Welcome to the Railsimroutes.net Blog, where I'll be posting progress updates, work-in-progress screenshots, information about the progress I'm making with active projects, as well as anything else I feel is worth mentioning. Hopefully more frequent updates here will make the wait for upcoming releases more bearable! News from 2008, all the way back to 2001, can be found in the News Archive.
My openBVE videos and other comments from users and myself can also be found via my YouTube channel.
Screenshot showing superelevation in openBVE v1.2.7.0 and Cross-City South v2.0.
Note the wheels touching the rails throughout the transition curve (scenery is not finished yet).
preserved Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway.
Essentially, I think .Accuracy values of 0 to 2.0 are suitable for continuous welded rail, and values of 2.1 to 4 are suitable for jointed rails. I'm aware that not everyone may be sure about the new inaccuracy model, however I think it works well when used sensibly, and I would also point out that the development release has been publicly available for testing for at least three weeks, so if you don't like it, you've missed your chance to give feedback prior to the latest stable release. Nevertheless, if you have any comments, please let us know. Personally I prefer the new algorithm and enjoy the representation it can give when accompanied by the sounds of jointed rails, but some may prefer the old; please give it a try with the updated Cross-City South v1.31.07 and class 323 3D cab though (see below), as this update shows what the new inaccuracy model can do. Also bear in mind that you may only prefer the old algorithm because you're used to it, not because it was more realistic; the old algorithm had it's limitations.
I've added the aforementioned timetable functionality to the class 323's 3D cab, but it's commented out by default, as displaying the timetable images via openBVE's UI overlay makes more sense where the Cross-City South and class 323 are concerned, plus the feature is still experimental.
For more detailed information about the new cant behaviour, and timetable support in .animated objects, please read the official openBVE documentation. For details of all the changes introduced with the v1.2.7.0 release of openBVE, including those not mentioned here, please see the changelog.
If you have an earlier version of Cross-City South installed, or you're not sure which version you already have, please download the full version instead.
Important note: Please delete the existing Birmingham Cross-City South folders in your 'Railway\Route\' folder, before installing Cross-City South v1.31.07, whether it's the update being installed, or the full version! If you don't, you'll end up with four Cross-City South route folders rather than three, and you might not be sure which is the right folder to use (incidentally, this is the reason why I haven't changed the folder names until now).
I'm officially announcing the Railsimroutes.net UK Railway Infrastructure Object Library today, which will contain all the objects and textures which are shared between my two upcoming openBVE route projects, Birmingham Cross-City South v2.0, and Watford Junction to Rugby v1.0. This library will be maintained by me, and all developers will be welcome to install and use this library with their own projects, without any conditions or requirement to seek permission.
The library will contain all sorts of objects, including track, catenary, signals, lineside objects, some basic scenery, and so-on, which might help to make new routes easier to develop. It will also have the advantage, that whenever I update the library, perhaps with higher quality textures or better objects, any routes which call upon the library, will also get updated. I'll plan it carefully, to ensure that changes remain backwards compatible. I anticipate that the library will be released along with Cross-City South v2.0 initially, and then it'll receive it's first update when Watford Junction to Rugby is ready.
I've also updated the openBVE Help and Information section to cover the installation of openBVE in Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx). It's hard to imagine how installing openBVE via the Ubuntu Software Centre could be any easier, and installing openBVE via this method, also makes installing and running the latest official openBVE release with Mono, easier too. I've decided to remove the instructions explaining how to run openBVE with Wine, as I'm experiencing problems with the version of Wine available for install with Ubuntu 10.04, relating to GDI+ (and the problem isn't just occurring with openBVE, either). Perhaps something to do with a Beta release of Wine being supplied rather than a stable release, I don't know. Running with Mono is much easier though, if you can live without plugin DLLs.
best selling PC Gamer magazine.
Incidentally, I also want to apologise for the lack of progress with my routes, and for posting so many screenshots and not delivering anything, which I feel that some of you are not impressed by. This is mainly due to me working on openBVE 2, which means that I don't have much time to devote to the routes at the moment. openBVE 2 is a priority though, and a fantastic experience for me, so I hope fans of my routes will understand. Besides, both routes will run even better in openBVE 2, anyway. I know that the routes look more-or-less finished already, but they're not – there are such issues as missing track in places, performance optimisations which still to be carried out, and an entire missing station to deal with at Rugby, to name but a few examples. I don't make a habit of releasing junk and expecting people to be happy with it, so the projects won't be released until I'm satisfied that a decent standard of quality has been achieved; that doesn't mean they have to be perfect in every way, just not a disappointment.
As regular visitors will have hopefully noticed, I've redesigned the website, as I felt it needed an update, and I also wanted to put some updated website design skills into practice. The site was last redesigned in 2007 with a theme called "Modern", characterised by a metallic grey colour scheme and smoothly shaded backgrounds, where Windows users would have been greeted with the Tahoma font throughout, and it was designed to be XHTML 1.0 and CSS Level 2 compliant. However, the content of the site wasn't reorganised very much since the time of the previous "Retro Blue" design, and over time it became somewhat cluttered and untidy in my view.
This latest redesign is the fourth incarnation of the site, with a new theme called "Clarity" (hopefully it might live up to it's name ;)). The new design is meant to be clearer, better organised, and easier to read. The site has been completely rebuilt from scratch; PHP is now used as well as HTML, and much of the site is XHTML 1.1 and CSS Level 3 compliant. I've tested the new site using Firefox 3, Internet Explorer 8, Opera 10, Chrome 5, and Safari 5, and everything works well. The site also works just fine in Internet Explorer 7 and earlier too (tested as far back as IE 5.5), but if you use one of those older Microsoft browsers, you might notice a minor rendering issue around the style selector dropdown box in the footer of each page. Essentially, I'm not happy having to devote much time to dealing with the quirks of browsers which aren't properly compliant with more recent web standards, partly because it's just annoying, but also because catering for them can lead to such browsers outliving their welcome (IE 6 springs to mind!). So, if you use Internet Explorer 7 or earlier and want perfect rendering, I would recommend upgrading to Internet Explorer 8 if possible, which is just fine.
I've taken the decision to remove some old sections of the site which never received much of my attention, and I've moved my old BVE 2 and 4 add-ons into their own de-emphasised legacy add-ons section, as they're not really reflective of the quality of work I'm now producing; the emphasis is now placed on my upcoming openBVE projects instead. I've also introduced a sitemap, as a couple of people have indicated that some information was harder to find, previously.
Windows 7 and Vista users will get the Segoe UI font throughout (along with the rather nice Consolas for code snippets), giving the best appearance.
Windows XP users will also get the Segoe UI font, if Windows Live Essentials applications have been installed (for example, Messenger, Mail, Photo Gallery or Writer), or if Office 2007/2010 has been installed. XP users will also get the Consolas font with Office 2007/2010, or this can be downloaded free from Microsoft's website. If neither Windows Live Essentials or Office 2007/2010 have been installed, but the free Microsoft Powerpoint Viewer 2007 is installed, then Candara (along with Consolas) will be seen instead. If none of these have been installed, then Trebuchet MS (along with Courier New for code snippets) will be seen, which are fonts included with Windows XP.
Others will likely see generic sans serif and monospace fonts (although these look very nice in Ubuntu Linux, for example).
Incidentally, I experimented with CSS3's @font-face declaration for embedding fonts, so that a consistent text style would be seen regardless of which fonts are installed locally on someone's computer. This does indeed work fine, but I haven't yet decided upon a set of fonts which I like, and which are also released with acceptable non-restrictive licencing terms, so that I can host the fonts on my own server without issues. I'll explore this again in future, however.
More observant visitors will have noticed that I've also renamed the site slightly. I've dropped the "UK" part of "Rail Sim Routes UK", and the site is now called "Railsimroutes.net" instead. The site is still available via two domain names, railsimroutes.net and railsimroutes.co.uk; I have no plans to retire the .co.uk domain, although you might want to update your bookmarks if you still use it.
I'm not sure if any other openBVE developers have attempted this yet, but a feature I've been wanting to add to my routes for some time now, is animated digital station clocks which show the actual in-game time. Of course, we've seen a very nice working analogue station clock featured in » DemoRoute1 « (see right), but a digital clock would be useful, too.
I studied the functions in DemoRoute1's analogue clock .animated file, along with openBVE 1's source code to see how the display of in-game time is handled, and eventually opted to use multiplication rather than division in my functions as per the animated object in DemoRoute1. You can find some details of the finished set of files below.
Animated 24-hour digital clock shown in the openBVE Object Viewer utility.
Sample files can be downloaded here.
Note: The purpose of the mod function used in displaying the hour digits, is to ensure that the displayed time wraps around back to 00 when passing midnight, rather than 24 or higher being displayed.
I also just wanted to briefly mention that a new openBVE 3D cab has been released for the London Underground 1992 stock, with animated features including a traction/brake controller, speedometer, and working in-cab CCTV monitor. Night-illuminated cab indicators and screens are also included, and the overall effect created by the cab is very nice, despite a couple of initial teething problems. The 3D cab is an add-on for the BVE4 1992TS, which needs to be installed first; both downloads can be found at » http://bveroutes-trains.co.uk «. A note on installing the 3D cab — at the time of writing, I noticed that the 3D cab download contains an incorrect folder structure, i.e. there's no "1992TS" subfolder included, and the files could easily end up accidentally being placed in your Train folder directly instead, which won't work, of course. You will need to be careful as to where you choose to extract the files. For further information, you might like to monitor » this thread « on the BVE Exchange forum.
