![]() ![]() Easily change the number of columns from two to four and sidebars can be optionally sticked. The theme includes preset fonts, background photo upload, two color and layout options.Īlumia is an extreme versatile theme with more than 70 customize options that allow you to do almost anything. The first tumblr theme designed for touch, paper stacks is a beautiful new way to showcase your ideas and inspiration discovered across the web. It is also built with a responsive design, which means it will look good even on your tablet and mobile phones.Īn unconventional multi-size grid theme with custom colours, custom font and optional fade on images and optional hide/show captions, note count and tags. Level is a tumblr theme with a heavy user experience approach, the straightforward design allows your audience to browse your blog in a direct matter. Thex is a new minimal honeycomb styled theme for Tumblr, it’s fully responsive and extra-ready for Iphone/Ipad. The design is 100 % responsive and that makes the theme look absolutely great on any tablet, mobile, laptop or desktop device. A clutter design with smart sidebar that sticks different sections according to the height of your sidebar.Ĭandice is beautiful and almost everything is really easy to manage. Impress your audience with carter innovative tumblr theme. Timeshero beautiful and minimalist timeline tumblr theme that perfect for blogger to share your moment from time to time. The extremely minimalistic tumblr theme called sticky has an optional sticked topbar included and some features for adjusting post width and margins through the customize panel. Marius is a responsive masonry grid-based blog tumblr theme, designed perfectly for bloggers, Marius is stylized into theme for travel blog, cooking blog, music or anything else. Toronto is another free grid based tumblr theme. Elinor utilizes the full canvas on any device and has numerous customization options. Jomblr is a clean Tumblr theme designed with 10 extra widget for you who like to put some widgets in the sidebar.Ī simple and modern grid-based Tumblr theme. ![]() Pation comes with a sticky navigation and a minimal grid layout, with a new layout will be generated with each reload. It has 3 Box featured tag, custom author profile widget, Instagram feed and social media icon. Shelver is a responsive blog tumblr theme, designed perfectly for bloggers. You can this theme to build a beautifully-designed portfolio website, perfect for photography and creative. Geometric is a free tumblr theme with unique grid layout. ![]() See Also: 5 Best Tumblr Themes for Business Geometric Most of themes listed below are built in responsive design, minimalist appearance, grid based image gallery, infinite scroll and more excellent features. They beautiful, easy to use and will boost your tumblr blogging experience. In this post, we present 30 free clean and minimalist tumblr themes. This useful if you want to showcase your online portfolio, a well-designed portfolio will make your clients more comfortable and confident to your service offers. Some themes can make your site your website look more professional than before. There are a lot of free tumblr themes with variety of styles from simple, minimal to elegant designed themes. If you are creative, photographers, writers who need a website to showcase your content in simple way, you will love Tumblr as your blog posting platform. Just like WordPress, it’s also supports various post types like posts, music, photo, gallery, quotes, etc. There is no need to have coding knowledge or web design skills to create a beautiful website using Tumblr. ![]() When compared to other CMS or blog posting platform, Tumblr is much easy to use. Tumblr is the best alternative to WordPress and Joomla that allows users to create and share content and media through internet. ![]()
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![]() ![]() To a certain extend, I can accept the risk of losing sensitive data in the unlikely event that both my hard drives fail at the same time. Sensitive data for me include confidential documents like payslips, scan copies identity documents (password and NRIC), database dumps, and SSH keys. Non-sensitive data that I am ok losing includes documents, application data, application backups, scripts, design files, etc. Non-sensitive data and data that I cannot afford to lose probably include only photos and videos. Sensitive data and data that I am ok losing it will go in DS220j. Non-sensitive data and data that I cannot afford to lose will be in Dropbox. So there is a price to pay “for a piece of mind.” I am going towards a hybrid approach. Unlikely I will unsubscribe to Dropbox anytime soon, as I want a piece of mind for some of my data. Synology DiskStation DS220j vs Synology DiskStation DS210j In these ten years, I have already paid US$990 (S$1,400) to Dropbox. My ten years old DS210j is still working fine, but I have changed both hard drives once. Do get a good hard drive like the IronWolf or IronWolf Pro.