Exibir Álbum Completo

Não existe nenhum outro filme que eu tenha assistido mais do que a saga Guerra nas Estrelas e também eu nunca vi um vilão mais respeitado e amado do que o Darth Vader.

As fotos são excelentes, o vídeo é um verdadeiro delírio e o fundo de Requiem for a Dream é um show à parte.

Hurrah for Europe and for publishers who don’t realise that in these internet-enabled days, even a magazine article in *gasp* a foreign language will be translated and spread all over the net in a matter of hours. Thanks to german magazine “PC Games” (PC Spielen?), the final two classes have been revealed for Bioware’s upcoming Star Wars MMO.

As Massively report in the previous link, Bioware did confirm that the Jedi Consular and Sith Inquisitor will complete the lineup. They have chosen to keep the numbers of classes small, and have stated that each class will have its own personal epic storyline.

So, what do we have on offer? I’m going to run down the list and make some assumptions about the styles of the storylines and what sort of role each class might play in combat. I am assuming a holy trinity based game, I love Dragon Age as if it was my own child, but Bioware’s strength is in storytelling and producing awesome gaming experiences, not in reinventing the rule book.

Republic

Trooper

“The fate of the galaxy rests upon ordinary men becoming extraordinary heroes. This is the path of the Republic Trooper.”

“The Knights of the Jedi Order have defended the Republic for generations, but they have not fought alone. A host of unsung heroes have marched at the Jedi’s side—common men courageous enough to enlist and face the same risks as their Jedi comrades despite not having access to the Jedi powers of protection.”

It sounds as though this storyline is all about how ordinary guys and gals in the Republic special forces become extraordinary heroes and end up fighting alongside Jedi and … err.. smugglers. The gear has a strong military flavour.

As far as their role in combat goes, the official site has this to say:

“A Trooper’s rifle is his best friend, and the military is constantly challenged to design faster, more powerful and more reliable blaster rifles every year. Wielding such rifles and wearing protective battle armor designed by the Republic’s top engineers, the Trooper will not hesitate to step right into the crossfire.”

Sounds like a mostly ranged class to me.

Smuggler

“Stacking up enemies as fast as they stack up credits, Smugglers only survive in this galaxy by being slick, sneaky and street-smart.”

“Experienced in flying under the radar, Smugglers are amazingly elusive. Yet when backed into a corner, they quickly become cunning and often deadly combatants.”

OK, so the smuggler is Han Solo. Since he was the coolest character in Star Wars, that’s not a bad thing, and it  gives a good indication of the sort of storylines to expect.

For the role in combat:

“Smugglers often rely on the element of surprise, using stealth and trickery to catch opponents off guard. Despite the sly tactics, they are more than capable of holding their own in a fair fight.”

So it’ll be roguish, probably with some tricks and traps, but the flavour text sounds as though they prefer pistols to melee.

Jedi Knight

“A source of inspiration to allies and intimidation to adversaries, the Jedi Knight’s presence is welcome in any confrontation.”

“With unwavering allegiance to the Republic and the light side of the Force, the Jedi Knight fights with valiant determination, wading into the thick of any battle to protect freedom and democracy and hold fast against those who oppose it.”

Wading into the thick of battle to protect X  and Y, and hold fast against Z screams tank to me.

The combat tactics section reads:

“Whether defending allies by deflecting a barrage of blaster-fire or charging in to challenge a Sith Lord, the Knight’s role is crucial in any conflict.”

Defending, charging in to challenge nasty Sith Lords … it’s a tank. I have no idea where the storyline might unfold for this one, but I’m thinking Knight at King Arthur’s Court for the style of story and moral dilemma.

Jedi Consular

Not one but TWO Jedi classes on each side. We don’t have much information about this class yet, but it is known to be a ranged heal/ CC type of support class.

Sith

The Sith classes  sound stronger than their Republic counterparts — maybe to encourage players to pick the side they haven’t seen so much about in the films.

Bounty Hunter

“In the bounty business, one’s name is everything, and with each mark a Bounty Hunter takes down, his reputation grows, as does his price.”

Well that pretty much sums up what I’d expect in the storyline.

“Tracking elusive targets across multiple star systems requires expertise, especially when the targets can be prominent, powerful, and often prepared for confrontation.”

“Bounty Hunters are renowned for their versatility on the battlefield and their ability to go toe-to-toe with force-users.”

“Whoever they must face, however, the Bounty Hunter comes armed with the most-advanced weaponry on the black market, packing heavy firepower but always keeping a variety of tricks and gadgets ready to go.”

It certainly sounds more flexible than the poor Trooper who only has her rifle to fall back on. The Bounty Hunter here sounds like a strong dps class with lots of tricks and gadgets up her sleeve.

Imperial Agent

“Agents of Imperial Intelligence track down and eliminate the Empire’s enemies—from intractable Republic senators to traitorous Imperial Moffs to bloodthirsty rebels with Republic ties.”

“Though there are few idealists in Imperial Intelligence, the art of professional perfection is held in deep reverence, and the Agent embodies the Imperial ideal in this respect.”

So you’re going to be Evil James Bond if you play one of these chaps.

“Though striking from a distance or from the shadows plays to the Agent’s strengths, a well-equipped operative is more than capable of evading his enemies when necessary or moving in close to quietly slide a blade between an opponent’s ribs.”

Again, the Agent sounds like a more flexible class than her Republic counterpart. They will be stealthers, with some ability for assassination, and also have ranged capabilities.

