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General doesn’t know what the war is about, just wants to ‘whip the enemy’ (Yesterday’s News)

Editor’s Note: These are excerpts from past editions of the Press-Register.

1862

• “A gentleman in Dawson, Terrell county, has succeeded in making cotton cards, and is now engaged in manufacturing them Good for the blockade! — Macon Telegraph.”

• “BLOOMER DRESSES REVIVED. — on Friday morning, the 17th ult., a number of young ladies, probably from the country, appeared on Broadway, New York, in full Bloomer attire — short dress, overcoat, and last but not least, pantaloons, which one of the damsels had tucked in her boots.”

• “A special despatch to the Cincinnati Gazette says:

“Gen. Buell recently said: ‘None of my officers shall attempt to tell the people what the war is about. I myself don’t know what it is about. I only know that it is my duty to whip the enemy.’

“Certainly a docile officer, to fight in a cause he knows nothing about.”

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 1912

• “The Alabama Automobile Association, affiliated with the American Automobile Association, has opened an office in Mobile under the management of mr. H.T. Culver.”

• “Twenty homeseekers in one party is somewhat in the nature of a record for south Alabama, though it has been exceeded once or twice. no less than a score of Northern prospectors, who are looking for suitable farm locations, registered at the Cawthon Hotel yesterday, having come South with J.H. Strode. … All of mr. Strode’s clients are people of means, and their settlement in south Alabama will tend greatly to uphold the high standard of citizenship which is being maintained in the introduction of immigrants.”

• “Johnny Fisher, the diminutive [baseball] hurler, who pitched for Mobile under George Reed and who winters here, will leave in a few days for Dayton, Ohio. … Johnny goes not to report for spring practice but to talk over salary with his manager, Fisher having been tendered a contract with a nice chunk taken out of it, as compared with last year. Johnny will try and get his release as he is anxious to pitch in the Cotton States league, having received an offer.”

Sunday, Feb. 14, 1937

• “The Azalea Trail today will officially open in a riot of crimson beauty when miss Cornelia McDuffie, Mobile debutante and queen of the 1937 carnival, cuts a silken ribbon across St. Joseph Street at Bienville Square to allow a motorcade of leading citizens to start the annual cavalcade of flowers.”

• “Mobile’s famous Azalea Trail, enchanted vista of the Deep South, which opens today … is a growing testimonial to the memory of the late Marion Draughon, who died in July 1930, at the age of 29.

“Young Draughon was chairman of a special committee appointed from the membership of the Junior Chamber of Commerce back in 1928 to further the idea of making this city famed throughout the world as the City of Azaleas.”

• “Jane Pettis will no longer ‘do the white folks’ fine clothing. The 90-year-old negro woman, who lived at 20 South Hallett Street, died Saturday morning.

“Since coming to Mobile as a child almost 80 years ago from Claiborne, Ala., Monroe County, she had lived here ever since. she was one of the founders of the Old Folks and Orphans Home, Negro and founded the Ann Street Presbyterian Church. … her late husband, long a sexton at the Government Street Presbyterian Church, died two years ago. …

“She lived witih Dr. E.B. Good, a colored doctor, her nephew.”

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 1962

• “Robin Carstens, 14-year-old Barton Academy eighth grader, stands proudly by her model of a bleach plant which was one of 16 grand prize winners in a science fair now in progress at Barton. The 766 exhibits in the science fair will be on public display from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Thursday.”

• “Each year the members of the Spinsters Mystic Society cast secret ballots for Mobile’s most eligible bachelor, whose name is revealed on Valentine’s Day. this year the Spinsters selected Thomas O. Gaillard Jr., 27-year-old son of mr. and mrs. T.O. Gaillard.” Tommy is a graduate of Auburn.”