What I would consider to be one of the flagship routes for openBVE due to it's innovation, and one of the most varied and enjoyable, namely » odakyufan's Chashinai Railway «, has been updated. The Misaki Line from Tawaramoto to Hitachiomiya can now be driven back and forth in both directions (via seperate route files), which is fun. The ATC system has also been redesigned, such that a gradual, smooth brake curve is now implemented, along with a Rapid Mode which removes the smoothening for use in the rush hour where trains are more frequent and adhering to the timetable is harder. Driving the Chashinai 9000 Series train with ATC, TASC and ATO activated is one of the most enjoyable things which can be done with openBVE, so I'd strongly recommend that you give this a try — it's well worth it. Instructions can be found » here «. Please also note that the source code for the plugins used by the Chashinai Railway's trains is included within the train download, and I'd recommend that anyone considering plugin development in future, study the cleanly written, concise source code as well, of course bearing in mind that a move to cross-platform .NET plugins will occur in future. Incidentally, publishing the source code for plugins is something I would like to see more train developers doing in future, and certainly something I will be doing in future (I'll be writing a new cross-platform .NET plugin for the new class 323 of course), once » openBVE 2 « is in a more advanced stage of development.
Moving road vehicles have also been added together with traffic sounds, shown to best visual effect on overbridges, I think particularly on the Koriyama Line (also bi-directional), Takahagi and Ishinden Lines, and vehicles can be seen travelling parallel to the railway between Shirosato and Motegi on the Misaki Line as well. The use of texture shifting functions here, enables vehicles to appear as though they're travelling along the road, despite it's apparent gradient and directional changes. I'll be doing something similar at Watford Gap and other locations on the Watford Junction to Rugby route, using a technique developed for 3D vehicles by odakyufan, » details of which can be found here «. Other details, such as beacons correctly aligned with sleepers and track are taken care of too, as I've tried to do with AWS magnets in my routes. You'll also find far more variation in the numbers of passengers waiting to board your train, which makes stations pleasing and fun to approach as there's far more to see now; the recent changes to openBVE regarding the weight of the train increasing with passenger load and the effect this has on performance, can be used to good effect here (don't forget to download the most recent version 1.2.6.1 of » openBVE « for this to work). Watch out for wheelslip depending on location, environmental or meteorological conditions too!
Developers might also be interested in taking a look at how the Chashinai Railway's route files have been prepared. openBVE's $Include directive has been used extensively, with much greater efficiency and flexibility now possible.
Please visit » The Web Presence of Odakyufan « to download the latest release of Chashinai Railway, and also » this thread on the openBVE forum «, where additional screenshots, information, details and benefts of $Include can be found. This is sophisticated, high quality and beautiful work, and I look forward to seeing more in future.
openBVE v1.2.6.1 has been released, which includes a bugfix relating to the Options.UnitOfSpeed command, which could for example, involve an incorrect speed limit being determined when the Route.Limit command is used. Please » download the latest release « if this issue affects you.
Also, when I posted my last blog entry, I forgot to mention that the » openBVE Route Viewer « has been updated. When your route is loaded, you can now simply type in a distance via the main number keys (not the numberpad keys), and hit Enter — the camera will then be moved directly to the location you just entered. This is an immensely useful time-saver.
The » Network West Midlands « (NWM) team have announced some promising updates for the first 2010 release of the route network, which should make some good use of openBVE's capabilities and features. We can look forward to such delights as random moving traffic on overbridges, moving passing trains similar to what I've demonstrated in one of my early YouTube videos, various points of interest, multiple eras, random routing/weather conditions/other features thanks to openBVE's » $Include directives «, 3D signals, trees and lamp posts similar to those I've shown previously, along with the addition of catenary based on my own high detailed Cross-City South OHLE objects throughout the routes, where a very nice job has been done with their implementation. Some excellent new track textures have also been prepared for the route.
Please visit the » NWM website « for more information and screenshots.
I noticed some new screenshots of the Taipei Metro Xinbeitou Branch Line, being developed for openBVE by » BVETRT «, and I wanted to mention them as I think they look superb. There's richly coloured scenery, the detailing of the stations and near-track areas looks fantastic, and the railway infrastructure is very well modelled and convincing. Also take a look at this » YouTube video « of the line as well.
Lastly, my webhost kindly migrated Railsimroutes to a new, high performance shared server recently, and they also installed the Nginx reverse proxy webserver in conjunction with Apache, which I've noticed has increased the responsiveness of the site along with page loading times. The migration went smoothly, but if anyone has had any issues with the site during the last three weeks, please let me know.
Before I talk about the new openBVE 2 Renderer Demo, I just want to announce that aside from developing my routes, I'm also now working with Michelle as a C# programmer, and I'm actively participating in the development of openBVE 2. So far, apart from various discussions, I've worked on adapting openBVE 1's .X object parser as a loading-stage plugin for the new program. So, while you're using the program, if you have any problems regarding X format objects created via the BVE Structure Viewer (the output from this tool is what openBVE effectively supports), then you can probably point the finger of blame at me. 😉 Just to remind and reassure readers, I am still developing my routes, and I haven't abandoned them!
As many of you will know, openBVE 2 has been in development for some time, and I'm pleased to say that a demo of openBVE 2's new renderer is now available for download. Unlike it's predecessor, openBVE 2 is modular — many of the functions which were previously carried out within the program, such as loading and parsing routes or objects, or brake system simulation, is now carried out by plugins instead. This means that openBVE 2 is extensible in a way which openBVE 1 is not. For example, with openBVE 1, adding support for a new 3D object format, would require modification of the core program itself, and a new release. But with openBVE 2's extensible architecture, support can simply be added via a new plugin, which means the core program need not be modified or recompiled. Clearly, this is a much better design in the long term.
The new renderer demo is intended for advanced users and developers only, and the main purpose of the demo is to test the performance of openBVE 2's new renderer in comparison with openBVE 1's, on a variety of computer systems. Indeed, no train simulation features are actually included at this stage, and not all visible features of routes, such as backdrops or animated objects, are accomodated yet.
It would be greatly appreciated if you could download and test the new renderer, and report your experiences; for example, what framerates you see, what viewing distance you find yourself liking to use, and what performance you achieve when equivalent settings are used in both the openBVE 2 Renderer Demo and openBVE 1. Hopefully you'll find that framerates using openBVE 2's renderer are far higher.
I'm delighted to say that all the routes I've tried, benefit greatly from openBVE 2's new renderer. Not only are framerates higher, but the viewing distance can be increased significantly as well. 🙂 This is also good news for those of you waiting for Watford Junction to Rugby. For example, take the highly detailed Bourne End Junction area, which contains nearly a kilometre of 60mph crossovers between the fast and slow lines, lots of complex overhead line equipment, and plenty of track and lineside detail. With a viewing distance of 3000m (yes, 3 kilometres :)), in openBVE 1, the framerate here is dragged down to a measly » 19 fps « . But with openBVE 2's renderer, I get an impressive » 155 fps « instead.
Here are some other examples of framerate improvements. For detailed specifications of the computers used in these tests, please » see here «.
Please note that all framerates were taken with the camera left at it's initial position and orientation, to produce reliable and consistant results. In openBVE 1, the F3 external camera key was pressed once and left remaining at the start of the route, and the train moved to the end of the route via the Jump to Station menu, to ensure that no external car objects were lowering framerates.
As you can see, on my systems, openBVE 2's renderer is far superior to openBVE 1's. Of course over time, more features will be added, and these will use some more of the newly available CPU and GPU resources and reduce peformance a bit. However, for those of you with slow computers, these extra performance reserves could mean that more detailed routes and trains could be usable than would be the case with openBVE 1.
Some more framerate comparisons… openBVE v1.2.5.1 on the left, openBVE 2 Renderer Demo on the right. Remember that we're interested in the framerate, not the graphical quality, at this early stage! Support for backdrops and smooth transparency will be added to openBVE 2's renderer in due course. Also note that the viewing distance likely used by many openBVE users is the default 600 metres, but here, the viewing distance is 3000 metres instead.
I want to mention briefly the concerns regarding the name "openBVE 2" being changed soon, as architecturally, the new program is entirely different to openBVE 1, let alone BVE Trainsim, and I've noted some fears being expressed regarding the name change and widening scope of the project, particularly where add-on compatibility is concerned. However, I think these fears are being blown out of proportion. All openBVE content will still be compatible with the new program, so there's no need to panic — add-ons aren't going to suddenly become defunct. If any developers have concerns about this, please feel free to discuss them with either myself or Michelle.
I've also noticed people express concerns that openBVE 2 is going to be far more difficult to use and develop add-ons for. From the end-user's point of view, and with cooperation from add-on developers (like me), it could actually be far easier, because it will be possible to install and uninstall add-ons from within the program itself, via it's graphical user interface, rather than dealing with archiving utilities, self-extracting archives, different directory structures contained within them depending on which developer packaged them, and so-on. This kind of stuff is not easy for everyone, especially beginners, and it has to be repeated with every add-on. Where add-on creation is concerned, one of the benefits of the modular, plugin-based architecture, is that adding support for new file formats, such as file formats created by 3D modelling applications, becomes easier, not harder. It also means that route building tools, should they be made, can more easily interface with the host program via the new API. Those of us who prefer hand-coding methods, myself included, can still do what we've always done as well — it's all a choice. Of course, with a program capable of rendering a vast world, it does become harder to make add-ons which fully exploit this new potential. Even I'm not exploiting this potential with my add-ons currently, but in future this may be highly desirable (just as I've upgraded my routes incrementally in the past), and the ability will be there for anyone who wants it, or who can envisage a use which even we haven't even thought of yet. Anyway, the modular architecture makes it easier to build content creation tools, or provide support for existing tools and their file formats, which will make the growing possibilities easier to take advantage of. This does however, require some good programmers willing to devote some time to creating such tools, or writing plugins to support existing tools or formats; I recognise this, and I'm sure Michelle does as well. Lets try to be a little more positive about the future.
openBVE v1.2.5.0 was released a few days ago, and various changes have been made to openBVE since my last blog entry. In this release, the main form (i.e. the window for route selection, setting options, etc.) is smaller so that it can be used on smaller screen sizes (e.g. 800×600) or with larger fonts, and if the window is resized, the new size is saved between sessions. The player's train now derails when passing the end of the track, as well.