Sith Warrior

“Sith Warriors crush their opponents and stride toward their goals with dreadful determination, leaving ruin and annihilation in their wake.”

“A natural leader in any context, a Sith Warrior inspires both fear and undying loyalty into his followers and allies.”

It’s a tank.

“Protected by heavy armor and his powers of intimidation, the Warrior wades into the thick of the fight and unleashes pure hatred and fury to eliminate all who would stand against him.”

Huh, the Sith Warrior actually gets heavy armour. Well that screws up the plans for total world domination via robe.

Sith Inquisitor

The other newly revealed class, as with the Consular we don’t know a lot about this one yet. But it’s likely to fill a similar role.

Keeping down the Jedi numbers

So I think that all the Jedi are actually going to be support classes in this game. The Knight and Warrior will be tanking classes, and the Consular and Inquisitor will be support. The non-jedi will make up the bulk of dps and stealthers.

You have to admit, that’s quite a smart way to keep the numbers of Jedi limited …

]]> http://themeatshield.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/color-me-confused-about-swtor-classes/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:03:42 +0000 Pid http://themeatshield.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/color-me-confused-about-swtor-classes/

A while back I wrote a post about why I wanted to play a bounty hunter in The Old Republic when it comes out. To make a long post short(er) I thought that playing a non-force class would be the way to go because it would be less popular but the bounty hunter would be popular enough to not make it obscure. Now they just released two more Force classes and it would appear that my reasoning is not quite as good as it was before.

Syp just posted a poll over at Bio Break that allows you to vote on what class you would play. While it only had 148 votes when I looked at it, the leader with 30 votes was …wait for it…the bounty hunter! I was a little surprised, but when I thought about it some more I guess it makes some sense. Now that there are two force classes per side, each will vie for a chunk of the force user player base. If you add up the total of the Jedi Knight and Consular votes it is about the same as the bounty hunter tally. Strangely, if you add up the sith force users it is considerably less.

Now as a scientist in real life I should know better than to make heads or tails out of a poll with so few votes cast (especially an online poll), but it does make me wonder if I should consider changing my mind. With the new classes in effect, it will spread the force users into four classes instead of just two. This could be a blessing if the classes are unique and have separate equipment lines and talents. I realize a Jedi is a Jedi whether it is a melee fighter or a support class (they are both hefting a big laser sword after all), but if you use a little meta thinking, they are two separate MMORPG classes with potentially two separate MMORPG roles to play. For those that want to be a Jedi but not be the meat shield, they now have an alternative.

As the lore goes…it fits to some degree, and as game mechanics go it could work rather well if implemented properly. The devs still have some work balancing out the other classes and such, but maybe now I can make that Darth Maul character and not be like the ten million other ones…just the two million!

-Pid

I took Sir Roger’s Padawan Mikori to the planet of Christophsis.  I was hoping to gather more information about the crystals that Master Vel and i had found before.   We got there, and decided our best plan of attack would be to start at the top and work our way down.  We were on one of the top walkways when we saw two people below us, a Chiss and a Twi’lek.  I had a fairly bad feeling about them, so I had Mikori stay while I went to feel them out.  When I got down to them they were immediately aggressive.  I tried to back away from them but it was useless, and sabers were drawn.  They quickly overpowered me.  Mikori’s voice came through my com, but I told him to stay away, not wanting him in danger as well.  He told me he was speaking to one of them, one I hadn’t seen before, but I couldn’t get away from the two .  Once I was defeated in combat they threw me over the walkway.  If I had been in decent shape before that, I wasn’t aftewards.  As I hit the hard flooring I felt the electric pain and heard the crunch of breaking bones.  It was a lot harder to breathe after that.  I closed my eyes, trying to push the pain away and use the force to slow the bleeding I could feel inside.  I drifted in and out of consciousness, when I opened up my eyes again the three  strangers were down there, and so was Mikori, and they were fighting.  I wanted Mikori out of there, but he wasn’t leaving me.   He tried to convince them that he’d join them if they’d leave me be.  They weren’t having it,  and the Twi’lek cut my hand off at the command of the other one, one they called Rehn.  The pain that went through me as I lost my hand was unlike any I’d ever felt until then.  I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe… and then it faded, pulsing and throbbing painfully, but not as blindingly so as before.

I remember seeing Master Jehn, and the padawans Mark and Blade, and then I was in the medlab on Ruusan.  Lady Sabra healed my leg, my ribs, the bleeding, and started cloning or whatever it was that she did for my new hand, which got reattached a day later.  Now I’ve been told not to spar for a week, and to be careful about my grip, since this new hand is much stronger than my old one.

I feel badly though… in this adventure… well, yes, I got injured and yes I had to deal with it, but I also felt so bad because.. well Master Vel met me at the medlab.  He held me down, and held my hand, while Sabra healed me up.  He was what kept me from yelling, and he’s what kept me calm.  Feeling him with me made everything better.   When we got sent home, he made me come to his house,  and he was actually somewhat angry at himself for not being there to help me.  To lose his hand instead, for me, as he put it.   When he dropped me at the medlab to get my new hand he hugged me.  I didn’t want to leave his arms, I have to admit.  I went back to his house once I got it attatched,  to rest.  I haven’t seen him since… he’s been really busy.  I miss his face.

After my talk with Master Vel I have to admit I was loathe to have anything ruin my wonderful mood.  I met with both my Padawans, did some lessons with them and basically just let the new knowledge and the remembered feel of his arms around me, sink in. 

