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Fact of the Day - PEPSI Did you know.... For the most part, the world’s largest navies are held by the nations you’d expect, with the United States, China, and Russia all at the top of the list. For a brief time in 1989, however, the sixth-largest naval fleet was controlled not by a country but by a company: Pepsi. This wasn’t because the soft drink manufacturer was bent on global domination — rather, it had to do with its unique status as the first American product to be manufactured and sold in the Soviet Union, starting in 1972. Because the ruble had no value outside the USSR and couldn’t be exchanged for other currencies, however, a barter system was instituted whereby PepsiCo instead received Stolichnaya vodka, which it then sold in the U.S. and other markets. This mutually beneficial arrangement came to an end in 1989, when Pepsi received a much different form of payment: millions of dollars’ worth of warships (17 submarines, a frigate, a cruiser, and a destroyer). Though the company quickly sold the vessels — all of which were either decommissioned or in disrepair — to a Norwegian shipbreaker for scrap metal without ever actually taking possession of the ships, Pepsi technically owned a larger naval fleet than the likes of Spain and Australia for a very brief moment in time. Pepsi’s special relationship with the Soviet Union dissolved along with the USSR itself in 1991. No one knows what the 7 in 7UP means. 7UP got off to a rough start for two reasons: The first is that it was first introduced just two weeks before the 1929 stock market crash, a hurdle it clearly overcame in time. The other is what’s reported to have been its original name: “Seven-Up Lithiated Lemon Soda.” Part of that ungainly — and possibly mythical — moniker was owed to the fact that it contained the mood-stabilizing substance lithium citrate, which allowed it to be marketed as a means of lifting one’s spirits and even curing hangovers. The name is said to have been shortened to “7 Up Lithiated Soda” before becoming simply “7UP” in 1936, and lithium was removed from the recipe in 1948 due to safety concerns. The name’s meaning and origins are still debated nearly a century later, with several theories having been proposed (and usually shot down) in the interim: that it originally contained seven ingredients, that it was sold in 7-ounce cans, and that “Seven Up” has seven letters. As no official explanation has ever been given, the mystery lives on. Source: Pepsi once technically had the world’s sixth-largest naval fleet.

What's the Word: CATASTASIS pronunciation: [kə-TAS-tə-sis] Part of speech: noun Origin: Greek, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. The third part of an ancient Greek drama, in which the action is heightened for the catastrophe. Examples: "The relationships between the characters in the play grew more complex as it reached its catastasis." "Antoine announced, as though it was the catastasis of a Greek drama, that he planned to abstain from carbs for the entire month." About Catastasis “Catastasis” is taken from the ancient Greek “katástasis,” meaning “settling” or “appointment.” Did you Know? “Catastasis” can mean two things: In modern rhetoric, it refers to the part of a speech that lays out the subject and core argument. But in ancient Greek theater traditions, the term referred to the point in a drama when the action moved toward the catastrophe, the dramatic event through which the plot would resolve. In a play, the catastasis occurs toward the end, while in a speech it occurs first. In both cases, however, the catastasis determines the resolution.