Michelle has also written an impressive RIFF/RIFX/WAV PCM/ADPCM parser, which she's ported from openBVE's successor to openBVE 1. This removes the need for two dependencies, namely ALUT and SDL, and her parser supports a wider range of sampling rates. Other improvements recently, include a shortening of loading times for routes using detailed animated objects (which eventual users of the projects being developed here will appreciate). Also, there's the addition of the $Include preprocessing directive which allows text in other files to be parsed in place of the directive in a route file (with random selection of multiple included files), and point-based turns (via the .Turn command) are smoothened out, which gives much more pleasing results. Please see » this thread « for more discussion about these latter features.
Head over to the » openBVE homepage « to try the latest v1.2.5.0 release, and you can read the changelog for further details. Remember that the » developer tools « have also been updated as well.
It's been quite a while since I posted any updates regarding my routes, so I thought you might like to know what's happening with the Watford Junction to Rugby project this time. I'm relatively happy with the state of the permanent way and between-station railway related lineside objects, so I'm now implementing some more scenery enhancements, including improved under-bridge shadow effects, moving road vehicles, and lineside buildings. I've also, at last, started working on the stations and so far I've created new photo-realistic lamposts, photo-realistic 3D platforms, and various signs.
openBVE v1.2.5, and Watford Junction to Rugby with new lineside buildings, station details, road vehicles, scenic shadows, and backdrops.
FEVF Railway and EM A1 3D cab.
mtrain HD v2.0 and Hong Kong Island Line.
First Brno Track and CD163 plus coaches.
There are a couple of new projects in the works which I'm personally very much looking forward to seeing, namely » Odakyufan's « representation of the Odakyu Odawara Line running from Tokyo's Shinjuku station, and the new Iida line currently being developed. The latter will of course be known to BVE users as one of Gaku's classics (see my links page), but the new Iida line, train and exterior car objects being developed at » http://mus-iida.jpn.org « look beautiful and very realistic so far.
Some superb early screenshots of » Odakyufan's « representation of the Odakyu Odawara line were also published a little while ago. The Odawara line starts from Tokyo's busy Shinjuku station, and the line is well known for it's Romancecar limited express services for tourists visiting Odawara and the surrounding resorts, but it's also a busy commuter route and the Odakyu Electric Railway uses it's own OM-ATS safety system, which will be simulated in a semi-realistic way due to the absence of detailed technical information. Odakyufan has a goal of modelling at least the first five stations, and this will be interesting to see, as this section of the line is surrounded by densely packed buildings. The screenshots showing the exit from Shinjuku station, Japanese 1500V DC catenary and Tokyo's buildings all look very promising indeed, and easily recognisable, even at an early stage of development.
Incorrect pathname in route files using the class 323 passenger views.
The ground repeater signal prior to Birmingham New Street station is now accurately modelled, such that the red aspect is nearest to the driver (i.e. the signal is as though it were upside down now, as in reality). Many thanks to Paul Sladen for pointing this out.
In the night routes, "P" has been added as the ArrivalTime argument of the Five Ways .Sta commands (to indicate that trains are not meant to stop). Thanks again to Paul for bringing this omission to my attention.
Also in the night routes, the repetition count for Background(0) has been added, which was missing previously, leading to a horizontally compressed background image.
Existing Cross-City South v1.31.03 users can simply download a small update to v1.31.05 here: xcs_1_31_05_update.7z [180 KiB]. If you're using a version earlier than v1.31.03, you might be better off downloading the full route pack again, which also now includes the aforementioned update. The previously separate class 37 and 158 route files are now included in the main download as well. Please also note that BVE 4 doesn't work on my current Windows 7 64-bit/NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 setup, so this update has only been tested in openBVE, as it's inconvenient having to dual boot or use another computer every time I want to check some minor thing in the old BVE 4. There aren't any changes which should affect BVE 4 users, but if any issues arise, please let me know with as much detail about the problem as possible, and I'll investigate.
I noticed that the site has had it's one millionth visit today (as opposed to page view), insofar as it's possible to measure such things — the actual number of users of my routes will likely number in the low thousands, of course. Thank you to everyone who has taken an interest in my work during the eight or so years since this site was launched!
All of these screenshots were captured on a system with a Core 2 Quad Q9650 CPU (3 GHz), 2GB DDR2-1066 RAM and a GeForce GTX 260 graphics card, running on a motherboard equipped with the P45 Express chipset, and as you can see, even Watford Junction to Rugby runs nicely here, never dropping below about 40 fps in the external view with the class 87 and a 600m drawing distance (achievable with 2 CPU cores in use rather than 4). It will likely run even better with openBVE 2's renderer, allowing those with slower computers to enjoy some higher framerates too. It's also important to note, out of openBVE, BVE 2, BVE 4, and the latest pre-release version of BVE 5 (after the route has been converted to it's new formats), that at the moment, openBVE remains the only simulator that is capable of loading and/or handling Watford Junction to Rugby with the high level of detail and object count it currently has, and openBVE handles the route on a slower Athlon64 X2 4200+ system with a Radeon HD 2600 Pro as well. Incidentally, I can't assess whether Cross-City South v1.4 would be suitable for BVE 5 yet, as the route is very unfinished and there's still a lot left to add; of course you'd certainly lose all the dynamic scenery and animation effects, along with the 323's 3D cab, exterior and passenger views after such a conversion–hence I can say that my priority will remain openBVE. Naturally with Watford Junction to Rugby, I want to focus on openBVE primarily as well, and as the project is taking a long time to complete, BVE 2 and 4 compatibility and detail reduction will now be a lower priority, and I'll only start on this task after all the openBVE features are finalised and the project is otherwise completed.
Lastly, I've been used to using openBVE with a 17″, 5:4 aspect ratio TFT monitor at a resolution of 1280×1024, but now I've seen openBVE running on a 24″ TFT with a 16:10 aspect ratio, routes and trains can look magnificent, and I'm highly impressed by the additional immersion which is offered, especially with the 323's 3D cab. The higher resolution also makes arranging and working with a text editor and openBVE's development tools much more enjoyable, and it's also better for working with something like a C# IDE for example, or image editing software. More updates will follow soon.
openBVE v1.2.2 has been released, and this version includes some new variables for developers to use in animated objects or 3D cabs, including new variables for acceleration and motor acceleration; more variables can now be used to query specific cars as well. New subjects covering acceleration and motor acceleration which developers can use in the legacy panel2.cfg file are also provided, and some bug fixes are also included in this release. Please visit the » openBVE homepage « and read the » Changelog « for more details.
Notes: in the rotatexfunction line, -2.4 determines the needle rotation with no motor acceleration, and 1.5 determines the needle rotation with maximum motor acceleration. You can adjust these two values according to your ammeter gauge design. If you add an ammeter to your own 3D cab, remember that the statefunction line and multiple states (*.csv files in this case) may not be necessary depending on what plugin DLL, if any, you wish to use. When it comes to designing full 3D cabs for the class 86 and 87 electric locomotives for use with Watford Junction to Rugby, I'll revisit ammeter design in more detail.
I've also fixed a few bugs in the Cross-City South route. There were a few objects (houses, warehouses etc.) which included some surface lighting issues, which have now been fixed. Some class 170 3D objects also contained incorrect 'Color' commands resulting in errors being reported when the routes were loaded; these have now been changed to 'SetColor', which is correct for CSV format objects. As some of you will know, the Cross-City South also uses some .Sta commands only for signalling approach control purposes, which aren't meant to be stopped at. However, you would still be penalised if you passed such a station without stopping. Thanks to Paul Sladen, I've now corrected these .Sta commands so that you can pass them without being penalised, while preserving the approach controlled signalling functionality.
You can download the full v1.31.03 route package via the Cross-City South download page.
There aren't any new features included, as all of those improvements are going into the Cross-City South v1.4 project instead, and I'd prefer to hold those improvements back until the v1.4 is ready for release, as the end result will be more enjoyable that way.
Important Note: Those of you still using BVE 4, will find that the route files now call upon the openBVE version of the unrefurbished class 323 EMU by default (Train\Cl323 Unrefurb_openbve). BVE 4 users can either install the openBVE version of the train, or edit the route files to use the older BVE 4 class 323.
I've also updated the 323's 3D cab so that it makes use of the new hasPlugin variable. If you're using openBVE v1.2.2 with a non-Windows operating system, then this will allow the cab illumination to work in the absence of the Windows only plugin DLL, which wasn't the case previously.
I've also made some adjustments to the placement of the brake gauge, as it wasn't quite right before, and now when you pass through a neutral section, the cab lighting should remain unaffected as the UKMUt.dll's ats30 (pantograph up) is used as well as ats31 (Line Volts) now. The carriage light dimming effect will be retained in the passenger area once the new 323 external objects are released however. I've also remembered to remove several superfluous GenerateNormals statements from some objects this time, as they serve no purpose in an openBVE add-on.
Someone also kindly informed me that there may be some further innaccuracies with the cab's indicators; once I've investigated further I'll address these issues at some point in future. It's also nice to note that the 3D cab may have been downloaded perhaps as many as 1500 times since it's release.
Important: Also requires » Cl323 Unrefurb_openbve_05.02.09.zip « to be installed first.
I'm not making much progress with my projects at the moment, and I know that some of you may be disappointed that I've not yet finished Cross-City South v1.4 despite me saying that it'd be done before now (this is also why I'm usually reluctant to give release dates, and I shouldn't have done so where this project is concerned). Rest assured, barring any disasters, it will be finished eventually and I'm still in the game, however, sometimes circumstances in the real world prove to be too much of a distraction, and it means that what one wishes to accomplish in the simulated world has to wait for a little while. This won't last long however, and patience will be rewarded.