īecause based on my experience, your hard drives will be the first to spoil. Because you pay just once and it can last you probably for more than five years. ![]() But you do not need to worry about privacy.Ĭost-wise, in the long run, having a private cloud is cheaper. Private cloud, on the other hand, takes a little longer to set up, and if all of your hard drives are spoiled at the same time, your data might be gone. That is a double edge sword when privacy comes into the picture. You do not need to worry about all hard drives failing because your data are in the cloud. Setting up a public cloud is easy, just sign up an account, download the installer, and you are good to go. Dropbox is still a public cloud after all, and there might be some privacy concerns as a third party handles data.īoth public and private clouds have their pros and cons. I have been paying for Dropbox since 2011, and it has served me well. If it is out of your budget, you can consider getting two 2TB IronWolf instead at S$121 each, making the build S$491 (S$249 + 2x S$121). The 4TB IronWolf retails for S$184 on Lazada. ![]() Seagate has kindly sponsored me two IronWolf 4TB to go along with my DS220j. It doesn’t come with hard drives You just have to get two hard drives along with it. Synology DiskStation DS220j vs Synology DiskStation DS210jĪt S$249, the DS220j is affordable and a reasonable amount to spend if you are new to the Synology or NAS world. Ten years ago, I decided to switch to Synology DiskStation DS210j from D-Link DNS-323 and I have never looked back since. Synology DiskStation DS220j is an entry-level NAS from Synology targeting at users who wish to give Synology NAS a try or are new to the NAS world. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Increased whey separation is also common with longer incubation times. Keep in mind that the longer you incubate, the more tang you will develop in your yogurt. At this point, the friendly yogurt bacteria consume all the lactose. Tips for reducing the carb count even more!ġ. In store bought yogurt, the carb count stabilizes around 4-5 grams per cup, as lactic acid produced (by the whey) continues to be made and the live bacteria become dormant. Entering the whole recipe amounts into the MyFitnessPal Recipe Calculator and dividing it into 12 (5oz/142g) servings, this is the result:ĥ grams of carbs? That is great! Less sugar, more protein, and fewer calories are a bonus! You may find store bought yogurt listing 3 or 4 grams per serving, but most often, the serving sizes are much smaller. Recipe: 1 carton of Whole Fairlife milk + 1 cup heavy whipping cream + Oui vanilla yogurt as the starter. My goal: Create the thickest, no strain yogurt, that tastes like OUI, with the lowest number of carbs. Oui vanilla yogurt: 170 cal 16 carbs Fat 8 Protein 5 Sodium 85 Sugar 15 Oui is one of our favorite yogurts and you can see why: Check here for more information on yogurt starters. If you like more tang, try Siggis, Chobani or Greek Gods. If you like mild yogurt, try Fage or Oui yogurt as your starter. The starter you use will have an impact on the taste and texture of your yogurt, so choose a starter that you like. Straining yogurt concentrates the proteins, reduces the lactose, thickens your yogurt and reduces the yield.ġ-2 tablespoons of your favorite plain or vanilla yogurt as your starter. Lower fat milks have a higher water content and when used for making yogurt, ends up being fairly thin unless non fat milk powder is added or if the yogurt is strained. There are some store brands that are copycats of Fairlife: HEB MooTopia, Natrel Lactose Free, & Kroger CarbMaster. You can find a lot more about Fairlife milk in my original Cold Start yogurt article. The milk with the lowest calories per cup is Fairlife Fat Free milk, with only 80 calories per cup and 6 grams of carbs. The milk with the lowest amount of carbs per cup is Heavy Whipping Cream, but it also has the most calories, at 800 per cup! Save some yogurt and freeze it for starters to make even more yummy yogurt! Make your own creamy vanilla frozen yogurt. Use your homemade yogurt as a substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream in many recipes. You can control the level of tang by choosing your starter and incubation times.ĥ. Making your own yogurt, has a fresh flavor, much unlike the "cooked" taste of store bought yogurt. Canning jars, plastic storage jars or even kid-friendly on-the-go pouches can be used.Ĥ. You can store your own yogurt in reusable containers. Low carb, lactose free, and other specialty yogurts can cost much more. Making your own yogurt can cost less, depending on where you live and how much milk costs in your area. If you are sensitive to lactose, artificial sweeteners, or on a low carb diet, making your own yogurt makes sense.