I was napping when the comm call came in- a Hopeful had been abducted and taken to Byss, and Master Ana was calling for a rescue team to assemble.  I called Wolf and we went to meet the others at the Academy.  Soon after, the plan was hatched and we departed for the sulphur laden planet.

It didn’t go well, i have to say… We flew down to the surface, and the Dark Lords of the Sith were waiting for us.  They ended up picking us off like flies, it seemed like, and with little to no effort.  I’d never seen the one that I fought before, but he had quite definite skill.  The sniper in the tower closeby worked in their favor as well.  I found myself laying on the ground, saber wounds, what felt like broken ribs, and wasn’t quite sure what had happened.  Poor Wolf had fallen and broken both legs, with the insult being added to injury when his prosthetic arm got destroyed.  The sniper in the tower closeby worked in their favor as well.  We made our escape, and I found my way into the medlab.  Lady Lily and Lady Sable were severely hurt, and Wolf with his broken legs needed immediate assistance and I didn’t want to distract from their care so I just leaned against the wall to wait until there was someone able to help me through the pain of the burns and other wounds I’d suffered.  I felt bad for Master Seven and Arsen, being so inundated with the wounded so I tried to be quiet.  Finally they got to me and I was put into a bed.  Master Seven banadaged my wounds and healed me.  She wasn’t able to completely, she was so drained herself.  I also gave as much energy as I could back to Arsen when he came over to me.  It slowed my healing, but a little bit of natural healing wasn’t going to damage me, and there were still others who needed much more help than I did.

Master Seven released me from the medlab on the condition that I not do anything or go anywhere for a few days, to heal and rest up.  I did promise, although I can’t be held responsible for emergencies…

Lanjutan dr postingan pertama..

Hari Ketiga (Selasa, 27 Oktober 2009)

Setelah shalat subuh, kami berkumpul dan mengambil jebakan Light trap yang telah dipasang malam sebelumnya. Karena hujan, kami sarapan dulu sembari berteduh sebelum melakukan pengamatan burung pagi. Tempat pengamatan burung pagi dibagi sesuai kelompok, kelompok saya mendapat tempat pengamatan di Teluk Gilimanuk. Dalam perjalanan, kami disambut oleh pelangi kembar! Subhanallah..tapi di foto gak gitu keliatan, soalnya yang satunya lagi tipis. Kemudian ada kejutan lagi, sewaktu pengamatan burung, ada biawak yang lewat! Wow..lebih tepatnya sih lari ke sarangnya mungkin

Pelangi kembar di pagi hari

Beres pengamatan pagi, saatnya ke Pulau Menjangan!!Apalagi kalo bukan snorkling, yihaa:D

Tiap 2 kelompok pergi ke Pulau Menjangan menggunakan sebuah perahu. Begitu mendarat kami disambut pemandangan yang indah sekali. Oh ya, saat itu kebetulan ada orang-orang bule (gak tau wisatawan atau peneliti) yang snorkling juga. Selanjutnya dari tiap kelompok ada dua perwakilan yang melakukan transek di terumbu karang dan identifikasi terumbu karang serta ikannya. Yang lainnya? Ada yang makan siang, foto-foto, dan melihat-lihat terumbu karang. Buat yang gak bisa berenang kaya saya, jangan khawatir! Soalnya pake pelampung dan alat bantu napasnya (alat snorkling) dan ada yang membimbing. Yang gak sempet ngeliat secara langsung pasti nyesel, soalnya terumbu karang dan hewan-hewannya memang indah bange! Sampai-sampai saya lupa dengan kecemasan gak bisa berenang itu, hehe..:P. Setelah itu kita berfoto bersama dan kembali ke basecamp untuk bersiap melakukan pengamatan malam.

Waktu pengamatan malam tiap kelompok dibagi-bagi tempat pengamatan lagi. Hampir di tiap tempat mendengar suara tokek, banyak pisan lah. Karena pengamatannya malam dan kita udah pada cape, rata-rata sih pas pengamatan jadi ketiduran gitu (termasuk saya:P). Sesudah pengamatan malam, semuanya kembali ke basecamp dan packing^O^

Ada nemo loh!

Foto-foto setelah snorkling:)

Hari Keempat (Rabu, 28 Oktober 2009)

Akhirnya kita pergi meninggalkan kawasan TNBB dan menuju Kintamani. Dalam perjalanan, kami sempat mengunjungi Pantai Lovina. Disana kami berfoto (apa lagi coba?) hingga batas waktu yang ditetapkan..haha. Karena perjalanannya lumayan lama, kami bernyanyi dan karaokean di Bis. Untunglah di bis A ada Randu, sang Master dangdut. Ada dia yang menghibur kita semua, kocak banget deh.

Anak-anak Al-Hayaat di Pantai Lovina

Randu, master karaoke kita

Sesampai di Kintamani, kami mengunjungi Museum Gunung Api Batur terlebih dahulu. Disana kami menonton film tentang pembentukan gunung Batur dan meneropong Danau Batur serta Gunung Batur dari puncak museum. Selain itu, kami pun mengelilingi ruang pamer museum. Selepas dari museum, kami berpindah dari bis ke truk. Akhirnya, perjalanan menuju tempat basecamp tinggal sedikit lagi.