It's been almost three years since I bought my Mk VI Golf TDI, and I still love it dearly. If I could change anything about it though, I would like a touch more performance, and just a bit more space. Well it appears that Volkswagen has heard my cries for such a machine and has introduced the new Golf GTD Variant. On US soil, the Golf Variant wears the badge Jetta Sportwagen, but in truth it is little more than a Golf wagon. The GTD badge signifies a more powerful and sporty version of a diesel. While I despise the comparison, think of GTD as a GTI Diesel.
To create this machine, Volkswagen has taken the Sportwagen TDI and upped the horsepower from 150 to 181 ponies and cranked torque up from 236 pounds to a full 280 pound-feet. From there, a new set of fancy extra parts are added like new bumpers, revised grille, smoked lights, body kit changes, new alloy wheels, back roof rails and dual chrome exhaust tips. All these changes combine to make the GTD look even meaner than sharper than it did before.
But now we get to the bad news. Volkswagen hasn't even released the GTD version of the standard Golf here in the states; the odds of a Wagon model GTD arriving are essentially none. Still, a man can dream. If you live on the other side of the Atlantic, and you want to park on of these in your driveway, VW says prices start at just under 32k Euros.
You can read Volkswagen's full press release on the new VW Golf Variant GTD.
Since 1982 Volkswagen's GTD logo has stood for Gran Turismo Diesel, with its promise of sporty yet economical motoring. Now for the first time, the GTD initials grace the Golf Variant, which like the Golf GTD, boasts the 184 PS (135 kW) TDI engine. The new Golf GTD Variant is set for its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, and is available to order as of now at a price of 31,975 euros.
The Golf GTD Variant* is excellently placed to establish itself as an iconic long-distance cruiser. The 184 PS TDI engine takes the Golf GTD Variant to 100 km/h in just 7.9 seconds with the 2-litre unit delivering a maximum torque of 380 Nm – and yet this sporty Variant car boasts impressive fuel consumption figures of only 4.4 litres per 100 km.
The car's sporty character is reflected in its exterior design: along with special GTD bumpers and the honeycomb radiator grille, the Golf GTD Variant also features smoked rear lights and flared sills. The look is completed by 17-inch Curitiba alloys, black roof rails and dual chrome tailpipes. Also standard on-board the Golf GTD Variant are bi-xenon headlights, sports suspension with ride height lowered by 15 mm, and progressive steering, which gives a sharper response during high-performance driving as well as ensuring greater comfort in ordinary conditions.
Inside, the dynamic theme continues, with sports seats in Clark tartan, illuminated door sills, black headliner and black pillar trims. Added to this, there are numerous decorative inserts and panels in Checkered Black, plus stainless steel pedal caps. Further refinements include the multifunction steering wheel with aluminium trim and the gear knob styled as a golf ball.


A fruit plate that keeps fruit fresh for longer.
The Magisso Vertigo Fruit Plate keeps fruit fresh for longer. The waved surface of the plate minimizes contact between the fruit and the plate, allowing air to flow around the fruit and slowing down the ripening. Create beautiful and long-lasting arrangements easily. The plate is crafted of food safe metal glazed ceramics. Each plate is hand-finished unique piece of art.
You can buy this product from e.g. Ikarus, Weecos and Home Depot. For more retailers, check Where to buy (below).
Handwash and dry thoroughly. Do not microwave.
Stylish fruit plate for design lovers.


The common wisdom I'd heard was that bourbon must — simply must — be aged in barrels for at least five years to in fact be considered "bourbon." But at Cleveland Whiskey in Ohio, founder and CEO Tom Lix is a firm believer that technology can accomplish in days what a barrel stashed underground would take a half-decade.
According, Mr. Lix pours his mashes into a stainless steel vat along with chopped up pieces of barrel so that the wood can give the whiskey its traditional brown color. And in days, he emphasizes, many of Cleveland Whiskey's products are ready for tasting and selling.
Some, he says, even in 24 hours.
Having spent time in both Kentucky and Scotland, I was convinced that whiskey made in this fashion could simply not taste as bourbon or other whiskeys should. I was wrong.
Mr. Lix produced for me his Black Reserve, whose quality of taste is on par with Knob Creek. Its complexity and mature profile absolutely fooled me into believing I was tasting whiskey years in the making. Less than a day removed from production, Mr. Lix's patented aging process has sped up the maturation from years to hours. Amazing.
Next he has me try out the 94 proof Black Cherry Wood, which is an absolute wow. I recommend using this malt out in an old-fashioned.
The Hickory Wood variety is as complex and as tasty as scotch, and I also really enjoy the Honey Locust — with each product named for the types of barrels he uses as part of the distilling process. The Sugar Maple is super smooth as well, and as enjoyable neat as the Hickory Wood.
Mr. Lix still has some of his Cleveland Christmas Bourbon on hand. It has rather a lot going on in its taste contours. I personally feel this one would best be enjoyed mixed into the batter for seasonal pancakes with a kick or added to eggnog.
I've been writing about whiskey for several years, yet Mr. Lix, with his quality products, has upended not only all I'd believed I knew about the bourbon aging process, but about how it can be made. Here, on the shores of Lake Erie, Mr. Lix has taken such innovation to the next level.
For tours, sampling and information on where to purchase, go to ClevelandWhiskey.com.


The Apollo theatre is available for private hire or for visiting shows . We can offer a range of support – see below. If you would like to hire the theatre, please email us in the first instance for a discussion about your requirements.
The auditorium is a flexible space with excellent acoustics and comfortable seating on two levels; it is suitable for a wide range of uses, including, obviously, stage and musical productions and concerts (and rehearsal space) but also conferences, presentations, award ceremonies, film shows and so on. There are other spaces in the theatre building, including dressing-room and bar area, which are also available for hire, either as part of a 'package' or separately.
If you have a touring show and would like to put it on at the theatre, we can offer either 'flat fee' or 'percentage of hire' arrangements; items such as online ticketing are available.


text:
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13:56 Nikol Pashinyan is either deceived, blackmailed and forced to sign documents, or this scenario is in his favor: Artak Tovmasyan 17:04 Armenia legislature opposition launches parliament debates on returning of POWs, captive civilians 17:02 Armenia parliament majority member leaves faction 17:01 Aliyev suggests creating corridor between Nakhchivan, western Azerbaijan 16:58 Armenia National Security Service chief to head for Moscow 16:56 Kremlin does not comment on Aliyev's words about creating corridor between Nakhchivan, western Azerbaijan 16:54 Iran's parliament votes for law to increase uranium enrichment level 12:37 On behalf of the people, authorities of Artsakh and myself personally I express my condolences to Manvel Grigoryan's family and comrades-in-arms, wishing tenacity and strength of spirit- Arayik Harutyunyan 16:43 Since the last update the new losses of Azerbaijan are: 5 UAVs, 13 armored vehicles, 105 casualties. 16:33 Overnight hostilities continued in all directions of the frontline-Defense Army of Artsakh Republic
ԱՄՆ-ը կոչ է անում դադարեցնել կրակը ԼՂ հակամարտության գոտում
USA 13 October, 2020 16:30
Ամերիկայի Միացյալ Նահանգները կոչ է անում դադարեցնել կրակը Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի հակամարտության գոտում: ԱՄՆ պետքարտուղար Մայքլ Պոմպեոն «Թվիթեր»-ի իր պաշտոնական միկրոբլոգում գրառում է կատարել՝ ընդգծելով, որ ԼՂ խնդրի կարգավորումը տեսնում են միայն խաղաղ ճանապարհով: «Միացյալ Նահանգները կոչ է անում Ադրբեջանին և Հայաստանին կատարել հրադադարի իրենց հանձնառությունը և դադարեցնել քաղաքացիական տարածքների թիրախավորումը, ինչպիսին Գյանջան և Ստեփանակերտն են: Մենք ցավում ենք մարդկային կյանքի կորստի համար և մնում ենք հավատարիմ խաղաղ կարգավորմանը»,-նշել է նա:
Armenia National Assembly has new MP S. Korea president calls on Biden administration to learn from Trump's failure with N. Korea Biden administration to have another American Armenian official Artsakh emergency service: One of 3 fallen soldiers found Sunday is identified Erdogan tries to break out of isolation, forging relations with EU Russia MOD: Length of safe public roads is increasing in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia President to soon be discharged from hospital Armenia health minister to be sacked Nikol Pashinyan is either deceived, blackmailed and forced to sign documents, or this scenario is in his favor: Artak Tovmasyan Armenia parliament discusses Central Bank board member candidacy Turkey and Russia sign deal to establish joint center for Nagorno-Karabakh Karabakh ex-Presidents Ghukasyan, Sahakyan react to Armenia PM Pashinyan's recent Facebook post Armenia legislature opposition launches parliament debates on returning of POWs, captive civilians Armenia parliament majority member leaves faction Aliyev suggests creating corridor between Nakhchivan, western Azerbaijan Armenia National Security Service chief to head for Moscow Kremlin does not comment on Aliyev's words about creating corridor between Nakhchivan, western Azerbaijan Iran's parliament votes for law to increase uranium enrichment level Ameriabank raises Tier 2 Capital from Symbiotics SA Ameriabank successfully placed its first ever Green Bond On behalf of the people, authorities of Artsakh and myself personally I express my condolences to Manvel Grigoryan's family and comrades-in-arms, wishing tenacity and strength of spirit- Arayik Harutyunyan Since the last update the new losses of Azerbaijan are: 5 UAVs, 13 armored vehicles, 105 casualties. Overnight hostilities continued in all directions of the frontline-Defense Army of Artsakh Republic Nogaredo commune in the Trento province of Italy, has recognized the independence of the Artsakh Republic-Embassy of Armenia in Italy Azerbaijan is using a prohibited weapon containing white phosphorus: RA Ministry of Environment and 50 NGOs have applied to international organisations-RA Armenia The City Council of the Greek city of Didymoteicho adopted a resolution expressing solidarity to the Armenian people and condemning the Azerbaijani-Turkish attacks and acts of violence against Artsakh A number of Telegram channels circulated material, which depicts a mosque with an Azerbaijani flag-Information Verification Center At around 11:30 am, the Air Defense units of Artsakh Defense Army destroyed an Azerbaijani UAV in the southeastern direction-Defense Army of Artsakh Thanks to search and rescue operations by the Artsakh Rescue Service, their bodies have been removed from the ruins. On the night of November 5-6, there was unrest in peaceful