I've got an old server box sitting in my basement doing nothing so I figured I'd setup a dedi on it for my friend and I to derp around on, but I don't want to go through all the trouble of formating & reinstalling everything on it if its not even in the ball park of the system requirements. I wouldn't mind agreeing not to shoot spacesuits in infinite death scenarios either.Īlso you should spam shields on anything and everything even if its a home base, just in case :Pĭoes anyone know what the hardware requirements are for setting up a dedicated server for this shit? Can't find any specs listed on the forums and my weak ass google-fu hasn't turned up anything of note. Making sure everything important is officially docked, even stuff "docked" inside the station, is also a good start.Īlso, I'd be willing to help figure out work arounds to various issues, especially how thick a wall needs to be that it can't reliably be shot through, etc. If I can't sit there soaking up damage like it doesn't exist and I can't snipe the turret off because it's invincible, I'm not station camping for ~1.5 hours while shooting their new ship attempts through walls. For example, they have totally 100% invincible turrets and yet the ones they have placed are a complete joke. In spite of all these exploitable bugs, though, there's a lot N³ could be doing that they aren't. On the other hand, I wouldn't trust main ships to them on the basis of not being smart, just spam them in unimportant ships as an annoyance. This means you respawn exactly where you die if on grid with your Undeathinator, so losing your ship can lead to being locked down by some dickhead (read: me) constantly shooting the point you're respawning at.ĪI drones get weird sometimes, but I wouldn't say they're completely bugged out to the point of not using them. On the other hand, it seems high speed(?) projectiles can phase through at least a 1 layer thick wall (bug!), so it's possible to kill undocked ships hiding inside a closed hangar anyway.Īnother annoyance for defenders is it seems respawning only adjusts your sector but not local position (bug?). Missile splash does go through walls (bug?) as Calb noted, but they're rarely strong enough to break any ship's shields and so are only good for harassing spacesuits. Yes, the structure is invincible and so are any docked ships/turrets, but anything NOT docked is vulnerable and will die, period. Sort of, home worlds/stations aren't as glamorous as they seem because of weird cases and bugs. Even regulating just capacitor potential would go a long way towards curbing most of the problem.Ĭongratulations the building is now invulnerable Not only does it not have any at current, but it actually has stacking BONUSES on just about everything, which forces players to trend towards super blobs of literally tens of thousands of each module. Honestly, the main issue is the game desperately needs stacking penalties. For instance, the reactor for my Lighthugger is going to be a single string of power blocks that runs the entire length of the ship, with a second and third single-block string that runs along the widest point of the other two axes. Bonus points for layering that shit like those russian doll things, just make sure the seperate reactor structures do not touch. Now knock out all but three of the edges (arranged so they intersect at one vertex) and you've still got the same cap regen as the full block.īranch into multiple dimensions using the smallest number of blocks to maximize cap regen take that 27x1x1 and add a single block on top of it and you get a huge bump in cap recharge. Knock out all the non-edge blocks and you've got the same cap regen as the full block. The way he demonstrates in the video is with a solid 5x5x5 reactor. A 3x3x3 gigantocube reactor has the same pool but much less cap regen than a 27x1x1 stick-shaped reactor. Tl dr capacitor pool is a function of how many blocks you have, whereas regen is a function of the cubic volume of space those blocks collectively occupy. Youre seriously not going to post the link and leave us all in the dark too? I had to pause and think before I realized that he must not have heard the word "volume" before).Īre there any other blocks that benefit from adjacency and volume, in similar or different ways? You'd think this would be something covered in the in-game tutorial but eh, why write a tutorial when you can pass the work on to the playerbase? I guess there's only so much I can expect from a free game.Īlso is there seriously no cruise control function? Okay so I stumbled across a video tutorial that finally explained how power block adjacency works (though he muddled around and used terms like, I kid you not, "box dimension".