_____

Compiled by Cammie East Cowan

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Consumers Digest Magazine Announces ’07 Automotive Best Buys

Thirty-two vehicles and six companion models made it to the 2007 Consumers Digest’s best buys. Vehicles were grouped into 8 categories – Small Cars, Family Cars, Luxury Cars, Sporty Cars, Trucks, Vans, Compact/Midsize SUVs and Luxury/Full-Size SUVs. They were given ratings based on ergonomics, safety, behind-the-wheel testing, styling and amenities, warranty, ownership costs, and price. Further, performance is assessed according to starting and acceleration, shifting, steering, handling, ride quality, braking and fuel economy.

In the small category, best buy ratings go to Chevrolet HHR, Dodge Caliber, Honda Civic, Honda Fit, Jeep Compass and Nissan Versa. in the family car category, the auto best buys are Chevrolet Impala, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Azera, Hyundai Sonata, Mercury Milan and Toyota Camry/Solara. Luxury car best buys are Acura TL, Buick Lucerne, Infiniti M35/45 and Toyota Avalon.

Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, Mazda6, MINI Cooper, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky are the best buys in the sporty car category. at the topmost list in the best van values are Chevrolet Avalanche, Ford F-150 and Honda Ridgeline are the top pickups, and the Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Hyundai Entourage and Kia Sedona.

For the compact/midsize SUVs, the best buys are Honda CR-V, Jeep Wrangler, Mazda CX-7 and Toyota RAV4. Honda CR-V is loosely derived from Civic. Wrangler is the successor of the famed World War II vehicle. CX-7, on one hand, is the slot between CX-5 and CX-9. it uses some Mazda Miata body parts to boost its overall appeal. Finally, RAV-4 is a crossover SUV, is a vehicle that had most of the benefits of an SUV.

For compact/midsize SUVs, 4 vehicles made it to the best buy standard. They are Acura RDX, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Mercedes-Benz’s GL-Class.

According to Randy Weber, Customer Digest’s publisher, value, as we see it, is based on purchase price and ownership costs relative to quality, performance and subjective factors like comfort and design. Webber added, Few purchases are more important, or require more research, than buying a new vehicle. our analyses underscore our commitment to ensure that consumers are as satisfied with their auto purchase years after making it as they were on the day they drove off the lot.

It was divulged by Rich Dzierwa, Consumers Digest editor that this is the first time the number of represented manufacturers reached 20. Also, for 5 years now, Chevrolet Tahoe, Dodge Caravan, GMC Yukon, Honda Civic, Honda Odyssey, MINI Cooper, Toyota Avalon and Toyota Camry retained the their best buy standing.

Consumers Digest, launched in 1959, is an American magazine publication that is intended to inform, evaluate and recommend products. it also tolerates other companies to use its reviews in their marketing strategies.

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Auto Parts

As the number of automobiles continues to expand globally, the growth of the auto parts industry has also been exponential.

Auto parts can be broadly divided into two categories–original and duplicate. one should usually use original auto parts, as they are more reliable, durable and safe. Unbranded, locally manufactured or duplicate auto parts could prove to be a safety hazard. Most of the automobile companies provide the original parts for their products if they need to be replaced. Some auto parts are covered by warranties; some are not.

There are showrooms, shops, online stores and your neighborhood mechanic–all of them are capable of providing various types of auto parts. There are certain auto parts which have a very short life; the others have comparatively long life. certain auto parts are difficult to find, as they are used in those models whose production was discontinued by companies. Generally, even after discontinuing production of a particular model, the car manufacturers try to ensure that auto parts are available for them, at least for the next few years.

The market for auto parts has been expanding at a very rapid pace. There are retail as well as wholesale markets for these parts in almost every big town or city. many auto parts are available in gas stations, especially those along major highways. It is always better to get an auto part fitted by a qualified, well-trained and certified mechanic. also, one must be careful about the life of an auto part. you must get certain crucial auto parts in your vehicle checked at regular intervals, even if they are not malfunctioning. Some auto parts should be kept as spares in your vehicle, especially if you are going for a long drive beyond the city limits.