Sesampainya disana, kami mendapat sambutan yang luar biasa dari sang pemilik resort. Rencana awalnya kami akan menggunakan aula sebagai tempat menginap, tapi ternyata sang pemiliki membolehkan kita mempergunakan bungalow! Subhanallah. Akhirnya praktikan putri tinggal di bungalow dan praktikan pria tetap di aula. Katanya sih tempat tinggal sementar kita itu sering dipake syuting. Pantesan bagus banget, subhanallah banget lah. Bahkan para asisten bilang kalau kulap kita ini bukan kulap, lebih mirip wisata. Hehe

Hari ini tidak begitu berat, karena kita hanya mengompil data dan identifikasi. Sisanya digunakan untuk beristirahat, karena esok akan menjadi klimaksnya^^

Menuju Museum

Tempat menginap kita di Kintamani

Lanjut ke postingan berikutnya..:P

Maaf ya, yg hari berikutnya lebih panjang soalnya:)

Alright, let me give a quick disclaimer: I was waylaid by my own two feet on my way to the local television set in my household. For all you ladies and, um, men who like to wear women’s shoes, just take off your damn high heels before running to catch the latest installment of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (now back in its regularly scheduled time slot of 9PM/EST!). All that is to say, I was two minutes behind when I tuned into the second episode of the Geonosis Arc, “Weapons Factory”. Subsequently, I felt disoriented during the entire episode, whether or not that was because I missed the familiar newsreel and Anakin and Ahsoka briefing their troops or if it was the episode as a whole, I’m not sure.

There were several interesting aspects about tonight’s episode, but what I came away with were two prevailing themes: sacrifice and faith. Yes, those are running themes throughout the show, but I really feel like these were telegraphed strongly this evening. Anakin’s proposed distraction, sending the clones marching in parade formation down the bridge, is one of the first examples of sacrifice in the episode, and what a sacrifice it is. Personally, I don’t think it’s Anakin playing fast and loose with the clones’ lives. It’s just another indicator that clones are becoming more commodity than human. We see the two padawans, Barriss and Ahsoka, willingly undertake a dangerous mission into the honeycombed, Genosian underground while their respective masters distract the Separatist forces. As the episode progresses, Ahsoka and Barriss dig themselves literally and figuratively into a hole. Faced with the inevitable annihilation of their forces should they choose to preserve their own lives, the two padawans make a decision that they believe will cost their own lives for the greater good. On the flip side of this, Anakin is unwilling to sacrifice his padawan for this mission. His attempts to keep her close to him are met with resistance and ultimately failure. What I saw as a more, refreshing theme was that of faith. We see the old SW adage weakness of “Faith in your friends”  evidenced in this episode as well. Though Anakin has no desire to see his padawan undertake this mission, no doubt remembering his own padawan experiences on Geonosis, he has complete faith that she would be able to complete the mission. In fact, more than once Skywalker audibly expresses his faith in her abilities. With his padawan as well as Luminara’s facing mortal peril, only his dogged faith in Ahsoka results in the padawans’ rescue. Ahsoka reciprocates his demonstration of faith telling Barriss that she knew her master, “would come looking for me.”

Juxtaposition was key in tonight’s show. Whether it was the master-padawan relationship between Anakin and Ahsoka and Luminara and Barriss or the partnership between the masters and padawans, it underscored the differences among the Jedi. Where Anakin and Ahsoka have a deeply personal and untraditional relationship that borders, to outsiders, on the disrespectful; Luminara and Barriss have a traditional and deferential teacher-student relationship.

My initial reaction to “Weapons Factory” was latter confirmed (at least to me). Side Note: I like things like this! The penultimate sequence was the first flag. Compare it to the Agni Kai duel in Part Three of Avatar: The Last Airbender: Sozin’s Comet. (Start the video around 7:25…) The muted sound effects and dialogue in conjunction with the musical score created a chilling visual and auditory effect. I was taken aback by how emotionally invested I was when this scene began. There were other little things reminiscent of ATLA as well: the “impenetrable” city, Barriss “drilling” into the Geonosian HQ, or something else my tired brain cannot remember. All in all, if I’m not reading too much into the episode, I enjoyed the little nods to Dave and Giancarlo’s past animated television series.

Another thing that I love about this series compared to the Tartakovsky micro-series, is the use of plausible Force feats. We see the standard  faire: speed, jumps, agility; but as Bryan pointed out we saw a diverse and incredible use of Force skills in “Weapons Factory”.  The Force enhanced upper body strength blew me away. ALSO, let’s discuss a little something. Was emotion used to fuel the force-aided rescue of the padawans? Hmmm? Just throwing that out there. It’s not as if Anakin is necessarily “dark” by this point. So what exactly is the definition of an emotional force user? I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of this in the coming episodes, and what degrades Anakin to where he is fully susceptible to the influence of Palpatine.

OH, I REMEMBER WHAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT!!! Okay, so EU Alarmists should run for the hills about now… Alan Dean Foster’s Approaching Storm? Yeah. You’re going to harp on this one for, like, years. Also, the MASH in Space books. Basically, I’ll just retcon the hell out of this for you: Barriss is not Anakin’s age. But, guess what this does set up! Go on, guess! Alright I’ll tell you, if Barriss is only slightly older than Ahsoka and is a Jedi Knight by the time of ROTS, then it stands to reason that Ahsoka may be as well. Suck on that, haters.

Also? I don’t care what any of y’all say… Ahsoka is not going to die. Sure you can rationalize it, but I won’t believe it. If by some snowball’s chance in hell we see her corpse on the season finale, I’ll chalk it up to sleep deprived hallucinations and pretend it never happened. So there.