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![]() A large variety of upgraded content utilizing the graphic enhancements in the Trainz® graphics engine.Speed improvements across the board to get you moving faster than ever.Use all three of the Trainz® game modules: Want to include some new building types in a session? Or maybe a new section of track? Use the layer tool to achieve this. Move Layers between Sessions and Routes enabling you to add any object to a session - not just trains.Introducing a Layer tool similar to that found in many common graphics applications, you have the ability to perform tasks like Switch between different seasons and observe as the compatible objects change appearance. The Trainz interface is a friendly and intuitive interface to find your way around.Īlong with usability, content creators can also create their own menu items for their routes and sessions. ![]() CAB Control of Diesel, Electric and Steam Trains.Tutorials will be included covering the following lessons: Not sure where to start with TS Mac? Then check out the new tutorials included for you to drive and learn. Included in the TS Mac Release will be several new routes for you to explore as well as improvements to routes you're all used to. Developed specifically to run in 'Native' mode, experience the best Trainz® ever. New routes are available for you to drive with upgraded content specific to Trainz Simulator Mac and including SpeedTree® throughout. High Quality and detailed trees breathe new life into your routes and bring your worlds to life. You can build a fun layout in minutes, faithfully recreate a steam railroad from days gone by or develop a fully-fledged 100+ mile prototypical route the choice is yours. Trainz Simulator Mac includes everything you need to build and operate your own dream railroad. You can build a fun layout in minutes, faithfully recreate a. Product Information Build and operate the railroad of your dreams. Trainz Simulator Mac includes everything you need to build and operate your own dream railroad. Unlike plain thresholding which requires us, rightly or wrongly, to choose a thresholding value in Otzu’s method the value is automatically chosen for us. Imgproc.threshold(rectified,rectified, 0, 255,Imgproc.THRESH_BINARY+Imgproc.THRESH_OTSU) įor thresholding we picked Otzu’s method. So we perform “thresholding” as one more step before OCR. If we do not binarize the input then OCR might do it but it might not do a good job. People such as yourself that create excellent work should not have to deal with a poorly-implemented protection system that doesn’t do so good a job at protecting us in the first place and us end users don’t have the skills or time to figure things out.The OCR engine performs its last step on a black/white binary image. The system needs to change somehow, to be sure. So we may think we’re uninfected, but how do we really know? And with that as the case, isn’t a prudent step to load as few programs as possible? And I don’t have the time to track down false positives with every reporting AV company. □ And I don’t know what that even means for a cool utility I find on the web from a developer I’ve never heard of (except for obvious things like checking reputation links from other sites, etc.) And I believe many of us are falsely confident that we have no infection already: although some malware (such as ransomware) is very splashy and announces itself, the goal of a the vast majority of malware is to work on the system undetected. I think, thats not useful with this low distance.Ĭommon sense isn’t as common as we’d like. the dialog box that should help to format the text (color, font-type, etc.) but this dialog box overlaps the text in the very near area. In my personal observation most programmers prefer to locate these sort of dialog boxes very near to the edited text. ![]() perhaps it can be helpfull to set a fixed position for your dialog box on the monitor. some other users would like to reduce the borders of the right and the left side.Īny visible border should be displayed… or you hide all borders and use a colored background. (in my special cace the upper and the lower borders. It would be helpfull to reduce the width/height of the border. While copying the commands out of ms-office the box is much higher then the distance from on to the next command in the next line. ![]() Users who want to edit text before copying should be able to switch off the auto-close-option.Īre you able to shrink the dimensions or change other propertys of the dialog box? (perhaps with a short delay of 500 up to 2000 milliseconds?) I would prefer that your auto-copy-option is combined with auto-close … you have to restart textify after editing the ini file □ (double quatation marks could be replaced by single (by default)) ![]() export this sort of text can make problems with csv. please pay attention to the circumstance that some dialog boxes contain text with semicolon and/or quotation marks. □ĬSV could be a useful variant to save your data in the clipboard. ![]() I’m not able to design a abstract theory of a database as a target. Please separate every single copy into a new line. up to 350 commands force to repeat this loop (up to 350/25=14 times)ĭ) insert the clipboard-data into the desired target (textfile, Visio, graphics program, …) (screenshots are not very useful … OCR does not work for this!)Īll these commands have to be copied by your method? what a horror O:)ī1) click all text areas / menu commands … => into clipboardī2) please plan an option to copy more than one bunch of controls into one clipboard-set … [the slider has to be moved while waiting for the next group of copies. all these have to be copied into my self made manual. Other programs have a similar amount of commands. 