Ģ. ( Check out the ingredients in the CarbMaster yogurt below). You can avoid artificial sweeteners, additives and chemicals that are often in store bought yogurt to thicken, increase the shelf life and improve the flavor. ![]() ![]() Take your mason jar tops and hot glue them together at the center, tilting them inwards so they’ll fit comfortably on your head. Minion Hat wIth Pipe CleanerHair Goggles & Logo Move around and fidget with the pipe cleaners as much as you’d like to get them looking perfect! Take each pipe cleaner and wrap around a pencil or pen to create loose curls. Continue doing the same thing with more pipe cleaners, arranging them as you like (the purple minions have crazy purple hair). Pull snugly and even out pipe cleaner halves on top. Pull the other half (on the inside of the hat) up through the top of a hat about an inch away from the one you just pulled through. Pull about half of one pipe cleaner through the beanie (cut a slit to pull it through if needed). Take your purple beanie and pipe cleaners. Next, unless the jeans were already black, spray paint them until you get a solid, even color. If you’re making your own overalls, construct them first, making sure they fit you comfortably. Some of the Supplies You\’ll Need Overalls & Purple Clothes The minions have black overalls, so if you can’t find black overalls, or if you’re using blue jeans to make your own, spray paint them black instead (This is also the method we used).If you cannot find overalls or an overall dress, use two pairs of old jeans to make your own following online instructions or using ours as an example, because we had to sew our own too!.If you cannot find purple clothing, buy a white beanie, sweatshirt, and leggings instead and dye them purple following instructions on purple dye package (We used Rit Dye). ![]() OPTIONAL (see tips below) black spray paint, 2 pairs old jeans (instead of overalls), white leggings, beanie, and sweatshirt (instead or purple), purple dye.White paint (preferably fabric or acrylic paint). ![]() ![]() ![]() Many Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and Office Depot locations have UPS drop-off and pick up stations. Waiving the signature requirement releases us from liability should anything happen to your package once it has left our facility.Īs an alternative, we can send your package to your nearest official UPS Pickup location. We want to ensure your purchase arrives safe and sound, and at a time that's convenient for you. You may certainly waive the signature requirement – however please note that by doing so, you are accepting responsibility for the secure delivery of your package. May I waive the signature requirement? I won't be home to sign. Signature upon delivery is required for all Saturday deliveries. Saturday delivery is available upon request, with adequate notice. There are exceptions, as our ability to fulfill orders for Saturday delivery is dependent on several factors – including the quantity of items in your order, and when your order is placed. For most products, if the order has been submitted before 9:00 AM ET on the preceding Friday, we can coordinate Saturday delivery. (Billing addresses may still contain P.O. boxes.) We can, however, ship your package to a local holding location, where it will be held for you until you are available to pick it up.ĭo you offer Saturday delivery? Yes! We do our best to ensure your order arrives as soon as possible. boxes due to restrictions with UPS Overnight Priority Shipping. At this time, we cannot accept international orders.Ĭan you ship to P.O. Orders shipping to Alaska and Hawaii make require 2-day shipping. (See our Shipping FAQ below for more details.) Please contact us in advance if you wish to discuss Saturday shipping options. Signature is required upon delivery for all online purchases. UPS Overnight Priority Shipping allows for orders to be delivered Monday - Friday, with Saturday delivery available upon special request, for an additional fee. ![]() We offer free UPS Overnight Priority Shipping on all U.S. Orders placed after 1:00 PM ET will be processed on the next business day. Orders placed Monday - Friday before 1:00 PM ET will typically be processed the same day. (Please note: custom and special orders may require additional processing time as indicated.) Rest assured, our team will make every effort to communicate any shipping delays to you within 24 hours of your order. However, it may take up to two business days for your order to be fulfilled. We make every effort to ship orders of in-stock items the same day your order is placed. UPS Overnight Priority Shipping - Free on all U.S. If you need assistance or have questions, please