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Fact of the Day - ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM Did you know.... Many brands have laid claim to the origin of Rocky Road, but a Kansan cookbook might disprove them all. Along with mint chocolate chip, butter pecan, and cookies and cream (and perpetual stalwarts chocolate and vanilla), Rocky Road is one of America’s favorite ice cream flavors. The fun, decadent dessert combines chocolate ice cream with marshmallows and nuts (usually almonds) to create a delightful, frozen masterpiece. Although it’s clear that Rocky Road is a popular flavor, exactly who invented it depends on who you ask. A Nutty Idea In 1906, a man named William Dreyer came to the U.S. from Germany. After a time in New York, he moved to California to learn the art of making ice cream, and in 1921, he opened an ice cream shop in Visalia, California. By 1929, he had teamed up with Joseph Edy, a candy maker, to start an ice cream and candy company in Oakland, California. Dreyer reportedly used his wife’s sewing scissors to cut up pieces of marshmallow and walnuts, then added them to chocolate ice cream. Dreyer and Edy supposedly replaced the walnuts with almonds and dubbed the flavor Rocky Road, alluding to the October 1929 stock market crash’s tumultuous effect on the economy. Edy and Dreyer parted ways in 1947; the company was named after Dreyer. But as they started expanding across the country, they ran into difficulties with the east coast brand Breyers. After some legal wrangling, it was agreed that Dreyer's would enter these new markets under the Edy’s name. They have the same flavors, packaging, and brand identity, but Dreyer’s is mostly sold in the western United States while Edy’s is sold in the midwest and east. Who Really Invented Rocky Road Ice Cream? The story doesn’t stop with Edy’s and Dreyer’s, though. Another Oakland ice cream shop claims to be the inventor of Rocky Road. In 1894, Eldridge Seth Fenton founded Fentons Creamery, and according to Fentons, Eldridge Seth’s grandson, Melvin Fenton, is responsible for creating Rocky Road [PDF], as well as Swiss Milk Chocolate and Toasted Almond. Fentons Creamery is still around today; in addition to ice cream, it serves burgers, hot dogs, and salads. To further complicate matters, multiple sources claim that George Farren, a candy maker working at Fentons, is the true inventor of Rocky Road. Farren was friends with Dreyer and Edy, and that story goes that he blended a chocolate candy bar made with walnuts and marshmallows into ice cream, creating a Rocky Road flavor. Dreyer liked Farren’s idea and allegedly stole it, replacing the walnuts with almonds. However, the first known recipe for Rocky Road originated not in California, but in Kansas. Several editions of Rigby’s Reliable Candy Teacher were published by W. O. and Fred Rigby beginning in 1909. For the 13th edition, copyrighted in 1920, they included a recipe for “Rocky Road,” which is a little weirder than today’s version, but very similar in key details: “Place a dish of chocolate ice cream in a sundae cup and over it pour a ladle of honey creme whip. Mix a few broken almond macaroons in with the whip and scatter whole pecans and walnuts lightly over sides. Top with a cherry.” If the 1920 copyright date is correct, that would leave Dreyer’s claim in tatters, as Dreyer had yet to even open his first ice creamery, much less partner with Edy. It would also damage Farren’s claim to ownership, because by 1920 the concoction had to be known enough to appear in a book from the midwest—and as such Dreyer and Edy wouldn’t have needed to steal it directly from him. As for Fentons’ claim, they’re vague as to when their invention occurred, and again, the Kansas connection is an odd one. But no matter who invented Rocky Road, one thing’s for sure: You can’t go wrong with the timeless, utterly delicious flavor. Source: The Conflicting Stories Behind The Invention of Rocky Road Ice Cream

What's the Word: CONCORD pronunciation: [kahNG-kord] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, 14th century Meaning: 1. Agreement or harmony between people or groups. 2. A chord that is pleasing or satisfactory in itself. Examples: "The two sides of the case reached a concord in mediation." "Jerry played a variety of concords on his Gibson guitar." About Concord This is a Middle English word from the Old French “concorde.” That stems from the Latin “concordia,” from “concors,” meaning “of one mind.” “Con-“ means “together,” and “cord-“ comes from the Latin “cor,” meaning “heart.” Did you Know? Another use for “concord” is via the Concord grape, a dessert grape developed in Concord, Massachusetts. It’s a versatile grape used for wine, juice, table grapes, jelly, and more.

Don't know ya but sure Ive missed you. Can't have enough friends.