Tune in next week for Part Three of the Geonosis Arc and enjoy these stills from “Weapons Factory”!

There is no I in TEAM. Did you see what I did there?

I long to start a "No Violence Against Ahsoka" club. Any takers?

I have nothing witty to say other than "she's silently judging you, Barriss."

Group Hug

A Piece I’m doing for a jedi design contest at CGHUB.com.

I always imagined a lightsaber mounted to a staff a formidable weapon – no air resistance, cut off pieces collectable by the force, etc.

I decided to take a short trip to Onderon.  Short, uneventful, check out the local foliage maybe, nothing too exciting.  That’s how it was supposed to be.

It started off well enough, I got there and was taking a short walk to get my bearings.  A Mandalorian named Cho’paa, approached me, so I was on my guard.  He asked me for directions to a local cantina, and even offered to buy me a drink for the trouble.  I explained that I wasn’t sure where one might be, but a drink did sound like a fine idea.  Not to mention having someone with a blaster on my side didn’t sound so bad.

We got slightly distracted by a force field preventing us from going up a ramp when I fell into a sewer.  To his credit, he jumped in after me.  We started exploring under the city, thinking that it would be a good idea to get around the force field by going under it.  No luck, though… I did end up falling into a huge pool with a giant fan going around.  I was centimeter away from being squashed and drowned when Cho’paa pulled me up.  He insisted on carrying me back out, to prevent me from getting harmed any further.

We got out of the sewers and hadn’t gone far when we both became aware of someone trailing us.  When he got close enough, I saw he was a Mandalorian– yes, apparently Onderon is lousy with em- but his armor was much more detailed than Cho’paa’s, with a toothy grin on the helmet, and a strange skull as a shoulder pad. 

We spoke, it turns out that my trip with Master Vel to Blood Moon turned some heads, as there is.. was?  Is a abounty on my head, as well as Master Vel’s.  However, they only know Master Vel as a “freight jockey,”  so they weren’t able to hunt him down so easily.  I offered to go, alive, to clear up the whole mess, but he wasn’t having it, and he shot me multiple times- I lost count after 4- and I lost consciousness after something exploded arond me, sending searing pain through my body.

When I woke, Cho’paa was wrapping my wounds.  He carried me to his ship, and we took off.  Once in the air, he set on autopilot and wrapped my wounds with bacta bandages.  He talked, telling me his story of being in disgrace for loving a jedi who had been killed.  It was a sad story, and I felt for him, but was also grateful that he had the kindness to help me.

When we got to Ruusan it appeared that the Mando who had shot me had arrived first and told everyone I’d been captured, so it took some sorting out.  Cho’paa got me to the hospital while Jehn, and later, Cho’paa, hunted down the bounty hunter.   Lady Sabra healed my wounds and when I woke Houzu was there keeping watch.  He double checked me and put me under house arrest so that I’d actually rest, as opposed to what he called “thrill seeking.”  As if that’s what I was doing!

I got out of the hospital without much ado because of a Sith invasion at the Academy that sadly ended in the capture of Master Oden and Lady Sable, I didn’t get signed out or anything, which is a bonus.  The less people remember me being in the hospital, the better.  House arrest, indeed!

Nitrogen oksida (NO) adalah molekul yang sangat reaktif yang berdifusi secara cepat dan menembus membran sel. Pada tumbuhan, NO dapat disintesis melalui inorganic nitrogen pathway atau melalui katalisis enzimatik (NOS) dengan bantuan ion Ca²⁺. Enzim yang pertama kali ditemukan berimplikasi terhadap sintesis NO pada tumbuhan adalah nitrate reductase (NR). Protein ini memegang peranan penting dalam asimilasi nitrogen dan memproduksi NO saat aktivitas fotosintesis terganggu.

Invasi dari patogen mentrigger pembentukan senyawa perantara superoksida (O₂^-) yang reaktif dan hidrogen peroksida (H₂O₂) yang menginisiasi kematian sel. Hal ini dikenal sebagai hypersensitive disease resistance response. Reaksi anatara NO dan H₂O₂ akan menyebabkan terbunuhnya sel yang terinfeksi untuk mencegah persebaran patogen melalui tanaman. NO akan bereaksi dengan O₂^- membentuk peroxynitrite anion (ONOO^-), yang akan berinteraksi dengan komponen selular lainnya. Senyawa tersebut diduga memiliki peran penting dalam fungsi signaling di tanaman. NO pun akan memperbesar efek dari spesi oksigen reaktif selama proses kematian sel. NO turut mempengaruhi sistem anti-oksidan dalam sel untuk efektivitas hypersensitive response.

Selain itu, NO berperan sebagai signaling molecule yang penting, mentrigger ekspresi gen untuk pertahanan diri sel. Ekspresi gen ini diinduksi pula oleh cGMP dan molekul yang disebut phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), keduanya berperan sebagai second messengers selama signaling NO. Hasil dari ekspresi gen tersebut adalah flavonoid dan derivat isoflavonoid yang dapat berperan sebagai antibiotik.

Okay, sesuai yang telah saya janjikan. Sekarang saya mau bahas apa aja yang telah kami lakukan di Bali.

