This weekend you better read those ebooks you bought from Microsoft – because they'll be dead come next week

Quote:If you bought an ebook through Microsoft's online store, now's the time to give it a read, or reread, because it will stop working early July.

That's right, the books you paid for will be literally removed from your electronic bookshelf because, um, Microsoft decided in April it no longer wanted to sell books. It will turn off the servers that check whether your copy was bought legitimately – using the usual anti-piracy digital-rights-management (DRM) tech – and that means your book can't be verified as being in the hands of its purchaser, and so won't be displayed.

Even the free-to-download ebooks will fail.

Quote:You would imagine that Microsoft considered other options: figuring out how to remove the need for DRM validation for those books; seeing if it could provide a non-DRM version; selling its database of DRM books to another company; or keeping a skeleton DRM system in place.

The fact that it decided against all these options and to simply kill the whole thing off should be a very big warning sign to anyone who has bought, considered buying, or will consider buying an ebook in the future.

The truth is that most ebooks come with some degree of DRM. Amazon and its Kindle ebooks are the biggest in the market – nearly all of them come with Amazon's DRM system.

Quote:The though occurred to me that humans were programmed in the same way.

So far, it's driveable.  I'm enjoying it a lot, and yes Ops, I got Taunt.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.962
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Level 50 Technology Tanker
Primary Power Set: Radiation Armor
Secondary Power Set: Radiation Melee
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Leadership

Hero Profile:
------------
Level 1:    Alpha Barrier    
 (A) Aegis - Psionic/Status Resistance
 (3) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance
 (5) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance
 (11) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
 (15) Aegis - Resistance


Level 1:    Contaminated Strike    
 (A) Might of the Tanker - Accuracy/Damage
 (3) Might of the Tanker - Damage/Recharge
 (5) Might of the Tanker - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
 (9) Might of the Tanker - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
 (11) Might of the Tanker - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
 (15) Might of the Tanker - Recharge/Chance for +Res(All)


Level 2:    Gamma Boost    
 (A) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance
 (7) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
 (9) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb
 (13) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance
 (17) Doctored Wounds - Heal


Level 4:    Combat Jumping    
 (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
 (7) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)
 (13) Winter's Gift - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance


Level 6:    Proton Armor    
 (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance
 (19) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime
 (23) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance


Level 8:    Fallout Shelter    
 (A) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)
 (23) Gladiator's Armor - End/Resist
 (27) Impervious Skin - Resistance/Endurance
 (36) Impervious Skin - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
 (37) Gladiator's Armor - Resistance
 (37) Gladiator's Armor - Resistance/Rech/End


Level 10:    Taunt    
 (A) Perfect Zinger - Chance for Psi Damage
 (29) Perfect Zinger - Taunt/Recharge/Range
 (29) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Recharge/Range
 (31) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge


Level 12:    Beta Decay    
 (A) Shield Breaker - Chance for Lethal Damage
 (17) Shield Breaker - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
 (19) Shield Breaker - Defense Debuff/Endurance/Recharge


Level 14:    Radiation Therapy    
 (A) Perfect Zinger - Chance for Psi Damage
 (31) Perfect Zinger - Accuracy/Recharge
 (31) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime
 (33) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance
 (34) Fury of the Gladiator - Chance for Res Debuff
 (34) Fury of the Gladiator - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge


Level 16:    Super Jump    
 (A) Winter's Gift - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance


Level 18:    Particle Shielding    
 (A) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge
 (33) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
 (45) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance
 (45) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime
 (45) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance


Level 20:    Spring Attack    
 (A) Fury of the Gladiator - Accuracy/Damage/End/Rech
 (21) Fury of the Gladiator - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
 (21) Fury of the Gladiator - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
 (27) Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
 (40) Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
 (40) Avalanche - Recharge/Chance for Knockdown


Level 22:    Radiation Siphon    
 (A) Hecatomb - Damage/Endurance
 (25) Hecatomb - Damage
 (25) Hecatomb - Damage/Recharge
 (33) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
 (34) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Recharge


Level 24:    Kick    
 (A) Force Feedback - Damage/Endurance/Knockback


Level 26:    Tough    
 (A) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance
 (46) Impervium Armor - Resistance/Endurance