settlements. According to preliminary figures there are 3 victims among the civilian population. During the night of November 5 and the early hours of November 6, combat operations continued along all the main sections of the frontline. The last update of new losses of Azerbaijan Life on the border. Davit Bek community Berdzor and Shushi cities with their adjacent settlements are being shelled-State Emergency Service of Artsakh Republic On November 5, at around 10:30, the enemy forces attempted to attack in the eastern direction, using armored vehicles-Defense Army of Artsakh Republic The Azerbaijani forces showed some activity on the eastern, southeastern, and southern fronts. At dawn, Azerbaijan resumed targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. The Briefing of Artsakh Ombudsman Artak Beglaryan: A total of 46 civilians were killed and 144 wounded during the war-Ombudsman of Artsakh Republic Artak Beglaryan Destroyed Azerbaijani UAVs "We are Artsakh. We exist. Our existence is an undeniable fact, just like your own. Azerbaijani used artillery at the Armenian units. Some of the fired shells fell on the territory of Iran-Shushan Stepanyan The statement of the Azerbaijani side that the Armenian Armed Forces allegedly opened fire on Fizuli and nearby villages from Smerch MRLS is absurdity. The enemy forces elimination operations continue This war is equally directed against Christians, Muslims and Jews-Nikol Pashinyan The residents of Artsakh capital are more than sure that Deliberate Burning of At Least 1815 ha Forests in Artsakh by Azerbaijan is a War Crime-Human Rights Ombudsman Statement by the Foreign Ministry of Armenia regarding the deployment of foreign terrorist fighters in the region by Turkey and Azerbaijan The Syrian mercenary captured in Artsakh tells his story during the interrogation: his journey from being recruited, paid, getting instructions up to him regretting going the wrong path. In the southeastern direction, the enemy tried to bring armored vehicles closer to the front line-Artsakh Defense Army
All Timeline »
Most Popular Last 7 days Last month Last 2 months
1 Armenia health minister to be sacked
2 Armenia President to soon be discharged from hospital
3 Biden administration to have another American Armenian official
4 Russia MOD: Length of safe public roads is increasing in Nagorno-Karabakh
5 Erdogan tries to break out of isolation, forging relations with EU
6 Artsakh emergency service: One of 3 fallen soldiers found Sunday is identified
7 S. Korea president calls on Biden administration to learn from Trump's failure with N. Korea
8 Armenia National Assembly has new MP
1 Nikol Pashinyan is either deceived, blackmailed and forced to sign documents, or this scenario is in his favor: Artak Tovmasyan
1 Karabakh ex-Presidents Ghukasyan, Sahakyan react to Armenia PM Pashinyan's recent Facebook post
2 Aliyev suggests creating corridor between Nakhchivan, western Azerbaijan
3 On behalf of the people, authorities of Artsakh and myself personally I express my condolences to Manvel Grigoryan's family and comrades-in-arms, wishing tenacity and strength of spirit- Arayik Harutyunyan
5 Turkey and Russia sign deal to establish joint center for Nagorno-Karabakh
6 Armenia legislature opposition launches parliament debates on returning of POWs, captive civilians
7 Kremlin does not comment on Aliyev's words about creating corridor between Nakhchivan, western Azerbaijan
8 Armenia National Security Service chief to head for Moscow
9 Armenia parliament discusses Central Bank board member candidacy
10 Ameriabank successfully placed its first ever Green Bond
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3 The World > 7 Organisations > Military > Abuse of Torture >
Cheney endorses simulated drowning the Financial Times states "Dick Cheney, US vice-president, has endorsed the use of "water boarding" for terror suspects and confirmed that the controversial interrogation technique was used on Khaled Sheikh Mohammed. The vice-president, has been one of the leading advocates of reducing limitations on what interrogation techniques can be used in the war on terror."
Although the detail of confessions is improved through torture there is little reliable evidence to show that the detail corresponds to anything other than the interrogators imposed view of reality.
Confessions extracted under torture may look good on the agents CV or in press reports, may advance a career, or provide a valuable source of political propaganda, but is unlikely to be reliable.
Of course there are a minority of circumstances where torture might be justifiable but the systems now in place ignores reasonable boundaries and each day become closer to the tyrannical systems of the old communist and fascist states, that many soldiers in recent history died in order to oppose. [And notably which coalition forces are supposed to uphold]
Extraordinary rendition: a backstory
The current policy traces its roots to the administration of former President Bill Clinton. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, however, what had been a limited program expanded dramatically, with some experts estimating that 150 foreign nationals have been victims of rendition in the last few years alone. Foreign nationals suspected of terrorism have been transported to detention and interrogation facilities in Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Diego Garcia, Afghanistan, Guantánamo, and elsewhere. In the words of former CIA agent Robert Baer: "If you want a serious interrogation, you send a prisoner to Jordan. If you want them to be tortured, you send them to Syria. If you want someone to disappear -- never to see them again -- you send them to Egypt."
On January 18, 2002, President George Bush (the decision is referenced1 in the Gonzales Memo of 25 January, 2002) made a presidential decision that captured members of Al Quaeda and the Taliban were unprotected by the Geneva POW Convention. That decision was preceded by a Memorandum dated January 9, 2002, submitted to William J Haynes II, General Counsel to the Department of Defense, by the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel (which provides legal counsel to the White House and other executive branch agencies) and written by Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo and Special Counsel Robert J. Delahunty.
The Yoo Delahunty Memorandum of January 9, 2002
The Yoo/Delahunty Memorandum provided the analytical basis for all which followed regarding blanket rejection of applicability of the Third Geneva Convention to captured members of al Qaeda and the Taliban. Its validity is, accordingly, analyzed in some detail at the end of this discussion.
The Rumsfeld Order January 19, 2002
In a Memorandum dated 19 January, 2002, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ordered the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to inform combat commanders that "Al Quaeda and Taliban individuals...are not entitled to prisoner of war status for purposes of the Geneva Conventions of 1949." He ordered that "commanders should "...treat them humanely, and to the extent appropriate and consistent with military necessity, consistent with the Geneva Conventions of 1949." That order thus gives commanders permission to depart, where they deem it appropriate and a military necessity, from the provisions of the Geneva Conventions.
The Bybee Memorandum of 22 January, 2002
The Bybee Memo, Memorandum of 22 January, 2002 from Jay Bybee, Office of Legal Counsel for Alberto R. Gonzales, Counsel to the President and William J. Haynes II, General Counsel of the Department of Defense, Re: Application of Treaties and Laws to al Qaeda and Taliban Detainees , follows the same structural pattern as the Yoo/Delahunty Memo, but with additional analysis of certain international law/ law of war issues. Parts of it are also discussed below in some detail.
The Alberto Gonzales Memo January 25, 2002
On January 25, 2002, White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales sent a Memorandum to President Bush regarding a presidential decision on January 18, 2002, (the White House has issued an Order to that effect, dated February 7, 2002, see below) that captured members of the Taliban were not protected under the Geneva POW Convention ("GPW"), to which the legal advisor to the Secretary of State had objected. He advised that "there are reasonable grounds for you to conclude that GPW [the ] does not apply ...to the conflict with the Taliban." Mr. Gonzales argued that grounds for the determination might include:
1) a determination that Afghanistan was a failed state "...because the Taliban did not exercise full control over the territory and people, was not recognized by the international community, and was not capable of fulfilling its international obligations" (see definition of statehood in Cpt. 1.3 and discussion in Kadic v. Karadzic, 70 F.3d 232, 244 to 245 (2nd Cir, 1995) ) and/or
2) a "determination that the Taliban and its forces were, in fact, not a government but a militant, terrorist-like group."
Mr. Gonzales then identified what he believed were the ramifications of Mr. Bush's determination. On a positive note he felt they preserved flexibility stating that:
"The nature of [a "war" against terrorism] places a high premium on ...factors such as the ability to quickly obtain information from captured terrorists and their sponsors ... and the need to try terrorists for war crimes... [t]his new paradigm renders obsolete Geneva's strict limitations on questioning of enemy prisoners..." He also believed the determination "...eliminates any argument regarding the need for case-by-case determinations of POW status." The determination, Mr. Gonzales said, also reduced the threat of domestic prosecution under the War Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. 2441). His expressed concern was that certain GPW language such as "outrages upon personal dignity" and "inhuman treatment" are "undefined' and that it is difficult to predict with confidence what action might constitute violations, and that it would be "...difficult to predict the needs and circumstances that could arise in the course of the war on terrorism." He believed that a determination of inapplicability of the GPW would insulate against prosecution by future "prosecutors and independent counsels."
Mr. Gonzales then identified the counter arguments from the Secretary of State (See, Colin Powell Memo of January 26, 2002 pages 1,2,3,4,5) which included:
Past adherence by the United States to the GPW;
Possible limitations on invocation by the U.S. of the GPW in Afghanistan;
Likely widespread condemnation by allied nations;
Encouragement of potential enemies to find "loopholes" to not apply the GPW;
Discouraging turn-over of terrorists by other nations;
Undermining of U.S. military culture "which emphasizes maintaining the highest standards of conduct in combat..."
In response, Mr. Gonzales says, inter alia, "...even if the GPW is not applicable, we can still bring war crimes charges against anyone who mistreats U.S. personnel." He adds that, "...the argument based on military culture fails to recognize that our military remains bound to apply the principles of GPW because that is what you have directed them to do." (Emphasis added). In light of subsequent events, that last sentence is of particular interest.