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Vauxhall Corsa – The Eco-Friendly Economy Option

The Vauxhall Corsa is a well designed mini that rises above the rest. General Motors European division of Opel, and its sister company Vauxhall had produced a reliable little car.

It comes standard with a 1iter engine, which is a bit underpowered for a mini. Producing 65 horsepower, this motor keeps up along the motorways but often overtaking is out of the question. For this there are several other options for the motor. The 1.2 litre petrol engine produces 85 horsepower. The final option for petrol engines is the 1.4 litre engine that produces 100 horsepower and is rated at about 51 miles a gallon.

The most attractive option, in our opinion, is one of the two diesel engines. The 1.3 CDTI 95 horsepower diesel ecoflex motor is your first option. in most cases, a diesel motor is not worth your while in a mini, but this is an exception. this motor achieves 76.3 MPG on the combined cycle, and 88.3 MPG on the extra urban cycle. and if you’re interested in a little bit more pep, the 1.7 CDTI diesel produces 130 horsepower. The company claims that it has reduced average consumption by more than 13% with five out of the six engines. Making it are truly appealing option for the eco-friendly driver.

The interior in the Vauxhall Corsa is simple and well designed. Seats are comfortable, but it feels like you’re riding high. almost as if you’re driving on, as opposed to in the car. Designed with eco friendly technology in mind, there’s an eco gearshift indicator located in the cluster. Although touted as an advantage, some have found it to be overly sensitive degrading the overall performance of the car. but if you’re buying this vehicle you’re not looking for performance. we would state, however, that the interior is the best that we’ve seen in a mini. Interiors offered are generally what one would see in a higher class of vehicle. Fabrics and design are of a high quality. in addition, there are a variety of interior color schemes that make the ride a more pleasant experience.

Generally another problem found in minis, is interior noise. in comparison with the other minis available this cool car offers better noise insulation. at idle speed the interior is quiet and at high engine speeds the noise level is quite tolerable. however, with the six speed transmission there really is no need to ever experience the high rev noise. Standard features on almost all models are cruise control, an onboard computer. The SRi model comes with air conditioning, 17 inch five spoke alloy wheels, and a VXR styling kit.

It comes in 3 door or 5 door options. While the three door option has nice styling you lose head room in the back. The 5 door is a bit more practical and offers of all the room that one would expect. The wheelbase is equal on both options and the 5 door obviously offers better access. If you want more size your best to choose a larger car.

The bottom line is, we feel that the Vauxhall Corsa stands out as an exceptional vehicle in its class. Designed with the eco-friendly commuter in mind it fills its design objectives nicely. and although it’s a bit pricier than the other models in its class we feel that it’s well worth the price. With a stable suspension and abundant reliable options; for the drive train it is a solid little car. in addition it has a nice aesthetic touch that adds that special something that you don’t always find in economy class vehicles. You will be pleased with this car and it will give you years of reliable, economical service. It doesn’t guzzle petrol too much, drives smoothly on the road, and very soon you could start a trend everyone will want a car like yours It’s time you head on down to the showroom, and pick up one of these neat cars, like the age old saying goes buy now while stocks last.

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Seattle Seafair Pirates reunite at a "Memoirs of a Buccaneer" book signing

  Steve ShayLiterary Pirate: Former Seafair Pirate, “Hurricane” Robb Zerr, recently published a book called “Memoirs of a Buccaneer: 30 Years before the Mast”. Four pirates pictured L-R at Shipwreck Tavern are Ballard’s “Sloe Gin”, Robb Zerr, “Waterrat” Bobby Smyth (a former Seafair Pirate) & Ballard’s “Rogue’s Pierre”. 01/26/2012

Seattle Seafair Pirate fans may recall the edgier era of those saber-rattling, masked men. Robb Zerr, was the pirate, “Hurricane”, from 1982-1990. He just wrote a book, “Memoirs of a Buccaneer: 30 Years before the Mast”, a 432-page self-published paperback, and Kindle. He recounts bouts of hooliganism, Caribbean travels, drinking, romancing the “wenches”, and, well, more drinking.