25 commands are displayed in a single view. My ‘task’ is to copy text from menus of programs (example: ms office / rubberband / “All commands” … or other programs & suites) MS provides a bunch of more than 300 commands in every single program. Very nice function, but only usable for small / single tasks. ![]() ![]() He has investigated the role of chemical bonding in promoting long-distance electron tunneling across interfaces and contributed to the development of silicon and germanium surface chemistry, including the self-assembly of complex molecular monolayers on silicon. His research interests lie in electrochemistry and electrocatalysis, and in building the chemical base for molecular electronics. in Nanotechnology in 2012 at the University of Trieste (Italy) and he was then a post-doctoral scholar in the Chemistry Department at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) before joining the Faculty at Stanford.Ĭhris Chidsey is Associate Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus at Stanford University. Reactions of interest are related to sustainable energy generation and use, control of emissions of greenhouse gases, and better utilization of abundant building blocks (methane, biomass). His group research interests are in the preparation and use of uniform and tailored materials for heterogeneous catalysis and photocatalysis and the technological exploitation of nanoparticles and nanocrystals. Matteo Cargnello is Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Terman Faculty Fellow. Through his teaching, Brandt aims to help train the next generation of energy professionals to: optimize energy systems so as to improve their efficiency rigorously account for the environmental impacts of energy sources and think critically about systems-scale phenomena in energy production and consumption. Applications include reducing GHG emissions from transportation energy supply and from power systems through CCS. His research in this area uses the tools of life cycle assessment (LCA) and process optimization to measure and estimate impacts from technologies at broad scales (LCA) and to help reduce these impacts (optimization). Reducing GHG emissions from fossil fuels is important because fossil energy sources will continue to be key components of our energy system for decades to come. He is interested in reducing the environmental impacts of energy systems and is focused on understanding, measuring, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil energy sources. The project’s aim is to use modern hybrid life cycle assessment techniques to assess the economy-wide impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions, of current and proposed oil sands projects.Īdam Brandt is Associate Professor of Energy Resources Engineering at Stanford University. Bergerson is the lead researcher for the Life Cycle Assessment of Oil Sands Technologies project, a collaborative effort between the University of Calgary and the University of Toronto, with industry and government participants. To date, her work has addressed fossil fuel derived electricity, oil sands development, carbon capture and storage and renewable energy systems. The focus of her work is developing tools and frameworks for the assessment of prospective technology options and their policy implications from a life cycle perspective. Her primary research interests are systems-level analysis for policy and decision making of energy system investment and management. Joule Bergerson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, and Canada Research Chair in Energy Technology Assessment, University of Calgary. After a short post-doc assignment in chemical engineering department, he joined Shell R&D in Shell Technology Center – Houston and has worked in US, Netherlands, Qatar and India. Arora-B.Tech (Mechanical Engineering) from IIT-Delhi and PhD (Mechanical Engineering) & MBA from Rice University-specialized in innovation, entrepreneurship, strategy, High Performance Computing (HPC) and numerical modeling of blood flow in artificial hearts. His prior research experience at Shell encompasses research in-GTL Catalyst, Water Reuse, Corrosion Management, CO 2 Utilization, Gas Conversion, Multi-physics multi-scale numerical modeling of complex systems, high-temp high-voltage dielectric materials, experimental studies, scale-up, pilot design and project management. Arora is part of Shell’s Project and Technology Organization and championing Shell’s research initiative in new energy space by fostering close collaborations between Shell and wider public-private partnerships. Dhruv Arora is leading Shell’s efforts in Integration of renewable generation and energy storage with loads to create flexible, safe, reliable and resilient power systems with desired power quality. ![]() While offering a 20% discount, dropping the price down to $19.99 USD. Including support for Linux, Mac, Windows PC, and VR. PULSAR: Lost Colony open world space sim releases on Steam and Humble Store. VR mode (with motion controller support).Board enemy ships so you can capture them or destroy their systems.Loot planets and stations for valuable items.Teleport to other ships, planets, or stations to join the away team.Fast paced and also tactical ship to ship space combat.Five unique classes everyone plays a role on the ship.Customizable AI crew bots in PULSAR: Lost Colony online and offline mode.Online co-op multiplayer (1 - 5 players).While you trek across the galaxy and discover what lies on its fringes in PULSAR: Lost Colony. Teleport down to the surfaces of planets where you may face extreme settings and dangerous creatures. Which is certainly a very Star Trek'ish kind of vibe.