call (540) 981-5080 to reach our Online Customer Service Support Team. This Fink's Jewelers Virginia Beach location also serves the community in the surrounding areas of Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Williamsburg, Outer Banks, Duck, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Jamestown, Newport News, Hampton, Poquoson, Yorktown, and Elizabeth City.At Fink's, we take pride in offering an elevated and easy online shopping experience. No matter what you may envision, we can make your dream a reality. Our knowledgeable design team is here to guide you through the process, from creation to finished product. Our experienced jewelers also specialize in custom jewelry design, making your item one-of-a-kind. When you visit our Virginia Beach location, you’ll be able to choose from a large selection of stunning jewelry and designer watches that will make any celebration extra special. Our team provides excellent customer service, learning about what jewelry you’re looking for, the special occasion, and finding the perfect jewelry or timepiece. Find the perfect engagement ring, men’s wedding band, or diamond jewelry when you make an appointment or stop by our Virginia Beach jewelry store. ![]() We have provided the largest selection of jewelry to Virginia Beach and surrounding communities since 1999. ![]() ![]() ![]() The same is true for short expressions, but theyĬan only consist of built-in filters. ParenthesisesĬan be used group subexpressions and ! negates result of theĮxpression following it. Long expressions are lists of built-in filters or user definedįilters separated with & (and) or | (or). Simple expressions are only available using live-filter.įor other filter commands the type is auto-detected, so both short and long and default key bindings are (parenthesized). Optional parameters are in, required parameters in This section describes cmus' commands, which can be bound to keysĪnd mouse events, put in configuration files, executed in command mode, or Tracknumber, then filename (not the track name). The album will be placed on top of the list.įinally, each album is sorted by the track discnumber, Name, and the groups are sorted by the date of the first track, thenĪlphanumerically by the name of the album. If a special sorting tag is available, its value will be used instead. The artist name, then the album, and finally the track itself.įirst, cmus sorts alphanumerically by the value of the artist tag. In general, three levels of sorting are used in the library view: These names willīe treated the same way as other names for sorting. If it is a file, cmus sets the artist and/or album Note: If the filename is a URL, the artist/album tags are set to Partofacompilation are set to a truthy value or if the ID3v2 Otherwise, cmus determines if the album is a compilation (ifĪlbumartist or artist are set to Various Artists, TPE2 frame is set, it will be used instead of the real artist name. samplers orĬompilations) are treated specially. Note: Albums which feature various artists (e.g. Sorted automatically using tags from the audio files. Which is configured with lib_sort - see CONFIGURATION OPTIONS), is The library view (the tree-like one not the sorted library view, L push live-filter File Browser space win-activate U win-update-cache Common: Filters / search-start Mouse_scroll_down win-down Common: Selection i win-sel-cur ![]() ^L refresh Common: Navigation ^Y win-scroll-up ! push shell Common: View/Window Navigation 1 view tree Mouse_scroll_down_bar seek -5 Common: Setting Toggles m toggle aaa_modeį toggle follow Common: Commands q quit -i Unbind and bind commands in the COMMANDS section. See the CONFIGURATION OPTIONS section for more information about S should make it easier to understand what these fields mean. Meaningless when playing the playlists (view 3). NOTE: aaa_mode and play_sorted will be onlyĭisplayed if play_library is true because these are The right hand side of the status line (second row from theīottom, black text on a grey background) consists of the followingįields: aaa_mode & play_sorted & play_library | continue follow repeat shuffle Views, the same keys are used to remove a file or filter after asking for The tracks will be removed immediatelyįrom the view without asking for confirmation. Press D or delete to remove the marked or selected Note that changing active filters in view 2 reloads it, losing anyĬhanges made to the track order. If there are no marked tracks, the selected track P moves them to the position immediatelyīefore the selected track. Pressing p moves marked tracks to the position immediatelyĪfter the selected track. Moving is disabled if the view is auto-sorted (see lib_sort and In views 2-4, tracks can be moved within the list. a copy tracks to the library (1-2) y copy tracks to the marked playlist (3) e append tracks to