He signed his book (now available on Amazon and at memoirsofabuccaneer.com) at the Shipwreck Tavern this past week and pirate “colleagues” from all over Seattle appeared, all in costume for the festive reunion.

Zerr, the Renton-born professional writer lived in Seattle for 15 years and is now on Hutchison Island in Florida, a bit closer to the Caribbean Islands like a “good” pirate. He does corporate writing and other work with his company, Communicreations. He also writes a daily blog of musings called RobZerrvations.com.

Zerr heads an entertaining troupe coined “Pyrates of the Coast”, 10 to 20 musicians, actors, actresses, and other creative folks who entertain as pirates in the U.S. and Caribbean. some members are former Seafair Pirates, including “Waterrat”, Bobby Smyth, now 86. Most live in Florida and the Seattle area. They entertain on cruise ships, at casinos, resorts and schools.

“My life of piracy started when I was in a band with my two brothers and we met up with a pirate at a performance,” said Zerr. “He asked us to join. I think we were asked because they didn’t have a pirate band. We’d go up on stage in a pub and sing while the other pirates would mingle and customers would buy drinks.

“We were told to always be an asset to the group, never badmouth the public, even if you were drunk. I have been told it is a very difficult group to get into, but a very easy group to get out of.

“I was 24, wet behind the years. It opened up an entire world to me that I had never seen before. I had no idea. back then it was the wild times. I think we could do things they can’t do now. We could of course drink in public. Onboard the (pirate ship) Moby Duck we had at least one garbage can if not two filled with beer, and we would have tankards to carry, to fill up onboard, and we could keep drinking during the parades.

“We’d host women in the party room back at the hotel. Free drinks. Typically if we were in pirate costume we wouldn’t get in trouble because we had a couple of police captains and lieutenants in the group.

“Pirates fire blanks with shot guns. in one instance there was a real bullet that luckily just fired into the Duck. Once we were driving the Duck into Green Lake, which you can’t do. The police tried to stop us, but Mayor Charles Royer was on board chatting it up with Miss Washington, and insisted the lake was part of international waters. So the officer didn’t stop us.

“We were a bunch of kids. It was like watching Peter Pan and we were the Lost Boys. We were a family, a tight organization that watch each others’ backs.

“I miss the Seafair Pirates who have died. Morie Lohre was a great guy. (He was “Captain Kidd” from 1995-1996 and passed away in 2002.) There was Weaver Dial, a West Seattle icon, and tremendous folk artist. He was a pirate for about 50 years. (He was Captain Kidd in 1962 and Davy Jones in 1989.) Had two children, Yankee and Dixie. I think about him every day. He would never be out of costume. even when he went swimming he had one of those 1800′s striped swimming outfits. He was an original. I wish more people could have known him. They’re not going to make another one of him, ever. He taught me a lot about being a pirate.

“I would never have a boat. I borrow everyone else’s boat. I think they call that piracy. I know quite a few people with tall ships I get to go on. I am good friends with the captain of the 74-foot gaff rigged topsail schooner WOLF based in Key West. in the book I explain how we (his ‘Pyrate’ troupe) ran aground in Port Royal, Jamaica. Their coast guard recused the school kids on board while we had to pay a local guy $100 in advance to tow the boat. That’s piracy.

“Port Royal was really the richest port in the entire world outside of Boston until an earthquake leveled it. Every great pirate, Captain Morgan, Blackbeard, and the two famous female pirates, Anne Bonney and Mary Read went to Port Royal. about two-thirds of the island sank in 1692 and 4,000 died. The shore is a very reverent place for the local Jamaicans as so many died.

“As Pyrates we try not to say ‘argh’ and ‘matey’ all the time. We are more real. Pirates didn’t talk that way. They talked like anyone else did during the time period they lived in. also, they were multi-national. You’d have crews of Frenchmen with English, Dutch, and freed slaves. We do play it as much hysterical as historical. People would be pretty bored if it was all just a history lesson.”