Įmbark on missions, search empty stations, and look for components that could help in your voyage. The strategies you use are up to you or your Captain. Reroute power between ship systems, operate turrets. Coordination between your crewmembers is essential to survive the perils that await you.Control the various stations that run your ship. Each player assumes a role aboard the ship: Captain, Pilot, Scientist, Weapons Specialist and Engineer. Maybe even start up the warp drive to escape a fight you cannot win. PULSAR: Lost Colony - Team up to operate a starship and explore a randomized galaxy falling into chaos. PC Game is not an official representative nor the developer of this videogame. PC Game offers a free review and price comparison service. While you scan enemy vessels for details to give you an edge in battle. Up to five players cooperate to operate their advanced starship, and find a lost colony. Reroute power between ship systems, operate turrets, and run powerful programs. PULSAR: Lost Colony will have you control the various stations that run your ship. As you work to survive the perils that await you. Then you have to figure things out between crew members. So the typical Captain, Pilot, Scientist, Weapons Specialist, and Engineer. Each player in PULSAR: Lost Colony assumes a role aboard the ship. Team up to operate a starship and explore a randomized galaxy falling into chaos. As a result, Leafy Games must be pleased to see the 90% Positive Reviews. Since its their first commercial game release. But the game is an impressive project for the three person development team. Such a pleasure to see, although I do not own a VR headset, yet. Thanks to a success Kickstarter back in 2013, version 1.0 of PULSAR: Lost Colony is now live. Which is available with Positive reviews on Steam and Humble Store. Thanks to the continuing efforts for developer Leafy Games. PULSAR: Lost Colony is our attempt to create a fully cooperative space-faring experience, because it’s one of the games. Thinking of this as Star Trek Bridge crew officers would be may best explanation - that is quite the impression I had way back then. Trek across the galaxy, and discover what lies on its fringes.PULSAR: Lost Colony open world space sim games release is out on Linux, Mac, Windows PC with VR support. Officers on your Starship - Captain, Pilot, Scientist, Weapon Specialist, and Engineer. Teleport down to the surfaces of planets where you may face extreme environments and dangerous creatures. Embark on missions, investigate abandoned stations, and scavenge for components that could aid you in your voyage. The strategies you use are up to you - or your Captain. Reroute power between ship systems, operate turrets, run powerful programs, scan enemy vessels for information to give you an edge in battle, or start up the warp drive to escape a fight you cannot win. Control the various stations that run your ship. Coordination between your crewmembers is essential to survive the perils that await you. Control the Team up to operate a starship and explore a randomized galaxy falling into chaos. Summary: Team up to operate a starship and explore a randomized galaxy falling into chaos. ![]() It’s easy to see why Anna Kendrick was chosen for this film. With Rebel Wilson starring in the film, we narrowly missed out on a mini- Bridesmaids reunion. Screenwriter Kay Cannon (of 30 Rock and Baby Mama) originally intended the role for Kristen Wiig, but Banks had to step in when the very-busy lady had to drop out. However, she wasn’t the first choice for the role. Elizabeth Banks plays one of the commentators in the film, best known for her work in The 40-Year Old Virgin, 30 Rock and The Hunger Games. Know It All,” “Super Bass,” “Stronger” and “Where Have You Been.” “S&M,” which she sings in the movie, is one of her songs.Ģ. Dean, who plays Cynthia (aka the token lesbian), is a well-known songwriter, helping to pen such hits as “Rude Boy,” “Firework,” “Turn Me On,” “Mr. Pitch Perfect was Ester Dean’s first acting role in a movie - but far from her first gig. The minds behind Veronese have created a place for dynamic enjoyment whether that be for the nature, the food or the lovely conversations.1. But if food does not seem to be what you desire, look no further than their beverage menu for some solid coffee and tea. With prices that prove affordable for most struggling college students, there are many options to enjoy, not to mention their outrageously yummy shaved ice served in a mason jar for cuteness purposes of course. Its dining options range from fresh salads to scrumptious sandwiches to delectable desserts. This outdoor paradise aims to conquer your heart in its endearing beauty.