +150.
+1 gold production per priest

Disadvantages:
-5% Research points
-20 Satisfaction in all towns without temples



Technocracy
Technocracy is a government ruled by experts - at Ikariam these are the scientists and researchers.

Advantages:
+5% Research points
+20% Unskilled labourers productivity

Disadvantages:
+1 Gold costs per scientist

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