the play queue (4) E prepend tracks to the play queue (4) Moving Tracks You can copy marked or selected tracks in views 1-5. You can only mark tracks in the list views ![]() Marked tracksĪppear with a gray background. No marked tracks, the currently selected track (or selected artist/album in PLAYLIST EDITING Selecting TracksĮditing commands affect the currently marked tracks. Have tags, words are compared to the filename excluding the path. Type //WORDS or ?WORDS to search onlyĪrtists/albums in view 1 and only titles in views 2-4. In views 1-4 the query is matched against the artist, album and Move to the next result or N for the previous one. Press / and type the query then press ENTER. # clear current view (library, playlist or play queue) # you could just press 'x' which is the default ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() “So you’re telling me, anytime someone calls me Carlos Estevez, I can claim they are anti-Latino?” asked the actor, referring to his original name. In an interview with ABC News’ “20/20” set to air Tuesday night, Sheen scoffed at the notion it was anti-Semitic to call his show’s creator, Chuck Lorre, by his birth name, Chaim Levine. Three days after CBS execs pulled the plug on the remainder of the season of “Two and a Half Men,” Sheen was partying in the Bahamas, accompanied by porn star Bree Olson and his girlfriend, Natalie Kenly. “You have the right to kill me, but you do not have the right to judge me,” he said, quoting Col. But there are parts of me that are Dennis Hopper. I’m every character in between, save for that little weirdo with his guts strapped in, begging for water. “I’m putting up the river to kill another part of me, which is Kurtz. In his 20-minute radio rant, Sheen also compared himself to the characters in the movie. Sheen said he got the tattoo while watching the classic 1979 Vietnam War flick, starring Martin Sheen, in his private theater. “But also falling from it is the apple from ‘The Giving Tree.’ There’s my life. “It’s the banner from the death card that Kilgore is throwing on his victims,” he said on Alex Jones’ radio show. Sheen showed off the new ink - block letters reading, “Death from above,” with blood dripping onto an apple - and explained the chest embellishment as a metaphor for his own life. Wild man Charlie Sheen is so obsessed with his father’s epic war film “Apocalypse Now,” that he had a slogan from the movie tattooed on his chest last week. He loves porn stars at night - and the smell of napalm in the morning. ![]() ![]() ![]() During World War II, Philips was a key factor in the creation of the worlds first super soldier and the defeat of HYDRA. The brown leather straps on the back are made to hold the weight of the. Colonel Chester Phillips was an officer of the United States Army, the first and only director of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, Steve Rogers commanding officer, and one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D. Keep checking back to see the latest merchandise inspired by “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” and be sure to watch new episodes on Fridays streaming now exclusively on Disney+. It has been treated to an almost mirror finish. Last but not least, head on over to so you can literally wield the shield with this premium role play shield as seen in the series that features adjustable straps just like Cap’s and completes any cosplay look! Show off your phone with the slim profile of Symmetry Series, the clear Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G OtterBox case that coordinates any look with this sleek classic shield design available at. Super Heros should be reachable at all times. 25 Aluminum cast solid Metal Custom Made Movie replica prop. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale confirms that S.H.I.E.L.D., the American intelligence agency disbanded within Captain America: The Winter Soldier, still exists within the MCU during the mid-credits scene featuring Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp). ![]() The legacy continues with the dynamic duo in a tote bag, coffee mug and stainless-steel water bottle, all available only on . New Version 25 Captain America Shield Replica Prop. ![]() Super fan of these two? We got you covered with this rustic T-shirt and even a sequined top featuring the classic shield! Take it on the go with a matching face mask too.Īvailable only at Disneyland Resort and Disney Springs, rep our favorite Super Hero besties with two new trading pins: one featuring Bucky Barnes himself, ready to take on just about anything, and the other holographic pin featuring silhouettes of both Sam and Bucky.