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Fact of the Day - HAWAIIAN ALPHABET Did you know.... Less is more in the Hawaiian alphabet, which consists of just 13 letters: A, E, I, O, U, H, K, L, M, N, P, W, and the ‘okina, which represents the glottal stop consonant — a sound produced by the abrupt obstruction of airflow in the vocal tract. Known as ka pīʻāpā Hawaiʻi in Hawaiian, the alphabet traditionally lists the five vowels first and also includes the kahakō, a bar above vowels that indicates an elongated vowel sound. When British explorer James Cook made the first known European expedition to the Hawaiian islands in 1778, he spelled the islands’ name as both “Owhyhee” and “Owhyee.” Hawaiian was purely an oral language at the time; its written form wasn’t formalized until American missionary Elisha Loomis printed a primer titled simply “The Alphabet” in 1822. This written alphabet initially consisted of 21 letters before being standardized in 1826, although four of the original letters (F, G, S, and Y) were included only for the purpose of spelling foreign words. Other letters — B, R, T, and V — were excised because they were considered interchangeable with existing letters. By 1834, Hawaii's literacy rate was estimated to be between 90% and 95%, one of the highest in the world at the time. But the Hawaiian language declined in usage after 1896, when Act 57 of the Laws of the Republic of Hawaii made English the “medium and basis of instruction” for all schools, after which schoolchildren were sometimes even punished for speaking Hawaiian. The language has seen a resurgence since the 1970s, with several groups working toward preserving it. Hawaii was an independent kingdom for nearly a century. Six years after George Washington became the first president of the United States, another ruler came into power on the other side of the Pacific: Kamehameha I, who established the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1795 by conquering the islands of Maui, Moloka‘i, O‘ahu, and Lāna‘i. Kauaʻi and Niʻihau joined willingly 15 years later, making every inhabited island part of the kingdom. The House of Kamehameha reigned until 1874, when the House of Kalākaua came into power. The kingdom was overthrown in 1893 by the United States, which the U.S. officially acknowledged a century later with 1993’s Apology Resolution. The joint resolution acknowledged that “the Indigenous Hawaiian people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people or over their national lands to the United States.” The Hawaiian sovereignty movement continues to this day. Source: The Hawaiian alphabet has only 13 letters.

What's the Word: PHLEGMATIC pronunciation: [fleg-MAD-ik] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Greek, 14th century Meaning: 1. Having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition. Examples: "Patrick’s phlegmatic temperament means he doesn’t anger easily." "Some people mask their emotions with a phlegmatic exterior." About Phlegmatic This word originates from the Old French “fleumatique,” which derives from the Greek “phlegmatikos,” meaning “inflammation.” Did you Know? The phrase “stiff upper lip” is British, but the phlegmatic philosophy is actually rooted in ancient Greece. The Spartans developed a strict culture of discipline that sparked inspiration for the English public school system.

Sanji is annoyed he doesn't have Conqueror's Haki but Zoro does. Luffy and Gaban give Zoro some grief for not knowing or controlling it. Then Luffy asks Loki to join the crew, but of course he rejects. And now it's flashback time as to reveal what really happened 14 years ago in Elbaph. But before that, a backstory on Harald and how he made the world afraid of Giants because he went pillaging unopposed. Harald was childhood friends with Dorry and Brogy, and because of his bloodline and noble status was quite a narcissist. Then one day in the New World he met Ida, who was living relatively with humans and making a decent living until Harald came along. Ida knocked some sense and humility into Harald and they eventually hooked up and traveled together. And that changed him to want to build bridges with other races. But after Hajrudin was born, Harald and Ida couldn't marry in order to keep the royal bloodline pure. So instead Harald was betrothed to Estrid, a daughter of a brewer. They got a horse with 8 legs for good luck, among other trinkets to increase luck (or just Estrid wanting more fortune). And when Loki was born, he was thrown into the frozen wilds to die due to Estrid only seeing a demon. All misfortunes that fell on Elbaph in the years that followed were categorized as part of Loki's curse.