Īside from the charming feel of Veronese, the food and coffee options do not disappoint. Some of the spaces are in the middle of foliage hanging from trees and bushes, leaving customers in the midst of flowery bliss, as other spaces are blocked off by a wall and are decorated with comfy but beautiful interior design. The owners did a phenomenal job of creating sub-spaces of ambiance, whether that be through the furniture design or the perfect tunes. The backyard area of Veronese looks like an outdoorsy wonderland filled with extensive plant life of all shapes and colors, not to mention the broken up sections of seating.This intimate nature-filled place rings special for many reasons. OUTDOOR VIBESīut the real kicker of the whole shop shines through as soon as you step through the back door into the outdoor space. Veronese does not paint itself in the trendy and modern light of the countless coffee joints around the Los Angeles area, but instead takes the side of a more calming and elegant vibe. The floors are decorated in a fantastic wooden finish, and the tables are each of their own brand, one completely disparate in fashion from the other. This in itself differentiates Veronese from the packed and somewhat anxiety-ridden ambiances of other coffee shops filled to the brim with people in an often uninviting way. ![]() Upon walking inside, Veronese appears quite spacious with an ample amount of tables spread about the room in a freeform manner. Because of the convenient parking lot, customers can enter through the back way or use the front door entrance, up the steps and over the porch. Located on Commonwealth Avenue, a convenient little spot in downtown Fullerton, Veronese has easy accessibility as well as a nifty parking lot right behind the property, which helps produce happy customers. Veronese proves more than a coffee shop as it explores a fine line between café and restaurant. Cafe Veronese will bring about peace, innovation and newness in collision with the regular coffee shop experience. This generation evolves quickly, and with that apparent characteristic residing within millennials comes a need for the next new thing, so here comes a solution to that. There comes a point in every college student’s academic career where they long for a change of scenery, whether through different housing situations or a new hot spot for studying. ![]() No installation and no server needed.įigure B BeeBEEP is running on Linux, thanks to Wine. You are now able to chat with anyone on your LAN who has BeeBEEP running on their desktop. If you enter a password, you will have to distribute the password to the users you want to include in your LAN chat.Īfter you enter the password, you will be in the main BeeBEEP window ( Figure B). You can either accept the default (no password) and make your chat available to anyone connected to the LAN or enter a password to secure your chat. You will be prompted to enter a password. Enter a unique username and click the OK button. When the main (and only) window opens, you will be prompted to create a nickname ( Figure A). Installing BeeBEEPĭownload the latest zip file, unpack the contents of the file, and run the beebeep.exe launcher. Let’s explore how to use this great LAN-based communication tool. BeeBEEP is developed for Windows, but I have successfully and easily run the app on Linux with the help of Wine. vCard (profile), HTML code in messages, and Rainbow Text Marker pluginīeeBEEP is incredibly easy to use and doesn’t require any installation (that includes server installation).If your small business cannot invest the time and resources into setting up something like a Jabber-based server, you might try a simple solution for interoffice communication called BeeBEEP. Interoffice communication is crucial to a productive work environment, and yet the busier we become, the less time we have to communicate this is why there are so many tools at our disposal to help us with this task. Learn how easy it is to use this interoffice, LAN-based secure chat tool. SMBs looking for an internal chat solution should check out BeeBEEP. Get LAN-based interoffice secure chat with BeeBEEP RAIDERS is a registered trademark of the Las Vegas Raiders LLC.Kurt Benkert said he was surprised about being released by the Green Bay Packers, but the veteran quarterback expressed respect for general manager Brian Gutekunst and the process behind the decision. ![]() This site is neither endorsed, nor sponsored by, nor affiliated with Las Vegas Raiders or NFL Properties LLC. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy.This is certainly a possibility worth watching for over the next few days. Obviously, the Packers have the Raiders’ pick at 22, but they also have their own original selection at 28. The Raiders may not have been interested in trading Waller and a first-round pick for Adams - not a good deal at all –, but what about if the Packers sent their first pick to the Raiders to get Waller? And a deal could happen during the draft this week. The Raiders resisted that proposition, but ultimately it didn’t matter because they were informed by the league that a franchise-tagged player such as Adams is not allowed to be traded for another player.