Hari Pertama (Minggu, 25 Oktober 2009)

Kami kumpul di Stasiun Kiaracondong pukul 05.00, tapi nyatanya kereta berangkat pukul 06.00. Ada yang hampir ditinggal, tapi untung dia datang pas detik-detik terakhir pengarahan sebelum naik kereta. Dia tak lain dan tak bukan adalah Dikta, katanya dia baru kebangun jam 5. JUARA. Untung keretanya gak berangkat pas jam 5. Setelah pengarahan, kami disuruh menaruh carrier dan keluar untuk sesi foto-foto.

Sesi foto sebelum berangkat menuju TKP

Keadaan di dalam kereta. Tali carrier menjumbai seeprti akar beringin:P

Perjalanan di kereta, dari Stasiun Kiaracondong menuju Stasiun Gubeng ditempuh selama 19 jam. Jadi, selama itu kami mengisi waktu di kereta dengan tidur, makan, main kartu, atau karaokean gak jelas. Ada juga yang rajin baca-baca modul dulu. Yang paling rame itu pas materi kulap tambahan alias kuliah cinta bersama pak Gede. Hehe, sumpah lucu banget lah. dan gosip cinlok pun mulai bermunculan.

Hari Kedua (Senin, 26 Oktober 2009)

Akhirnya sampai di Stasiun Gubeng, Surabaya pukul 01.00. Adegan turun dari kereta diwarnai aksi dan drama karena kami harus sigap menurunkan barang-barang logistik dan carrier. Two thumbs up buat cowok-cowok SITH, kalian emang tangguh!! Dari situ, langsung berlanjut naik bis menuju Pelabuhan Ketapang, tempat kita akan naik kapal ferry menuju Pelabuhan Gilimanuk, Bali. Tapi, sebelumnya kami beristirahat sambil shalat subuh dan makan pagi di rumah makan dekat pelabuhan.

Di ferry

Dan akhirnya, setelah perjalanan yang cukup lama menyeberangi perairan, kami pun tiba di pelabuhan Gilimanuk.

Akhirnya nyampe juga di Pelabuhan Gilimanuk

Setelah itu perjalanan berlanjut ke Taman Nasional Bali Barat. Disana kami menikmati istirahat, makan siang, dan membereskan barang. Alhamdulillah, kami beruntung. Rencana awalnya semua tidur menggunakan tenda pleton, tapi ternyata ada wisma VIP yang kosong dan wisma tersebut digunakan untuk praktikan perempuan. Praktikan prianya pun tidak jadi menggunakan tenda pleton dan akhirnya menggunakan fasilitas aula. Setelah membereskan barang, dimulailah kegiatan kami yang pertama, yaitu mengunjungi penangkaran Jalak Bali dan pengamatan burung sore.  Setelah itu, kami kembali ke basecamp dan makan malam yang dilanjutkan dengan penerangan tentang Light trap (Jebakan serangga untuk serangga yang sensitif dengan cahaya) dan kegiatan yang akan dilakukan di Pulau Menjangan keesokan hari.

Sesi foto sebellum pengamatan burung

Jalak Bali

Penerangan "Light trap"

Ok, sekian untuk kali ini..saya lanjut di posting berikutnya..:P

]]> http://xollothnews.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/%ce%b3%ce%bd%cf%89%cf%81%ce%af%cf%83%cf%84%ce%b5-%cf%84%ce%bf%ce%bd-jedi-knight-%ce%ba%ce%b1%ce%b9-%cf%84%ce%bf%ce%bd-imperial-agent-%cf%84%ce%bf%cf%85-star-wars-the-old-republic/ Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:22:52 +0000 xollothnews http://xollothnews.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/%ce%b3%ce%bd%cf%89%cf%81%ce%af%cf%83%cf%84%ce%b5-%cf%84%ce%bf%ce%bd-jedi-knight-%ce%ba%ce%b1%ce%b9-%cf%84%ce%bf%ce%bd-imperial-agent-%cf%84%ce%bf%cf%85-star-wars-the-old-republic/

A few days back now, we here at Grime Garms done an article about the release of the official ‘I Got Soul’ t-shirts to go alongside the release the track to raise money for the charity War Child. Tinchy Stryder and N-Dubz also featured on the track. But this isn’t about the whole of N-Dubz, just one third of the group members, Fazer being the chosen third this time.

First up of the two, we have Tinchy’s white on white SITH t-shirt. Tinchy once said that he’s made more money off his clothing range, than he ever has in music. I’m not sure if this is still true with the amount of success he’s had with recent singles, and the release of his album, Catch 22. Recently, Tinchy has been spotted in various colour ways of his SITH designs. Some being different coloured/designed fonts, others actually being brand new designs themselves. This time though, it’s a white on white version of the now imfamous top that Stryder has been spotted in. We’re not quite sure if Tinchy will ever release this top, but for me, it’s a bit too plain.

Next, we have the New Era ‘Nice Lolly Tee’ in white that Fazer of N-Dubz wore that day. New Era moved into the apparel side of clothing not too long ago, and it’s paying off. Some of the clothing on offer is quite nice, like this top here, but others, I don’t think are so. This top that Fazer is wearing comes in the basic colours of black or white. The top print being based on an ice-lolly look. More than likely, the Fab bar it looks like. With the hundreds and thousands at the top of the New Era logo. It looks like it should have been in the Spring/Summer range rather than Autumn/Winter I think. If you’re interested in the top though, click the New Era link to get taken directly to the shirt.