Level 28:    Weave    
 (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
 (46) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
 (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense


Level 30:    Ground Zero    
 (A) Perfect Zinger - Chance for Psi Damage
 (36) Perfect Zinger - Accuracy/Recharge
 (36) Perfect Zinger - Taunt/Recharge/Range


Level 32:    Meltdown    
 (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime
 (46) Unbreakable Guard - Endurance/RechargeTime
 (48) Unbreakable Guard - RechargeTime/Resistance


Level 35:    Irradiated Ground    
 (A) Overwhelming Force - Damage/Chance for Knockdown/Knockback to Knockdown
 (37) Overwhelming Force - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
 (40) Overwhelming Force - Accuracy/Damage


Level 38:    Atom Smasher    
 (A) Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage
 (39) Avalanche - Damage/Endurance
 (39) Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
 (39) Absolute Amazement - Accuracy/Recharge
 (42) Absolute Amazement - Chance for ToHit Debuff
 (42) Absolute Amazement - Accuracy/Stun/Recharge


Level 41:    Devastating Blow    
 (A) Gauntleted Fist - RechargeTime/+Absorb
 (42) Gauntleted Fist - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
 (43) Gauntleted Fist - Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
 (43) Gauntleted Fist - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
 (43) Gauntleted Fist - Damage/RechargeTime


Level 44:    Hover    
 (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
 (48) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance


Level 47:    Maneuvers    
 (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
 (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
 (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense


Level 49:    Tactics    
 (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up
 (50) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance


Level 1:    Brawl    
 (A) Empty


Level 1:    Gauntlet    
Level 1:    Prestige Power Dash    
 (A) Empty


Level 1:    Prestige Power Slide    
 (A) Empty


Level 1:    Prestige Power Quick    
 (A) Empty


Level 1:    Prestige Power Rush    
 (A) Empty


Level 1:    Prestige Power Surge    
 (A) Empty


Level 1:    Sprint    
 (A) Empty


Level 2:    Rest    
 (A) Empty


Level 4:    Ninja Run    
Level 2:    Swift    
 (A) Run Speed IO


Level 2:    Health    
 (A) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery


Level 2:    Hurdle    
 (A) Jumping IO


Level 2:    Stamina    
 (A) Endurance Modification IO


------------

The oldest ones I can find relate to a C&O Railroad steam turbine locomotive whose throttle reportedly had an "Eleven" setting.

Most pages keep referring to This Is Spinal Tap which was a product of the 80's.

There are no mentions I can find at all of any of the old WB/MGM cartoons - the only Looney Tunes cartoon attribution I can find is on TV Tropes, and regards a much more recent production.

Seriously, I KNOW there was at least one old cartoon where I saw the main character pencil in an "eleven" on a knob that only went to ten, and then insanity ensues.

Remastered, and on Blu-Ray. Out on July 16 from Shout Factory - USA and Canada only.

Pre-order here. First 500 Blu-Ray orders made directly from the manufacturer get an Eagle snowglobe - and they're still advertising that, so they probably still have them.

Just thought folks might like to know.

Well, this last week is just getting better and better.

A couple of weeks ago one of the pipes that are part of the building broke.  Flooded areas of the Kitchen and living room.  So this week we've had people all over the place, first cleaning the carpets and now putting down Laminate flooring in Kitchen and Dining area.

Needless to say thats why I've not really had much time in game.

Only now I get to have even less, because this wonderful week just culminated in a phone call from the landlord's son, who is basicly her agent now.  

They no longer want to rent to us.  60 days to vacate.  So the time I thought I might have now that the work is done (oh, but its not yet, they still have another day worth of work after all) gets to be spent finding a new place.

I hate calling people I KNOW.  Let alone strangers?

*BLECH*

So, um, really not going to have much time in the game until we have this whole thing worked.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/j...record-45c

I can’t even. 111.8 F. This will be the new normal.

Well, turns out being the ghost of a murdered girl isn't all
peaches and cream.   Who knew?

Yeah, yeah, inappropriate humor.  But it so *thoroughly* sucked
to be Miss Myrtle Elizabeth Warren, Ravenclaw, Class of 1946, 
that any kind of humor was a welcome respite.  

Hope it's a good one!

Light in slow motion.


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