Belfast-born Bobby Smyth came by the Shipwreck Tavern. He was a Seafair Pirate 1965 to 1988. He and Zerr were joined there by Ballard Pyrate members Rogues Pierre and his “wench”, Sloe Gin.

“I’m in the book quite a lot,” said Smyth. “I was married, but quite flirtatious. The women liked a pirate in uniform.”

“And out of their uniform, too,” quipped Sloe Gin.

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O’Farrell backs truck investigation

AAP

Tragedy … three people were killed in the Hume Highway accident. Photo: Jonathan Ng

The NSW government will wait for the results of a police investigation into a trucking company involved in a crash which killed three people before deciding if an industry-wide review is required, Premier Barry O’Farrell says.

An unprecedented investigation into Lennons Transport Services was launched on Wednesday with police inspecting trucks at the company’s head office in Enfield and checking stations across NSW.

Police said later they had detected eight Lennons trucks which have been tampered with, including seven that had been modified to exceed the maximum speed of 100km/h.

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Gary Logan (right), son of crash victims Donald and Patricia Logan, and Robert Logan (centre), son of Calvyn Logan, with his wife. Photo: Jonathan Ng

It came after police on Tuesday charged one of Lennons’ drivers with dangerous driving causing the deaths of three members of the Logan family on January 24.

Police allege his vehicle had been tampered with to make it go faster.

NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson on Wednesday called on the state government to probe the industry as a whole, saying drivers were being pressured to cut corners.

However, when asked if a widespread review of the industry was needed, Mr O’Farrell said “anything in that sense will be informed by what is discovered in this instance”.

“As I understand it, there are checks in place now, but police have engaged in what they’re describing as unprecedented action,” Mr O’Farrell told reporters in Sydney.

“We’ll look to see the results of their work and if changes need to be made, they will be made.

“I absolutely support what the police are doing, I share the community concern about what allegedly they have uncovered.

“Police have described this as an unprecedented action but it won’t be unprecedented in the future if we see trucking companies continuing not to comply with existing road laws.

“Three people have died. I have incredible sympathy for their family but I have no sympathy for rogue truck drivers or rogue trucking companies who think that the state’s trucking and driving safety rules don’t have to be complied with,” Mr O’Farrell said.

Assistant Commissioner John Hartley told reporters a small part of the industry had “certainly systemically done the wrong thing, we allege”.

“Police and the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) are now investigating fully the company to see what other action we can take against that company and its drivers if they’ve committed offences,” he added.

Peter Wells, Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) regulatory services director, said tampering with trucks to exceed maximum speeds was well known in the industry.

Mr Wells said the RMS has been investigating Lennons since the crash but would not reveal if they became aware of the alleged offences before the fatal collision.

“We’ve been looking at this for a while,” Mr Wells said.

In a statement posted on Lennons company website, managing director Tony Lennon expressed sympathy for the Logan family.

“As this incident is under investigation by the police, I am obviously unable to comment on the accident itself but I would like to express our deepest sympathy to the families involved in this very tragic accident,” he said.

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Brochure Designs – Tips For Creating Great Brochures

Creating brochure designs sounds simple, right? there are many things that should be considered before jumping into creative mode. Ultimately you want to end up with a brochure that’s not only attractive, but effective as well.

One important detail that needs to be addressed before you begin the actual brochure designs is organization Organization is key to making your investment of time produce an exceptional piece. Keeping the information you gather in an organized fashion will make your brochure designs come together smoothly. You first need to have the necessary information, photos, artwork, and printing parameters, all of which your client can supply. having a sit-down consultation with your client will begin this process. You need your client to first answer two important questions before starting your brochure designs. What is the main purpose of the brochure? And, Who is your target audience?

Brochure designs are created generally for two reasons.