Don’t forget, the ‘You’re Not Alone EP’ is now out by Tinchy Stryder on iTunes. The ‘I Need You EP’ by N-Dubz is available to pre-order now on iTunes as well as the new album ‘Against All Odds’ on UkRecordShop.

-  Graeme Day

Star Wars – Fans sind für ihre Leidenschaft und ihr Engagement bekannt.

Nun gabs auf Vimeo eine Ausschreibung, sämtliche Szenen des Science Fiction Klassikers sollten nachgespielt werden. Die einzelnen Sequenzen sind sehr charmant ausgefallen. Zur Website

Star Wars Galactic Heroes Darth Maul Sith Lord vs Obi-Wan Kenobi Jedi Master from Episode I : The Phantom Menace

Recordemos que este juego será el MMORPG que reemplazará al ya antiguo Star Wars: Gallaxies, un increíble universo paralelo que hasta el día de hoy puedes seguir jugando junto a miles de otros participantes que aspiran unirse a las filas de los Jedi o los Sith.

Los acontecimientos de Star Wars: The Old Republic están basados en la historia desarrollada por la serie RPG Knights of the Old Republic, lo cual acontece varios siglos antes que lo que es mostrado en las películas de Star Wars.

Para variar, los Sith luchan con los Jedi, la república se hace “amiga” de los Sith, luego los Jedi se retiran con la cola entre las piernas…. y en eso estamos cuando comienza Star Wars: The Old Republic que, por lo demás, aún no aclaran si será finalmente un juego gratuito financiado con micro transacciones, lo cual sería francamente espectacular.

Uma das mais poderosas e elegantes armas de todos os tempos … O sabre de luz pode decepar um ser humano ou mesmo derreter metal mas como é um desses por dentro ???

FONTE

I am currently planning my next text, which is a Halloween text.

But until I finish that, here is something I wrote a good while ago:

Where art thou, fork?

Once there was a hungry guy,
His stomach was empty; his mouth was so dry,
Without time to go out and food buy.

He were not at home this man
He were where he after school ran
But he then remembered about his plan.

Out of his backpack he a box took
a box filled with food, and which did not require a cook,
Filled with macaroni and surely not with gook.

He had his food but now he felt like a dork
Because he had brought everything besides a fork,
He thought to himself that this was a cork.

He thought fast and pulled a MacGyver
Because he needed his driver
And then again, the smart one is the survivor.

He soon found some toothpicks and some duct tape
Because he needed his tool, he was not eating a grape.
He did now feel smarter than any human ape.

This was not his first time, he had done it before
Just then with a scissor, a plastic spoon and nothing more
But this time it had a much better décor.

He was soon done and he took a seat
With his own fork in his hand he began to eat.
Oh, his ingenuity. It tasted so sweet!

He did this some more, he never needed to bring
That one fork which was a makeable thing,
But he said, almost like the sith king:
“I find the lack of forks disturbing”.

DESKRIPSI TUMBUHAN

ARTOCARPUS HETEROPHYLLUS

Moraceae

Moraceae merupakan salah satu famili dari ordo Urticales. Merupakan kelompok tumbuhan Mulberry. Tanaman pada famili ini memiliki bentuk hidup berupa pohon dan semak, umumnya hidup pada daerah tropis. Ciri khas dari famili ini adalah adanya stipula pada ujung ranting tanaman dan adanya getah. Pada famili ini terdapat berbagai macam genus, antara lain genus Artocarpus, Ficus, Morus, Cannabis, dan Humulus.

Artocarpus

Sekitar 50 spesies dari genus Artocarpus adalah pohon monoecious yang ada di Asia Tenggara dan Polynesia. Terdapat getah putih yang tebal pada semua bagian. Daunnya tersusun spiral, tunggal atau pinatus; stipula yang besar menutupi bakal daun. Bunga kecil dan sangat banyak dalam satu set rakhis yang berdaging. Perbungaan jantan berhubungan dekat ujung akhir ranting; bunga memiliki kaliks yang kecil dengan 1 stamen. Perbungaan betina berhubungan tunggal dengan aksil daun atau pada batang dan cabang, pada umumnya besar dan berduri; bunga dengan ovarium tunggal dan panjang. Buah majemuk berasal dari kepala-kepala bunga yang membengkak. Biji, jika ada, besar, ditutupi lapisan sukulen berasal dari kaliks dan terpisah oleh bunga betina yang tidak berkembang.

Artocarpus heterophyllus

Artocarpus heterophyllus adalah nama kerennya nangka

Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam., biasa juga disebut nangka, adalah salah satu spesies dari famili Moraceae. Bila sudah matang, buah Artocarpus heterophyllus dapat dimakan, sedangkan buah yang belum matang biasa dimasak sebagai sayur dan terkadang dibuat acar. Daunnya dapat digunakan untuk pakan ternak. Pohonnya biasa dimanfaatkan sebagai peneduh untuk tanaman kopi atau areca dan sebagai penyokong hidup untuk piper nigrum. Getahnya yang mengandung resin berfungsi sebagai makanan hewan. Kayunya berwarna kuning dapat digunakan sebagai kayu gelondongan.

Asal dan Distribusi

Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam., berasal dari pertanian kuno di India. Oleh bangsa Arab tanaman ini dibudidayakan di dataran Afrika Timur. Pada masa sekarang, tanaman ini telah menyebar di daerah tropis.

Kultivasi

Tanaman ini tumbuh dari biji dengan variasi biji berbeda antar pohon. Variasi itu biasanya mempengaruhi bentuk, ukuran, dan kualitas buah.