The Bush Order February 7, 2002
On February 7, 2002, President Bush signed an Order, (pdf copy) accepting the reasoning of the Yoo and Gonzales memos, and validating the order issued by Secretary
Rumsfeld on January, 19, 2002.
From the sequence of events, and discussion by White House Counsel, it appears fairly clear that the decision by Mr. Bush, and the subsequent orders from Mssr.s Bush and Rumsfeld, were based on the Yoo/Delahunty Memorandum of 9 January, 2002. A close analysis of that document is accordingly appropriate.
The Yoo/Delahunty Memo January 9, 2002
This Memorandum is written in four parts. The first examines the 18 U.S.C. Section 2441, the War Crimes Act, and some of the treaties it implicates. The second part examines whether members al Qaeda can claim protection of the Geneva Conventions and concludes they can not. The third portion examines application of those treaties to members of the Taliban. It concludes nonapplicability because 1) it says "the Taliban was not a government and Afghanistan was not...a functioning State", 2) "the President has the constitutional authority to suspend our treaties with Afghanistan pending restoration of a legitimate government", and 3) "it appears...that the Taliban militia may have been ...intertwined with Al Qaeda" and thus on the same legal footing. Finally, the fourth part concludes that customary international law does not bind the President or restrict the actions of the United States military [under a constitutional analysis].
Although the Memorandum is questionable on many grounds, both factual and legal, a close analysis is for this casebook, both too extensive and unnecessary. An article more closely analyzing the international law/law of war aspects of the Memorandum is forthcoming. For the present the reader should note the following:
1) As long as there is a genuine issue of fact or law regarding the status of captured individual combatants who are members of the Taliban or Al Qaeda, the Third Geneva Convention of 1949 must apply, until properly otherwise determined. Article 5 of that Convention provides, in part, that "Should any doubt arise as to whether persons, having committed a belligerent act and having fallen into the hands of the enemy, belong to any of the categories enumerated in Article 4, such persons shall enjoy the protection of the present Convention until such time as their status has been determined by a competent tribunal." (Emphasis added).
2) The key to whether there exists any genuine issue of fact or law resides in the Yoo/Delahunty Memo which is the authoritative basis for all the actions which follows. Leaving aside the American constitutional arguments which present no bar to a delict in international law (see,e.g. the Dostler Case) 2, the argument for nonapplicability of Geneva III rests on the argument that as a matter of fact and law the Taliban did not constitute a de facto government. The short answer is that while the position is certainly arguable, it is also very reasonably arguable that the Taliban were the de facto government. They controlled a substantial geographic territory and population, enacted and enforced laws and mandates, carried on relatively complex military operations, appointed persons to governmental posts and received diplomatic recognition from several nations. The core validity of that point is admitted, albeit inadvertently, in the following quote from the 22 January, 2002, Memorandum from Jay Bybee to Alberto Gonzales and William Haynes:
Whether the Geneva Conventions apply to the detention and trial of members of the Taliban presents a more difficult legal question. Afghanistan has been a party to all four Geneva Conventions since September, 1956. Some might argue that this requires application of the Geneva Conventions to the present conflict with respect to the Taliban militia...Nevertheless, we conclude that the President has more than ample grounds to find that our treaty obligations under Geneva III toward Afghanistan were suspended during the period of the conflict... the weight of informed opinion indicates that, for the period in question, Afghanistan was a "failed state" whose territory had been held by a violent militia or faction rather than by a government....Second, there appears to be developing evidence that the Taliban leadership had become closely intertwined with, if not utterly dependent upon, al Qaeda. This would have rendered the Taliban more akin to a terrorist organization.
Memorandum of 22 January, 2002 from Jay Bybee, Office of legal Counsel for Alberto R. Gonzales, Counsel to the President and William J. Haynes II, General Counsel of the Department of Defense, Re: Application of Treaties and Laws to al Qaeda and Taliban Detainees at pp 10-11. (Emphasis added).
We want to make clear that this Office does not have access to all of the facts related to the activities of the Taliban militia and al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, the available facts in the public record would support the conclusion that Afghanistan was a failed state...Indeed, there are good reasons to doubt whether any of the conditions were met.
Ib at 16.
What is of particular interest in this analysis is the emphasized language. It is that of argument, not fact, and what it seems to effectively admit is that there is indeed some doubt as to the status of the Taliban detainees. That, of course, triggers the requirements of Geneva Convention Article 5 for a competent tribunal to determine status, and mandates treatment as a POW until the tribunal is held. Indeed, Judge Bybee later discusses Article 5. See also, the references by Justice O'Connor in the plurality opinion in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, 124 S.Ct. 2633 (2004), to "the Taliban regime" and "the Taliban government," 124 S.Ct at 2635-2636, and her statement that "active combat operations against Taliban fighters apparently are ongoing in Afghanistan," id. at 2642, as well as Justice Souter's concurrence in which he points to the Government's Brief saying "the Geneva Convention applies to the Taliban detainees." Id at 2658.
"Should any doubt arise as to whether persons, having committed a belligerent act, and having fallen into the hands of the enemy," article 5 of Geneva III requires that these individuals "enjoy the protections" of the Convention until a tribunal has determined their status. As we understand it, as a matter of practice prisoners are presumed to have article 4 POW status until a tribunal determines otherwise. Although these provisions seem to contemplate a case-by-case determination of an individual detainee's status the President could determine categorically that all Taliban prisoners fall outside article 4. Under Article II of the Constitution, the President posesses the power to interpret treaties on behalf of the Nation.He could interpret Geneva III, in light of the known facts concerning the operation of the Taliban...to find that all of the Taliban forces do not fall within the legal definition of prisoners of war as defined by article 4. A presidential determination of this nature would eliminate any legal "doubt" as to the prisoners' status, as a matter of domestic law, and would therefore obviate the need for article 5 tribunals.
Ib at 30-31.
This argument presents an interesting question of domestic law as to whether a Commander in Chief can order a violation of international law by making a factual finding unsupported by independent evidence. Could one charged under the War Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. 2441) assert as a defense that as a matter of domestic law there was no grave breach, even though it was clearly a violation of international law? The answer to that proposition is beyond the scope of this discussion, although it appears questionable. What the argument does not do, however, for the same Dostler Case) reasons above discussed, is present any defense to charges by any other Geneva III signatory charged to prosecute perpetrators of grave breaches wherever they may be found.
3) No Article 5 tribunal (see, Army Regulation 190-8, Section 1-6) has been convened or held regarding any captured member of Al Qaeda3 or the Taliban.
4) Accordingly, any such persons are protected by the Third Geneva Convention until a competent tribunal determines otherwise. It appears quite certain that such a determination if it did occur, would not operate retroactively to validate actions by captors which were otherwise violations of the rights of protected persons.
5) That protection is not merely procedural. As long as the Convention protects an individual, grave breaches of its provisions constitute a breach of both U.S. and international law.
6) Article 130 of the Convention provides that grave breaches include "... any of the following acts, if committed against persons or property protected by the Convention: wilful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments, wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, compelling a prisoner of war to serve in the forces of the hostile Power, or wilfully depriving a prisoner of war of the rights of fair and regular trial prescribed in this Convention."
Thus, the Bush Orders of January and February, 2002, denying Geneva Convention protection to captured members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda appears inherently flawed. Acts carried out in furtherance of those orders, if themselves violations, might, accordingly, constitute war crimes.
1: "On January 18, I advised you that the department of Justice had issued a formal legal opinion concluding that the Geneva Convention III on the Treatment of Prisoners of War (GPWIII) does not apply to the conflict with al Qaeda. I also advised that the DOJ's opinion concludes that there are reasonable grounds for you to conclude that GPW does not apply with respect to the conflict with the Taliban. I understand that you decided that GPW does not apply and accordingly that al Qaeda and Taliban detainees are not prisoners of war under the GPW." Gonzaelz Memo, 25 January, 2002.
2: Those arguments present a startling analogy to the arguments raised by defendants at the post World War II Nuremburg trials, and elsewhere, that, because they were required by national law to obey superior orders, they had an absolute defense against war crimes committed in carrying out those orders. That so called Nuremburg defense was, and has been since, roundly rejected. The point is, of course, that whatever their validity under U.S. national law, they present no defense to an otherwise valid charge of a war crime under international law.
3: The status of an al Qaeda detainee is, of course, problematical and fact driven. Often, it appears most closely analogous to pirates or common criminals. The problem arises if captured persons functioned, as alleged in the Yoo/Delahunty Memo, as an intertwined part of al Qaeda. Given the amorphous nature of al Qaeda, on any given day the individual's status might be as a Taliban fighter, an irregular militia supporter, a Taliban agent, a terrorist or a common criminal.
if the Bush administration's claims of unlimited authority to imprison people on nothing more than the say-so of the president were to prevail, the basic foundation of civil liberties laid down in the Bill of Rights would no longer exist.


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The Magic of Interactive Entertainment, Second Edition
by Mike Morrison and Sandy Morrison
Overview of Privateer And so goes the storyline of Origin System's Privateer. Released last fall, it is still entrancing players with its rich plot and nefarious characters. Privateer continues on in the same universe as the highly successful Wing Commander series: the 27th century. The Wing Commander series focused on a war in the far future between humans and an alien race called the Kilrathi. Those games always put you as the soldier/space combat ace flying the missions of the Confederation. Privateer, on the other hand, places you in a much more flexible situation as master of your own destiny.
As a fortune seeker, you have access to over 60 different bases/planets in about 90 systems. You start out with a rickety ship and a few cash credits, and from there perform various merchant missions to make money. As you build up wealth, you can use it to purchase a better ship, or upgrade your existing ship with better shields, more cargo space, bigger engines, and so forth.
Even though it is grounded in exploration and trade, Privateer is still mostly a space combat simulator. Even if you decide to run legal cargos through well-patrolled systems, you'll still bump into pirates and retros (or even stray Kilrathi if you wander too close to the edge of the frontier).