maybe

Hmm. The only thing I can say in regards to FF9 is that I ordered a copy online way back. I think I was prodded into doing it. It's got the Greatest Hits label on it, meaning that I can expect the discs to not look fancy....not that I know, because I haven't opened it yet, and I was kind of hoping to not open it, but maybe preserve it as a collectible. Otherwise, FF9 was the subsequent FF game that I wasn't able to get into. I didn't even rent it like I did with FF8 back in 1999. Perhaps the one thing that discouraged me was how they went back to their characters looking "cartoony", instead of realistic like in FF8 and FF7. But, personally, the New Millennium was an event when a lot of things transpired, most of which I won't go into. Oh, and some of the media I'm seeing in this thread looks familiar. I think I was shown a side-by-side comparison between Squeenix's remaster, and an AI's remaster, and that the AI did a much better job. At the time, that struck me as how these big-ass companies are too damned lazy, and that an AI program is able to do it better. Squeenix's attempt at remastering the visuals looks sloppy, basically.....or, was it FF9 that was compared? Either way, it's amazing how these companies, which we trust with beloved IP's and franchises we grew up with, always fuck things up in the end. I hate to sound like a Negative Nancy or something, but that is my honest opinion of what has become of these companies, that they don't even seem to care about their IP's. I don't know what is causing it, besides maybe it being a consequence of videogames becoming mainstream and the expectation of the "modern audience", but whatever convoluted explanation we come up with could just go back to good old-fashioned greed, too. I don't know.

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Fact of the Day - GREAT WHITE SHARK Did you know... The white belly of a great white shark serves a surprisingly useful purpose. Even if you’ve never had the dangerous experience of encountering a great white up close, you likely recognize the shark from movies like Jaws (1975) and Finding Nemo (2003). The predator is known for its menacing dorsal fin, rows of serrated teeth, and glassy black eyes. Their namesake white bellies are also part of their iconic look. Besides being distinctive, what purpose does the shading serve? The evolutionary advantage of the great white shark’s pale underside come down to camouflage. If you were to look up from beneath the fish—a terrifying image that’s necessary for this explanation—you’d notice that it blends in with the sunlight on the water’s surface. Similarly, a great white sports a dark gray upper body because it matches the darkness of the sea when viewed from above. This coloring is called countershading, and it allows the shark to blend in with its surroundings, hiding in plain sight from both prey and predators. Other marine animals with such coloring include penguins, whales, dolphins, and many fish. While great whites occupy the top of the food chain, they’re not totally without predators. There have been reports of orcas hunting the fish. One weakness of great whites is their tendency to enter a state of tonic immobility, characterized by inertness and semi-consciousness, when flipped upside down. Some killer whales are apparently aware of this and use it to their advantage when hunting great whites. One onlooker even caught the hunting tactic on camera in 1997, when an orca dragged a stunned shark around before eating just its liver. Great white shark livers are rich in fat and nutrients, making them a tasty treat and high-value food source for orcas. Smaller great whites also have to worry about becoming food for their larger counterparts. However, the number-one predator of these fish is humans. Shark fishing, accidental ship crashes, and getting caught as bycatch in fishing nets are some of the greatest threats facing the species. Here’s another big question concerning great whites: Why aren’t they usually found in aquariums? It turns out that they just aren’t suited for living within glass walls. You can read more about it here. Source: Why Do Great White Sharks Have White Bellies?

What's the Word: PAROL pronunciation: [pə-ROL] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Old French, 15th century Meaning: 1. Given or expressed orally. 2. (Of a document) Agreed orally, or in writing but not under seal. Examples: "The witness gave her evidence parol, and a stenographer took notes." "We had used Charlie the roofer before, so we hired him parol, or without a written agreement." About Parol “Parol” is borrowed from the Old French “parole,” meaning “spoken words.” (In modern French, the plural “paroles” refers to song lyrics.) Both are based on the Latin “parabola,” which is the basis for the English term “parable,” an allegorical tale. Did you Know? In English, “parole” refers to the release of a prisoner temporarily, or on promise of good behavior. These arrangements are now recorded in writing, but the Old French root “parole” literally means “word.” Dropping the “e,” “parol” is used in the legal context to distinguish information delivered orally rather than in sealed, official writing.