  • Grab the attention of new customers It holds similarities to an advertisement in that it entices, causing them to want to learn more about your products or services. It typically uses bold headlines, distinct visuals, a call to action on the readers part, and can include a coupon or incentive to visit your business.
  • Follow through with customers who are already familiar with you or your business. these brochure designs are used primarily to give detailed information. Perhaps your customers have questions or want more information. this brochure will give them the answers.

So, you know the purpose of your brochure designs. Now what?

Next you need to find out some of the finer details.

  • what are the printing parameters?
  • What size brochure will it be when folded? When open?
  • Will it be printed with a bleed?
  • Does it require special folds or die-cuts?
  • Is it full color, spot color or black and white?
  • What type of paper and finish will it have?
  • How many completed brochures will be required?

Some of these questions can be answered and fine tuned by determining the project’s budget. Once you have all of the preliminaries down then you can begin your design.

When it comes to the brochure designs themselves, a few key tips will help them be effective and look great too.

Create your front page to grab the reader’s attention Remember, your client needs potential customers to pick up the brochure how will they see the valuable information being offered if they don’t read it? a large, single image works much better than many small ones. Too much clutter looks unprofessional and can be confusing to the eye.

Follow through the brochure with a constant theme. Tie each page together, and create continuity. Keep the number of fonts used to no more than two.

Copy should be short and sweet. Help your client avoid the temptation to load the brochure with large amounts of copy. Too much information can dilute the main point being made in the brochure. The text should be kept in easy to read blocks to increase reader clarity. When going over the copy with your client, make sure to keep the audience in mind. Unless the brochure designs are being aimed at a specific highly educated group, such as doctors, lawyers and the like, large words and long acronyms may come across as pretentious and drive customers away.

Don’t forget to include the business name Provide at least two forms of contact information, the logo and a tag line.

Well planned brochure designs can help to increase your client’s visibility and customer base regardless of their business size. these tips will guide you to create that highly effective brochure your clients need and will love.

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Sony closes deal to buy Sony Ericsson, now Sony Mobile Communications

IDG News Service – Sony said Thursday it had completed its purchase of the Sony Ericsson mobile phone joint venture and turned the company into a subsidiary, which it will soon rename Sony Mobile Communications.

The company announced in October that it would would pay Ericsson $810 million for its 50% stake in the venture.

The joint venture, which began operations in 2001, helped turn around Sony’s struggling mobile business and gave its phones a strong international presence, a rarity for a Japanese handset maker. Sony was able to leverage well-known brands in other product categories, such as Walkman and Cybershot, in its phones.

With the sudden rise of smartphones, Sony said it wants to better integrate the Xperia handsets with its other product lines, as rivals like Apple and Samsung do now. The company is heavily pushing its online media platform, which it hopes will provide a consistent experience across phones, TVs, tablets and PCs.

The integration occurs at a tough time financially for both Sony and its new subsidiary.

Sony said earlier this month that it now expects losses for the fiscal year to be nearly $3 billion, weighed down by its struggling TV business as well as a number of one-time charges. And in January, Sony Ericsson said it had booked a net loss of a!207 million during the fourth quarter of 2011, down from aA a!8 millionA profit a year earlier, as sales slipped 16 percent.

The new subsidiary, which has about 8,000 employees, will be headquartered in London.

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WSET.com – ABC13New State Guidelines for Gun Buyback Programs

Lynchburg, VA - a group of Lynchburg-area pastors are up in arms about a bill they believe will keep guns on our streets.

This week, House bill 22 passed through the Virginia Senate and is now set to be signed into law by the governor. Opponents say it takes aim at gun buy-back programs. The new law now puts restrictions on these programs and makes it illegal to destroy the guns that are turned in.

In the winter of 2009, the group Churches United for Service offered raffle tickets for a 2004 Chevy Impala to anyone who turned in a gun. Back then, they seized nearly a dozen firearms.

Local pastors have been planning to do it again.

“There are forces at work to prevent us from doing what we are trying to do,” said Dr. James Coleman of Churches United for Service.