Most of the gameplay is based on a first-person viewpoint. When piloting your craft, you see the interior of the cockpit, and you can turn your head left or right to look out the side viewports. When docked on a base or port you can see all the available exits and simply click on one to enter. To engage an individual character in a conversation, you simply click on that character and a conversation ensues.
Currently Privateer is only available for IBM compatible personal computers with 386-DC or higher capacity CPU. The system needs VGA graphics capabilities along with at least 4MB of RAM and 20MB of free space on a hard disk drive.
The Development Process
Game development at Origin Systems follows a fairly structured and organized approach. When a designer comes up with an idea for a game, the designer submits his idea to a review board. The review board evaluates the idea and decides whether or not it is worth investigating.
If a game design is approved, the designer gets a software engineer (programmer) to help develop the idea further. What follows is a period of research and development where the designer and programmer work closely together to build the basic framework of the game.
After a period of time, the designer and programmer take their results back to the review board. At this point, if the game still looks like a winner, more funding is provided and a development timetable is set. Artists and more programmers begin working on the project. Programmers and designers work hand-in-hand to get the artwork and data merged together into a workable game.
Toward the end of development, the music and sound effects are added. The product goes into testing six to eight weeks before shipping. Product testing includes Beta testing and play testing. Designers and programmers track down any bugs or software problems that arise during this time. The public relations department kicks into gear by sending press releases to prospective members of the press. At last the product is bug free and it ships (hopefully on the projected ship date). Based on sales and customer response, a sequel or add-on product may be added, and the development sequence begins a new.
Initial Concepts
For Privateer, designer Chris Roberts came up with the initial game concepts. As the designer of some of Origins greatest games, Roberts is held in much respect. Roberts designed the hit Wing Commander series, along with Times of Lore and Bad Blood. Naturally, with his successful background, Roberts did not have any trouble getting the approval of the products review board for Privateer.
When Privateer was introduced, the only similar games on the market where fairly old ones called Elite and Space Rogue. They both featured arcade style action, and communications with other characters. In-house at Origin there really were no other game ideas in competition at the time.
Gameplay Design
The main goals in the design of Privateer were to create a commerce trading system within the Wing Commander universe. Another goal was to provide a game with random missions that players could play over and over again. That freshness ensures the game never ends.
Some initial ideas never quite made it into the final game. One such idea involved player finances. The game initially enabled players to get loans from banks or other (less reputable) characters. In this scenario, you might run into debt, and be pursued by creditors or bounty hunters which were after the price on your head. Privateer took about a year and a half to make, and so during this period, many such ideas were dropped while others were developed and added to the game.
Tom Kasselbaum, a game designer, joined Origin at the start of Privateer and jumped straight into game design. His background involved some computer programming, a lot of math and physics. "A lot of what a game designer does is data manipulation," says Kasselbaum, "setting up missions, setting up the universe. We also go through and make sure the game stays within the initial constructs. Privateer had a lead designer, who had a pretty good image. As the game was fleshed out, the programmers would say whether or not certain features were doable. If it couldn't be done in a reasonable fashion, the design was modified. By staying with the entire project, the game designer gave the programmers more freedom."
The game designer sticks with the project through development, right to the end. According to Sasselbaum, "I work with a lot of the artwork. And I'm in charge of overseeing the artwork. The game designers and programmers stick with the entire project. Artists, on the other hand, will go in and out of various projects."
As a game designer, one of Kasselbaum's responsibilities involves directing the artwork and programming. He solves a graphics problem by telling an artist what he wants, then puts the artist's product into the game. The programmers take care of the music. The lead designer oversees the main musical pieces to make sure they sound good with the game and fit his overall design.
Artistic Design
Rough sketches are created and approved before work begins on any artwork. For the computer graphics, the artists at Origin Systems used 3D Studio from Autodesk for all the 3D work. The two-dimensional painting and animation was done in Deluxe Animator by Electronic Arts, and an internal drawing program called "Eor".
A number of artists worked on Privateer, including Chris Douglas (3D Artists), Danny Garrette, Brian G. Smith, Beverly Garland (who did the scenic art), Jake Rodgers (3D Artists) and Bob Frye. All together, the artists spent about eight months working on Privateer.
Programmers at Origin Systems are known as software engineers. This title is definitely more descriptive of the work of a programmer. In creating software, the programmers are engineering very precise relationships between the available hardware and software-based instructions.
The programmers at Origin use 386- and 486-based personal computers for development. They use C++, along with some assembly language routines, for programming. Because C++ enables programmers to create modules that can be reused from game-to-game, programmers do not have to "reinvent the wheel" every time they create a new game. The assembly language routines enable programmers to squeeze the most speed out of the personal computer for animation and other computer-intensive operations.
The programmers were Reinaldo Castro, Alex Jen, Edwin Herrel, Arthur DiBianca, and Charles Cafrelli. Like the artists, the programmers worked on Privateer eight months.
Music and Sound Effects
Music and sound effects have become just as important to video games as they are to motion pictures. You would hardly expect to see a new feature film without a soundtrack and spoken dialog. Likewise, all computer games today have either a sound track, digital sound effects, or both.
Dana Glover composed all the music for Privateer. Glover comes from a professional background in music. He created the Nightshift Network, a group of composers that has been ghostwriting for motion pictures for the past thirteen years. Glover's work was heard in movies such as Rain Man, Misery, Robocop II, Apocalypse Now, and Beetlejuice. For sound effects, Nenad Vugrinec is the expert at Origin. Vugrinec has created sound effects for several Origin games, including Ultima VII and Strike Commander.
After the pieces of a new program are brought together and a workable version is created, the testing begins. Testing can be divided into three stages; Alpha testing, play testing, and Beta testing. Alpha testing is usually performed by only a few people at Origin, or sometimes only the project leader. Because there are usually a large number of glitches and problems in early software, Alpha testing requires someone who has an intimate understanding of the software programming. This knowledge enables an Alpha tester to distinguish between minor and major code problems. After Alpha testing is completed, a Beta version is released for further testing.
Dan Orzulak of Origin Systems has a fun job as play tester. The responsibility of a play tester is to play games and uncover software bugs. A software bug is a glitch or mistake in a program. The mistake can be caused by an error or a typo on the programmer's part, or by an unexpected event that occurs when a game is played. The ways bugs manifest themselves are as varied as the bugs themselves, from totally freezing up the computer (the most common result) to throwing graphics garbage on the screen.
Play testers look for any bugs in the software. When a problem is found, the tester documents and reports it back to the programmers. The programmers correct the problem, then send the play tester a new version of the program. The play testers also keep a close eye on the artwork. If any pixels appear out of place, or some piece of art is difficult to understand, the play testers report this to the art department, and artists correct the problem.
The seven play testers at Origin Systems also do customer service. After playing a game for weeks on end, they are naturally the most qualified to handle technical support calls from customers. During the testing period play testers have some input on game designers. Their goal is to make the game easier and more fun, so they may suggest new features, change the game flow, or make the game easier or harder to play.
Play tester's reactions to Privateer were very similar. According to Dan Orzulak, "Everyone really liked the game. I've played 300 to 400 games in my lifetime and I feel it's one of the best I've ever seen".
When it came to suggesting changes for Privateer, Orzulak explains: "There were a lot of things people wanted in the game, but most were too difficult to implement. So we tried to focus on simple things that would make the game easier and more fun. One change I recommended, that made its way into the final game, was to allow the user to double-click the mouse button to access the computer console. Another change made by play testers was to add a second weapon to the tarsus (the initial ship that a player gets when the game starts). This extra weapon on the Tarsus made the game easier for new players just starting out".
The play testers also keep notes about playing the game. These notes, along with extended details about playing the game, maps, and hints, are compiled by the Creative Services department at Origin. Creative Services then produces a "Play Testers' Guide" to assist players and make the game more interesting. The guide includes detailed of all the game's solar systems and asteroid belts. Each mission has a full step-by-step walkthrough. Detailed charts are provided for each weapon and various trade opportunities.
The Beta version of the program also moves into a phase known as Beta testing. In the Software Industry, Beta Testing is usually performed by a select group of users (the customers). Origin, however, doesn't use outside testers due to the fear of software piracy. For Privateer, Origin used a bonded company, as well as their own inside testers. Both tested Privateer for a number of weeks, on many different computer configurations, and reported any bugs to Origin.
About three months prior to the release of Privateer, the Marketing department kicks into gear and sets up advertising. Advertising is the key to a successful launch. As soon as the product ships, press releases are sent to major media outlets.
Consumer Reaction
Initial consumer reaction was outstanding. Privateer sold out in most stores, and is now available worldwide through Electronic Arts distribution. A lot of people really liked the randomness to the game, including the mission generators. There were only a few negative reactions. Some players didn't like the fact that you can't stop at any bases during a mission. Some have complained that the guns don't have automatic fire.
The concern about landing at other bases during missions was an original concern of the designers. But as the programmers developed the cold, it became a very complicated process. First, the game would have to deal with cargo that was on your ship, selling it our keeping it. Secondly, there would need to be a timer added to a game, to make sure that a mission got completed and that the cargo was still valid by the time you eventually got it to its destination. These and other problems caused the programmers to reject the ability to land at bases during a mission.
The Future of Privateer
With more than 50,000 copies of Privateer sold in the first few months of release, there will definitely be some type of follow-up game. It may be Privateer II or a Special Missions disk. Any new game ideas, even spin-off games, must go through the complete review process. A good market response always makes it easier to design and introduce a sequel.


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Mission Table
Is the mission table really necessary in Battle for Azeroth?
by Anne Stickney on September 27, 2018 at 3:30pm @Shadesogrey
This article was originally posted just for our supporters, but now it's public for everyone to enjoy.
Battle for Azeroth might have a mission table after all
by Alex Ziebart on March 2, 2018 at 3:00pm @AlexZiebart
Back at BlizzCon, the developers were quite vague and noncommittal about whether or not Battle for Azeroth would have a new mission table, making it seem unlikely the feature would carry over.