I did read your post back when you first wrote it @Koby, I have no clue why I never replied to it. I feel very similarly on nearly all points, other than preferring FF4 to 9...but I'm not disagreeing. I just haven't completed that one yet! Who knows? Tetra Master sucks, sorry to say. It can't hold a candle to Triple Triad (nor can Queen's Blood, for that matter). The ending is rushed, too. Yes despite those flaws they are primarily blemishes on what is otherwise a 9.5/10 JRPG, and a top 5 video game for me personally. So cozy and I grew up with it. There is a lot of subjective boosting going on in the game's score for sure and I don't intend to fix that. That isn't why I'm here today, however. I want to make a post prior to the 25th Anniversary. A hope & cope post regarding a possible remake. I'm guessing anyone that's in deep enough to be reading this is already familiar with the Nvidia leak from a few years back, and perhaps some of the years-long speculation regarding an FF9 remake. With the 25th Anniversary only days away (5 days at the time of writing) it is dominating discussion in my circles right now. I'm not sure if I buy it...I was 100% sold on YouTube videos and forum posts 2 years ago, then I built up excitement again maybe 16 months ago, and I quite heavily expected to see it at this year's Summer Game Fest, still nothing. Now I don't expect it on July 7th, but I'm willing to be surprised. With the announcement of the FF Tactics rerelease just weeks ago, it feels too soon. Much like with FF8 (my personal favorite) I'm not sure that I would even want a modern take on FF9 if it wasn't highly respectful of the original. A single change in the wrong direction would send me on a gatekeeping & purity spiral until I hate the remake. Action combat? No. Changes for a "modern audience?" No. Changes to the story? No. If I'm going to be so picky, why support a remake? It's really a double edged sword for me. I'm beyond curious to see what it could be, and I always have the option of retreating to my many copies of the 2000 release. My confirmation bias is that there have been too many hints for it not to be in the works. Prior to the Nvidia leak, we already knew that FF9 was the favorite among development staff & internally the one they most want to revisit. That spans both old & new staff; the old ones who worked on it & the younger guys who grew up with it. Then there's the Nvidia leak itself...no need to explain further. Then there were those interviews conducted around the office with lots of cheeky references to FF9. The animated nothingburger series (not sure what to make of that). And finally we have FF9 characters showing up in multiple mobile/gacha games, new character art from Toshiyuki Itahana. It's not quite enough to guarantee a remake but just enough to make me think it must be something. They didn't do even 1/10th of this for FF8. I know I'm coping, thinking that Squeenix won't make the worst moves possible and tease nothing. I also understand that even if they do a remake, chances are that I'll hate on it. I'm still invested in seeing where this goes.

Watched through Erased with @Dave55811 and @Starwind55. I had seen it before, but I think it was Dave's first watch. Holds up better than expected, I actually liked it better than my 1st viewing which is rare. We also wrapped up InuYasha at some point early this year + The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War. That one was average at best, very low budget at times. It's sort of necessary backstory for Cold Steel III, but not as important as I'd hoped.

Did'ja miss me?

Was gonna give Takopi's Original Sin and The Summer Hikaru Died a try, blurbs seemed interesting. Now that you mention Lord of Mysteries it has pretty good preliminary reviews so maybe that too.

Ermm... Lord of Mysteries, kaijuu no.8 s2 and Call of the night s2 You got any planned ?