Ĭoming soon to, Disneyland Resort Backlot Premiere Shop at Disneyland Resort and Disney Springs, amp up your Funko collection with the latest Funko Pop! figures of Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson and even Zemo all suited up and ready to take on the rest of your collection. So, get ready with a first look at must-have merchandise inspired by the series coming your way with even more as the adventure unfolds …Īvailable at, Disneyland Resort Backlot Premiere Shop at Disneyland Resort and Super Hero Headquarters at Disney Springs: Who will wield the shield? Only time will tell! That being said, it’s already time to switch gears and watch yet another all-new series on Disney+ – “ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.” And of course, that means some pretty epic new must-haves coming your way!įor those who don’t know, “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” picks up right where “Avengers: Endgame” left off with Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) teaming up in a global adventure that tests their abilities … and their patience. Ok, wow! I’m still recovering from the twists and turns of “WandaVision” and I’m pumped to see where the Scarlet Witch’s journey takes us next. ![]() ![]() “Each of us has a set of messages that play over and over in our minds. It’s something they probably need to hear more often than not at this oh-so-challenging and often awkward stage. It can change your entire perspective on a day! The same goes for how you talk to your kids - you can immensely empower your tween or teen by reminding them of their self-worth. Having a mantra or a go-to self-care quote to pull out when you need a bit of motivation might seem silly to some people, but ask a therapist or mental health expert, and they’ll likely tell you the same: that how you talk to yourself genuinely does matter. A little something to help you get through the day and into the next one. All you ever have to decide is what to do next.Life can be tough, and sometimes you just need some good “you matter” quotes to remind you that you’re important. Yes, sometimes life and love really is that simple (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life is about the ability to believe in where you are going even when you’re not sure what lies ahead (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life seems hard, but we often make it harder than it is. Sometimes life seems unbearably tragic (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life played with him, sometimes it hung on him like a stone round the neck of a drowned man (Sometimes Life Quotes) And suddenly all your troubles melt away, all your worries are gone, and it is for no reason other than the look in your partner’s eyes. Soon they’ll be a bunch of ground down, rounded, indistinguishable stumps, missing their wrappers and smudged with other colors. And I write songs because sometimes life makes more sense to me when it’s being sung in a chorus, and when I can write it in a verse (Sometimes Life Quotes) A box of new crayons! Now they’re all pointy, lined up in order, bright and perfect. I write songs to get past things that cause me pain. I write songs to help me understand life a little more. Don’t lose faith (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life has a way of putting us on our backs to force us to look up (Sometimes Life Quotes) Perhaps sometimes life shows you a side of itself which leaves you with nothing more to say (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life is merely a matter of coffee and whatever intimacy a cup of coffee affords (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life just sucks, and all he can do is go to our happy place where we plot our revenge (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life seems like a poorly designed cage within which man has been sentenced to be free (Sometimes Life Quotes) Throughout all of the changes that have happened in my life, one of the priorities I’ve had is to never change the way I write songs and the reasons I write songs. ![]() Sometimes life presents us with surprises (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life coughs up coincidences no writer of fiction would dare copy (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life isn’t about who you were or are, but it’s about who you are becoming (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Just don't let it keep you down (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life is too hard to be alone, and sometimes life is too good to be alone (Sometimes Life Quotes) We do not always get what we want. ![]() ![]() Don’t give up (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life is not about what u want to do but what u ought to do (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life is truly woeful (Sometimes Life Quotes) The plain unwelcome fact is that sometimes life stymies you (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life is going