Īccording to this new report, that undisclosed player was Waller. This fire had smoke previously in a piece by the Athletic that said the Packers initially wanted “an undisclosed player” from the Raiders along with a first-round pick in exchange for Davante Adams. I stuck a pin in that eerie feeling I had and it makes this recent report all the more interesting.Īccording to a recent report from Aaron Nagler at CheeseheadTV, the Packers and Raiders have discussed a trade that would involve Darren Waller. Carr was a priority for a new deal in part because he was entering a season with no guaranteed money.Ĭarr did eventually mention Waller along with Renfrow and Moreau in this context later in the same press conference, but his inclusion still seemed enough an afterthought to not be notable. And there’s no way he could have been thinking it was a normal thing for Waller to enter a season with no guaranteed money on his contract. And Darren Waller is not among those names. So, you have Carr mentioning two of his top receivers and a tight end. And so, for me, it was like, how do we do that?” I went through a heartbreak already last time I signed my contract, my best friend left (Khalil Mack) and I didn’t want that to ever happen again.Īnd so, this was an opportunity for me to prove to the team, to the organization, to our fans that the way we’re going to structure this is so that we can keep everybody together and really, really have real continuity, really have something to build on. ![]() “Tim, my agent, myself and the team, we made sure guys like Chandler, guys like Davante, guys like hopefully Hunter and Foster and those guys can stay here the way we structured it. Take this answer from Derek Carr about structuring his deal to allow for others to be signed. And yet, all the attention seems to be paid to an extension for Hunter Renfrow. He has two years left on his current deal, but zero guaranteed money, which would usually suggest he is due for a restructure or an extension. This offseason, there has been an unsettling lack of discussion about Darren Waller’s contract situation. ![]() Handgun icon: Weapons Weapons glow red Image: Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon If you have excess ether, you can exchange it for obolites at an Obolite Repository. To destroy obolites chunks, you’ll first need to get the sword, which you find on your way to beating the first boss, Phrike. Obolites appear either as a small item you can grab by touching it or as obolite chunks. Obolites glow yellow Image: Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon You can spot obolites from a distance from their yellow glow. Obolites are an in-game currency you can use to fabricate consumables and artifacts, represented by a tear-shaped icon. Healing items can either be a piece of silphium which restores health or a piece of resin which increases suit integrity. Healing icons glow green Image: Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon In the game, you can spot a green glow coming from these health resources. The minimap icon for healing items is a green plus (+) icon. In this Returnal guide, we’ll explain the meaning behind the green, blue, yellow, red, and purple items you’ll find in the game, detail what each icon represents on your minimap, and explain what each item color in the environment is so you know what to look out for. In the beginning, making sense of them is difficult. Loving Returnal so far? Awesome! Check out some of our other articles on this stellar game.In Returnal, you’ll see various item icons on your minimap and glowing objects throughout each of the biomes. But, you’ll want to check out the maps anyway if you want to stay on the game’s difficulty curve. ![]() ![]() Some of these upgrades, like the Atropian blade, will upgrade you permanently. Not only will you need keys, but you’ll need weapons and upgrades to blast through challenges. ![]() If you want to get far in Returnal, make sure you’re constantly getting through maps to get the upgrades and key items that you need. Exploration will also get you weapons and upgrades that you need for the rest of the game. In each area, exploring until you find the key to the red door is critical. The boss is linked to the biome, so you can practice fighting the boss as long as you can make it to the biome. This pattern will be repeated in each of the biomes that the game asks players to battle through. To get the key to this door, you’ll need to explore the level, find the Atropian blade, and blast through the red barrier. The first red door is for the Anathema Vault, which is the boss of the Overgrown Ruins. Once you enter the door, you can go back, but you’ll be pulled into a fairly tricky fight. That means that you’re about to fight the threshold of the area, and you might want to make sure you’re ready with gear and upgrades before walking on through. The