Patch 7.3.2 notes feature minor changes and class tuning
by Rachelle Riddle on October 20, 2017 at 2:44pm @Elaraiyne
Patch 7.3.2 notes were released today — and the background downloader started up earlier this week — which means the patch is coming very soon.
🔒 The Mission Table and the next expansion
by Alex Ziebart on October 4, 2017 at 4:00pm @AlexZiebart
The mission table has been a core part of World of Warcraft gameplay for two expansions now, and I'm curious: Do you want it to be in the next expansion, too?


text:
Rudowłosa () – powieść wydana w 2016 roku tureckiego pisarza Orhana Pamuka, laureata Nagrody Nobla w dziedzinie literatury w 2006. Wielowarstwowa powieść psychologiczna o konsekwencjach puczu z 1980 roku, opowieść o trudnościach bycia jednostką w Turcji i tragedii kobiet w tym kraju.

Fabuła
Historia ma swój początek w połowie lat osiemdziesiątych XX wieku w okolicach Stambułu. Chcąc zarobić na studia, nastoletni Cem zatrudnia się u mistrza Mahmuta, jako pomocnik przy kopaniu studni. W przerwach od pracy snują historie, które ukazują ich różne widzenie i pojmowanie świata. Mimo odmienności nawiązują więź, przypominającą relację ojcem a synem. Pojawieni się pięknej aktorki wędrownego teatru, sytuacja ulega zmianie i dochodzi do tragedii. Czując się za nią odpowiedzialny Cem ucieka do Stambułu. Minie wiele lat nim chłopak dowie się kim była uwodzicielka i czy to on był winien śmierci mistrza.

Rudowłosa łączy w sobie powieść rodzinną i płomienny romans. Pamuk korzysta z motywu antycznej tragedii, aby opowiedzieć dramat współczesny, konfrontując Wschód z Zachodem i odmalowując portret targanej skrajnościami Turcji. Wykorzystuje mit o Edypie oraz fragmenty tradycyjnego eposu tureckiego - Księgi królewskiej Ferdousiego, do przeanalizowania ojcowsko-synowskiej relacji, przefiltrowanej przez historię Turcji w czasach przewrotu wojskowego z lat 80. i lat późniejszych.

Przypisy

Powieści z 2016
Tureckie powieści

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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amr ash
LaTE nIgHt ThOUgHTs
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Don't be half in half out of the conversation. Be in it or out of it.
Don't pontificate. Stating an opinion without the opportunity for response, argument or discussion. Enter every conversation assuming that you have something to learn. Set aside your personal opinion. Everyone you meet knows something that you don't. Everyone is an expert in something.
Who, what, where, when, how? Let them describe it.
Go with the flow. Thoughts will come and go.
If you don't know, say that you don't know. Talk should not be cheap.
Don't equate your experience with theirs. If they're talking about the time they lost a family member, don't start talking about the time you lost a family member. If they start talking about the trouble they're having at work, don't start talking about how you hate your job. It's never the same. All experiences are individual.
Try not to repeat yourself. It can come across as condescending and it's really boring. We tend to do it a lot in work situations and conversations with our kids.
Stay out of the weeds. People don't care about the minutiae. What they care about is you.
Listen. This is the most important. • If your mouth is open you're not learning – Budda and every Dad there ever was. • No man ever listened his way out of a job – Calvin Coolidge.
Be brief. • A good conversation is like a mini skirt; short enough to maintain interest, but long enough to cover the subject. Be interested in other people. Everyone has some hidden amazing thing about them. Go out, talk to people and prepare to be amazed.
Be silent in a group of people for a long time and see what each of them projects onto you, how they see you even though you gave them nothing. You can understand a lot by silence, how universe reflects and deflects itself onto you. Who you are and who you become depending on who sees you.
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Routine Maintenance, by Meghan O'Giebly
Weirdly, Gamers Are More Scrupulous Than Scientists
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/07/gamers-are-better-scientists-catching-fraud/619324/
"Specifically, Dream reported that he'd finished Minecraft in just over 19 minutes, faster than all but four players had ever managed it, because of an incredible stretch of good luck. Moderators at the website speedrun.com, who preside over such world-record attempts, begged to differ. According to their impressively detailed probability analysis, Dream's luck was just too good. He was the equivalent of a roulette player who gets their color 50 times in a row: You don't just marvel at the good fortune; you check underneath the table."
"Whether you believe the "inadvertently" part is up to you. The important thing is that the system worked: Dream's ill-begotten time, which was rightly struck from the books, became the latest in a long line of scam achievements exposed by moderators using sophisticated tools to uphold the field's standards. Whether they're employing audio-spectrum analysis, picking through every keypress to make sure that the run is legit, or simply using their long experience to spot a questionable performance, members of this community of technical experts have put in strenuous work to make life harder for those who break the rules.
Scientists should pay attention."
"Following a long investigation, Japan's Showa University released a report on one of its anesthesiology researchers, Hironobu Ueshima. Ueshima had turned out to be one of the most prolific scientific frauds in history, having partly or entirely fabricated records and data in at least 84 scientific papers, and altered data and misrepresented authorship on dozens more. Like Dream, Ueshima would eventually come clean and apologize—but only after a data sleuth had spotted strange anomalies in his publications. Many of his papers have already been expunged from the scientific literature."
"Does it strike you as odd that so many people tuned in to hear about a doctored speedrun of a children's video game, while barely a ripple was made—even among scientists—by the discovery of more than 80 fake scientific papers? These weren't esoteric papers, either, slipped into obscure academic journals. They were prominent medical studies, the sort with immediate implications for real-life patients in the operating room. Consider two titles from Ueshima's list of fraudulent or possibly fabricated findings: "Investigation of Force Received at the Upper Teeth by Video Laryngoscopy" and "Below-Knee Amputation Performed With Pericapsular Nerve Group and Sciatic Nerve Blocks." You'd hope that the mechanisms for purging fake studies such as these from the literature—and thus, from your surgeon's reading list—would be pretty strong."
"That Ueshima's university made such an extensive investigation of his work and published it for all to see is unusual. Skeptics and whistleblowers who spot potential fraud in researchers' work are routinely ignored, stonewalled, or sometimes attacked by universities or journal editors who don't have the time or inclination to dig into potentially forged (and potentially dangerous) studies."
"For example, it took 12 years for any action to be taken against the world's most prolific scientific fraudster, Yoshitaka Fujii (coincidentally, another Japanese anesthesiologist), even after very convincing analyses of his dodgy data were published. Like Dream's speedrun, Fujii's data were just too good to be true: The fraud-spotters wrote, with admirable literalness, that they were "incredibly nice!""
"Ironically, scientists who study what they claim are the pernicious effects of video games have been particularly lax about policing allegations of misconduct within their community; at the very least, they may be less diligent than gamers themselves"
""The experience has led me to despair for the quality and integrity of our science," he wrote. "If data this suspicious can't get a swift retraction, it must be impossible to catch a fraud equipped with skills, funding, or social connections.""
"The methods used to produce fake speedruns and fake science have some surprising similarities, however different the institutional responses might be. The most basic way to put together a fraudulent speedrun is by manipulating the video that you need to submit to the moderators. This is usually done by "splicing": If you mess up the start of a level, then nail the boss battle, but do the opposite on another attempt, you can stitch together the two good halves into one perfect—but bogus—video. Even when the joins are poorly done, as in a now-infamous botched attempt to claim a five-minute run of Super Mario Bros., only those paying proper attention will spot them.
Scientists engage in similar shenanigans with the images in their papers. Spliced, duplicated, touched-up, recolored, and otherwise Photoshopped images from microscopes or blots are rife in scientific publications, and are overlooked by peer reviewers with worrying regularity. The eagle-eyed microbiologist Elisabeth Bik, considered the world expert in spotting "problematic" scientific images, routinely reports her concerns about images to the relevant universities or journals—and often goes completely unheard"
". Researchers provide images for their papers entirely at their own discretion, and with no official oversight; when they aren't faked, they might still contain cherry-picked snapshots of experiments that don't represent the full range of their results. The same applies to numerical data, which are often—consciously or unconsciously—chosen or reported to make the best case for a scientist's hypothesis, rather than to show the full and messy details. Only a few journals require scientists to do the equivalent of posting the screen-and-hands recording: sharing all their data, and the code they used to analyze it, online for anyone to access."
"The faked Trackmania speedruns have now been wiped from the record. Science has its own advanced fraud-detection methods; in theory, these could be used to clean out the Augean stables of research publishing. For example, one such tool was used to show that the classic paper on the psychological phenomenon of "cognitive dissonance" contained numbers that were mathematically impossible. Yet that paper remains in the literature, garnering citations, without so much as a note from the journal's editor."
"Apart from a minority of professional gamers, speedrunning is a hobby, and the community is moderated by volunteers. Science is, well, science: a crucially important endeavor that we need to get right, a prestige industry employing hundreds of thousands of paid, dedicated, smart people, submitting their research to journals run by enormously profitable publishing companies."
"But the consequences of ignoring fraud can be drastic too, and whole evidence bases, sometimes for medical treatments, can be polluted by fraudulent studies. The entire purpose of the scientific endeavor is brought into question if its gatekeepers—the reviewers and editors and others who are supposed to be the custodians of scientific probity—are so often presented with evidence of fraud and so often fail to take action.
If unpaid Minecraft mods can produce a 29-page mathematical analysis of Dream's contested run, then scientists and editors can find the time to treat plausible fraud allegations with the seriousness they deserve. If the maintenance of integrity can become such a crucial interest for a community of gaming hobbyists, then it can be the same for a community of professional researchers. And if the speedrunning world can learn lessons from so many cases of cheating, there's no excuse for scientists who fail to do the same."
david-m.-kaplan-food-philosophy_-an-int…
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