to knock you down, and thats okay. Sometimes life just sucks (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life seems so painful it hurts even to move my arms (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life hits you like a brick in the face. ![]() Text Quotes Sometimes life is filled with things outside your control (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life, will get you down, break your heart, steal your crown (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life forces us to calm down (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life will make you give up what you love most (Sometimes Life Quotes) Sometimes life gives us lessons sent in ridiculous packaging (Sometimes Life Quotes) Not everything happens for a reason. ![]() ![]() ![]() Simple and addictive, it was a masterpiece of engineering and design. It was kind of like Breakout, but instead of a paddle the player controlled a little cannon instead of bricks, the player fired shots at descending waves of alien creatures from which the game took its name: Space Invaders. In 1978, Taito released a game that totally upended the concept of what a video game could be. It’s also the moment when the young people of Japan first emerged as powerful consumers and coolfinders of new trends: imported rock and roll rebellion, coffeehouses, avant-garde films, cutting-edge manga-and video games.Ī rival company had already turned up the pressure. This was the era when Tokyo first took shape as the modern city we know today. By Iwatani’s high-school years in the late sixties, a nationwide student protest movement had sucked in virtually every young person into mass anti-war demonstrations, Iwatani included. Yet so too did society churn with dissatisfaction, as unpopular political decisions and labor policies infuriated growing numbers of citizens. Skyscrapers and superhighways and bullet-train lines were constructed at a breakneck pace as the economy grew by leaps and bounds, fueling the rise of a new middle class hungry for entertainment and escape. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics had finally put Japan back on the world map for something other than war and mayhem. (From Pac-Man to Batman.)īut where did this phenomenon come from? To Americans of the era, Pac-Man seemed to come out of left field, another wacky gadget from that country making stuff with silly names like “Hello Kitty” and “Walkman.” But there’s a longer and much more interesting story, one that intertwines cultural threads stretching across the Pacific for decades before the game’s actual creation.īorn in 1955, Toru Iwatani came of age during a period of turbulent change for Japan and the rest of the world. Even our digestive systems, in the form of Pac-Man cereal pitched by a prepubescent Christian Bale. Arcades, of course, but so too home consoles and cartoon shows and talk shows and toy stores and top 40 radio. And speaking as someone who was there, an 80s kid who caught the fever in real-time: Pac-Man was literally everywhere in the early 80s. ![]() In fact, he was the first pop-culture character to emerge from any video game. He was the industry’s first breakout star. Pac-Man fever swept the globe in a way no other video-game ever had. Namco founder Masaya Nakamura poses next to a Puck-Man machine at the company’s Tokyo office on November 6, 1982. The trademark sonic backdrop, generated by Pac-Man as he eats his way through the maze, is usually interpreted by Western ears as “wakka-wakka-wakka.” But it’s actually “paku-paku-paku.” Iwatani originally named his creation “Puck-Man,” based on the Japanese word paku, or “chomping,” the concept around which the entire game is based. Which is why I was honestly surprised when I saw how well it did in the United States and Europe.” “I didn’t think players overseas, who sought thrills and excitement from games, would like it. “The game didn’t really have anything in there that would leave a strong impression,” Iwatani told Kotaku via email this week, in advance of the anniversary. Its success took everyone by surprise-even its creator. Within a year of its American debut, importer Bally-Midway had sold 100,000 Pac-Man cabinets, and it was estimated that US gamers had dropped the equivalent of a billion dollars in quarters into their collective coin slots. But things played out differently abroad. Within several months, Namco would ship 15,000 Pac-Man units to Japanese arcades, a very respectable success for a domestic game. Its success didn’t register at first, because it was tapping in to a totally new audience for video games: women and children. At first it was only a modest success, failing to draw in as many 100-yen coins as Galaxian, the outer space shooting game that was then Namco’s top earner. ![]() |
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