He's talking about House bill 22, which passed this week in the General Assembly.  It now forbids local buy-back programs without a city or county ordinance authorizing it.

“It's been a good program in the past. The partnership with the police department and the churches that have come out in the past have been excellent,” said Lynchburg City Councilman Turner Perrow.

Perrow says an ordinance won't be a problem. The real concern for church leaders is knowing what will happen to the turned in guns.

“In this country, four people die every hour from gun shot wounds,” said Dr. Coleman.

In the past, the guns were destroyed. The new law requires they be sold back to a licensed dealer.

“It doesn't restrict what we've been doing in the past except it opens up the possibility that we can actually sell these guns and receive some revenue for it,” said Perrow.

While it might generate new funds, it still doesn't sit well with Churches United for Service.

“We just hope and pray that the guns won't end up in somebody's hands that will create challenges for our community,” said Dr. Coleman.

This gun buy back law was actually drafted by the National Rifle Association. It's expected to become law on July 1.

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Project 64 Roms Explained

As the years slip away, video games companies continuously give us new games to look forward to. But what if we want to play an older game? Unfortunately, consoles do not last forever and as we get older it seems that we simply lose the ability to play the games that entertained us as children (this statement ignores the Wii’s Virtual Console, of course). However, emulators provide a solution to the problem. Project 64 roms give us the ability to replay full Nintendo 64 games. Read on to learn more.

Emulators are light-weight programs that act as functional substitutions for gaming consoles. they not only allow you to play existing video games, but also hack games to create new levels, challenges, etc. Emulators are mostly used for older consoles, such as the NES or the SEGA Genesis, but can used for newer consoles (though they are generally in serious need of improvement).

How do Emulators Work?

Basically all you need to know (unless you want to make your own emulator) is that the emulator program is able to open files known as ROMs or ISOs. ROMs are images of games that originally used cartridges (SNES, N64, etc.), and ISOs are images of games that were originally on discs (PS, Dreamcast, etc.). However, one emulator cannot play all ROMs or ISOs. to play a SNES ROM, you need an emulator that acts as a SNES. to play a PS ISO, you need a PS Emulator. to play 64 roms, you need an emulator like Project 64. Make sense? good.

What are the Benefits to Using an Emulator?

Emulators allow you to enjoy a seemingly infinite number of games free-of-charge on your own computer, they take up a very insignificant amount of space on your hard drive (unless you’re using an emulator for a new console), and they allow you to save your game whenever and wherever you see fit. I (Xalo) own the original Chrono Trigger for the SNES. However, I imagine many of you guys grew up with an N64 or even a later console, completely missing out on a legendary game. once a console has lived out its lifespan and the only alternative is to buy it again to play on another console (which will again be replaced in about 3-5 years), what are you supposed to do? Emulators offer the only solution for gamers who just want to relive the classics they grew up with.

So They’re Perfect, right?

Well, nothing is perfect. the ESA has made it illegal (and often times impossible) to download some ROMs, making it difficult to find the game you’re looking for. they make it illegal on the grounds that the Wii’s Virtual Console is designed to let you relive your childhood by selling you yesterday’s technology at today’s prices. also, many download sites look a little sketchy and should not be trusted immediately. Oftentimes the companies that made these original games are no longer in existence and are definitely not making any more money from sales of the game itself. So, buy the game on virtual console if you wish, but we prefer the comfort of our computers. There’s nothing quite like the ability to save your state at any point in the game with a Project 64 rom. also, if you don’t want to get frustrated or have your hands burst in flames, we recommend you purchase a USB controller. they are around $10-$15 new but are definitely worth it if you plan on playing any fighting games (see Street Fighter).

So Which Emulators Should I Download?

We recommend the following emulators:

+ RockNESX – NES emulator

+ ZNES – SNES emulator

+ Visual Boy – Advance, GB, GBC, and GBA emulator

+ Project64 – N64 emulator