Fact of the Day - ICEBERG LETTUCE Did you know..... Theories abound as to why we named our most reliably bland greens after icy formations. Film director John Waters once dubbed iceberg lettuce “the polyester of greens.” It’s not difficult to understand why: Crisp but bland and lacking the same nutritional profile as other vegetables, iceberg lettuce is often regarded as a last resort for salads. It’s probably better tolerated in hamburgers or BLTs. Only a wedge salad, where the head is left partially intact, seems to be welcome in fine dining establishments. But let’s table the debate over its merits for a moment. Why is it known as iceberg lettuce? Tip of the Iceberg According to the culinary magazine Saveur, the modern branding of iceberg lettuce was the work of W. Atlee Burpee & Co., a Philadelphia-based seed distributor, in the 1890s. The vegetable belongs to a family of lettuces known as “crisphead,” derived from Batavia lettuce, which was a similarly bulbous and leafy variety. But iceberg was crispier, had more leaves, and sported a durable outer “shell.” A sturdy ball of lettuce was surprisingly valuable. Most lettuce grown in the United States originated in California, and from there it was shipped via railroad to other parts of the country. Taste wasn't necessarily a priority: A lettuce head that could simply survive the trip was paramount. Iceberg had tough leaves that refused to wilt easily, especially when compared to other soggy, frail greens that went bad more quickly. It was also available year-round. The result? A seemingly exotic vegetable. “California iceberg lettuce,” one 1891 newspaper ad that ran in Wisconsin read. It cost 12 cents per head. Traveling well is where the origins of the name iceberg may have come from, though that’s somewhat in dispute. One theory has it that iceberg was so named because it was shipped on mounds of ice, a necessary cooling procedure before refrigerated transport became commonplace. But that may be apocryphal. Helen Rosner, a New Yorker contributor and iceberg apologist, bluntly assessed this as “pure American horsesh*t,” a tall tale spun for publicity purposes by Depression-era farmers. In speaking with Saveur, Burpee CEO George Ball offered another explanation: Iceberg refers to the white(ish) color of the outer leaves and its crunchy texture, not the ice it was packed in. That’s bolstered by some of the early descriptions of the lettuce. In an 1895 ad for iceberg lettuce seeds, Cole’s Seed Store of Pella, Iowa, wrote: “ … [the leaves] have small indents, which are constantly filled with dew-drops. They are thus kept fresh, and show a remarkably crystalline appearance, which well warrants the name of iceberg.” Further refinements to the lettuce were made, and by the 1940s, lettuce science had improved to the point where one type of crisphead was cross-bred with another variety, dubbed brittle-ice, to create the super-crisp iceberg we’re familiar with. Because it was easy to ship and slow to wilt, iceberg became the predominant type of lettuce consumed by Americans for decades. Breaking the Ice Trouble came in the form of the growing influence of celebrity chefs like Julia Child in the 1960s, who shirked iceberg for more flavorful greens like romaine and arugula. Later, the emergence of pre-bagged salad mixes that kept fresher for longer made room for other types of lettuce to get a seat at the table. Coupled with an increasingly health-conscious society, iceberg was unseated as the only lettuce game in town. Does iceberg deserve the bad rap? By some estimates, it does have a lower nutritional profile—perhaps as little as 5 percent of what other greens pack in. But for people who want to add some crunch to a salad or sandwich, that may not matter. Some even choose to grill or pickle the leaves, though that may defeat iceberg’s true purpose: to remain reliably bland, the polyester of greens. Source: Why Is It Called “Iceberg” Lettuce?

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What's the Word: COPYBOOK pronunciation: [KA-pee-book] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Old French and Old English, date unknown Meaning: 1. Exactly in accordance with established criteria; perfect. 2. Tritely conventional. Examples: "Tony did a copybook landing in the flight simulator." "Trina spoke in copybook inspirational quotes." About Copybook “Copy” comes from the Old French “copier” and directly from the Medieval Latin “copiare,” meaning “to transcribe.” “Book” stems from the Old English “boc,” meaning “book, writing, written document.” Did you Know? While the adjective means “exactly perfect,” the noun form describes an old-fashioned book of handwriting to learn from. Good penmanship was considered a key business skill in the 18th century, so copybooks of the time were often geared toward those wishing to learn business skills. They included chapters on accounting and business management. Students also learned from geography copybooks, where they were asked to copy names onto unlabeled maps, and then copy entire maps onto a latitude/longitude grid.

Fair enough. Plan on watching anything new this season?

Well who knows what they will do next but ill also watch it regardless