red door in Returnal is a sign that you’re about to run into the boss of the area. What will open a red door? What do they unlock, and what is the key that is needed to unlock them? Find out in our guide! How to Unlock The Red Door in Returnal Because of that, you might run into a red door or two in Returnal and wonder what they’re all about. Whether these are literal or metaphorical, you’ll run into different types of gates which grant you access to story, goodies, or unlocks. Returnal brings our protagonist Selene through a lot of doorways. But recording for Jive is exactly what Wilson does on 2005's Charlie, Last Name Wilson, which finds him collaborating with none other than R. In addition to serving as executive producer, Kelly wrote, produced, and arranged three songs: "Magic," the title track, and the Stevie Wonder-ish "No Words." Kelly didn't produce the entire album - the Platinum Brothers, T. Pain, and several others also help out - but whoever the producer or writer is on a particular track, the obvious goal was to make Wilson sound contemporary and modern by 2005 standards. And Wilson sounds perfectly natural alongside guest Snoop Dogg on the angry "You Got Nerve" and even Justin Timberlake (who has shed some of his more bubblegum tendencies of the past) on the infectious "Floatin'." Romantic slow jams are a high priority on this CD, and grooves like "Asking Questions," "What If I'm the One," and "Let's Chill" (a remake of Guy's hit) essentially take the Gap Band's classic "Yearning for Your Love"/"Outstanding" vibe and add a big dose of hip-hop. In other words, Wilson does exactly what Kelly, Teddy Riley, Sweat, and so many of his other admirers have been doing all these years. ![]() Charlie, Last Name Wilson isn't in a class with the singer's best recordings with the Gap Band, but it's a respectable and inspired demonstration of his ability to be relevant to the hip-hop-drenched urban contemporary scene of 2005.In The Number Ones, I’m reviewing every single #1 single in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, starting with the chart’s beginning, in 1958, and working my way up into the present. How far can good intentions go? Bruce Hornsby & The Range’s “The Way It Is,” the gentle and florid soft-rock jam, is unambiguously a song about racism and about people with money doing everything in their power to keep their place atop the societal pyramid. Hornsby opens the song with a lyrical vignette about “the man in the silk suit” going out of his way to sneer at an old lady in a welfare line. For years, Sean Hannity, a man who continues to make his living performatively sneering at people in welfare lines, used “The Way It Is” as theme music. In 2004, Hornsby admitted that he wasn’t happy about Hannity using the song but said that he felt helpless to stop it: But Hannity didn’t use any of the actual words that Hornsby sang. I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it. If I make a stink about it, then they make you into a clown. If you go and raise your hand in protest, they just turn you into their new whipping boy. It seems like a cruel joke, but people have a great ability to tolerate cognitive dissonance in the music they like. You can spend years listening to a song that passionately argues against the way you feel. You can sing along with that song in the shower every day, and you can still feel the way you feel. That’s just the way it is.īruce Hornsby was born atop that societal pyramid. Hornsby came from Williamsburg, Virginia, where his father, a former oil exec, had become a hugely successful housing developer. Hornsby’s father, a former musician, kept a Steinway piano in his living room, and Bruce learned to play on it. In 1974, when Bruce was studying music at the University Of Richmond, his brother Bobby started a band to play Grateful Dead covers at frat parties. ![]() Just grab his collaborative hit "Beautiful" with Snoop Dogg from elsewhere, add this set, and then you've got Uncle Charlie's aughts on lock.Bruce joined Bobby Hi-Test And The Octane Kids, playing Fender Rhodes. ![]() Kelly, and if you need a reminder of how he acquired Don status, the original "Burn Rubber on Me" is tacked on to the end of the set, although that's certainly not enough to check the Gap Band off your list. Through it all, Wilson comes off as a more sensible and mature alternative to R. Old-school funk (the hard-struttin' "Musta Heard") and grown-folks R&B (the massive hit "You Are") mix with hipness at an Usher-level ("My Girl Is a Dime" or "Shawty Come Back"), while 21st century names like Justin Timberlake, will.i.am, T-Pain, and Jamie Foxx all come to pay their respects and vibe with one of the masters. His 1992 effort You Turn My Life Around is skipped but it barely fits with his much more successful later canon, which here is represented by the years 2000 to 2010. Trying a little harder than its generic packaging might imply, Playlist: The Very Best of Charlie Wilson kicks off with a 12" mix of the former Gap Band member's hit "Outstanding" before rounding up all the obvious highlights from the singer's solo career. |
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