Ekologi

Tanaman ini biasa tumbuh pada dataran rendah tropis, namun masih dapat berkembang pada dataran yang lebih tinggi dan temperatur yang lebih dingin. Artocarpus heterophyllus dapat tumbuh pada macam-macam tanah, selama persediaan air yang ada cukup. Namun, kondisi yang paling cocok adalah tanah aluvial.

Struktur

Merupakan pohon monoecious evergreen dengan tinggi mencapai 20 m. Ujung akar dari pembibitannya sangat mudah rusak, sehingga sulit untuk ditransplantasi. Terdapat getah putih mengandung resin pada semua bagiannya. Ranting glabrous. Stipula ovate-triangular, panjangnya 2 – 7 cm. Daun tersusun spiral, filotaksis , biasanya glabrous; daun muda memiliki 1 – 2 pasang cuping; daun dewasa rata, coriaceous, berwarna hijau gelap dan mengkilap pada bagian atas, berwarna hijau pucat pada bagain tengah; petiola panjangnya 2 – 4 cm; lamina 5 – 20 x 3 – 12 cm, berbentuk elips hingga obovate, ujungnya tumpul, dasarnya cuneate, pinnatinerved dengan 5 – 8 pasang pembuluh. Perbungaan jantan axiler pada ranting daunatau dari batang dan cabang, tapi di atas perbungaan betina, terkulai, membujur, ellipsoidal, atau clavate, 5 – 10 x 2 – 3 cm, hijau; bunga banyak, biasanya padat, kecil, dengan 2 cuping kaliks dan stamen tunggal. Perbungaan betina berhubungan dengan ranting pendek yang kokoh pada batang utama dan cabang; peduncle kokoh dengan cincin hijau berdaging pada apex, lebih besar dari perbungaan jantan; bunga kecil, kaliks tubular, ovarium membujur dan terkompresi, terminal style dan miring, stigma clavate. Buah merupakan syncarp raksasa, buah terbesar dari semua buah budidaya, 30 – 90 x 25 – 50 cm; berbentuk laras (barrel-shaped) atau buah pir (pear-shaped), glabrous, dengan duri pendek tajam berdaging berbentuk hexagonal, kulit buah berwarna kuning, daging buah berwarna kuning dan berlilin. Biji ditutupi dengan gelatin tebal berwarna kuning, besar, membujur, sekitar 3 x 2 cm.

Penyerbukan

Perbungaan jantan yang sudah matang memiliki bau manis seperti madu dan membakar gula yang menarik lalat kecil dan kumbang, sehingga penyerbukan dapat terjadi.

Germinasi

Biji akan kehilangan viabilitasnya sangat cepat sehingga harus ditanam saat masih dalam keadaan segar.

Komposisi Kimia

Ampas yang dapat dimakan, terdiri dari sekitar 30% buah, mengandung sekitar: 73, 1 % air; 0,6% protein; 0,6% lemak; 23,4% karbohidrat; 1,8% serat; 0,5% abu. Bijinya, merupakan 5% bagian buah, mengandung: 51,6% air; 6,6% protein; 0,4% lemak; 38,4% karbohidrat; 1,5% serat; 1,5% abu.

Propagasi

Nangka biasa ditanam dari biji yang ditebar secara in situ atau dalam wadah, sebagaimana bibit tanpa akar sangat sulit untuk ditransplantasi. Karena bibit nangka sangat bervariasi, tanaman-tanaman bibit unggul harus dipropagasi secara vegetatif, yang dapat dilakukan dengan setek.
Daftar Pustaka

Lawrence, George H. M. 1959. Taxonomy of Vascular Plants. New York: The MacMillan Company

Purseglove, J. W. 1968. Tropical Crops Dicotyledons 2. London: Longmans

Hoho, ini deskripsi beberapa Aves..waktu tugas Biosis dulu. Hanya ingin berbagi:)

DESKRIPSI AVES

1. Pomatorhinus montanus Hors.

Klasifikasi

Kingdom  : Animalia

Phylum     : Chordata

Class         : Aves

Ordo         : Passeriformes

Famili       : Sylviidae

Genus       : Pomatorhinus

Spesies     : Pomatorhinus montanus Hors.

Sumber: Anonim1, 2008

Pomatorhinus montanus memiliki daerah yang luas. Populasinya diyakini besar karena sering dideskripsikan sering terlihat pada beberapa bagian daerah (Anonim2, 2008). Berdasarkan hasil pengamatan di museum, Pomatorhinus montanus mempunyai bulu punggung berwarna coklat, bulu pada bagian dada berwarna putih, bulu pada bagian perut, paha, ekor, dan ujung sayap berwarna hitam, serta bulu pada bagian kepala berwarna putih dengan garis hitam sepanjang kepala.

Warna kakinya kehitaman dengan warna paruh putih dan hitam. Paruhnya tipe pemakan serangga. Posisi tubuhnya ketika bertengger adalah vertikal. Habitatnya di hutan tropis dan subtropis.

2. Oriolus oriolus L.

Klasifikasi

Kingdom   : Animalia

Phylum      : Chordata

Class          : Aves

Ordo          : Passeriformes

Famili        : Oriolini

Genus        : Oriolus

Spesies      : Oriolus oriolus L.

Sumber: Anonim3, 2008

Oriolus oriolus terdistribusi di sekitar Eropa dan Asia. Habitatnya adalah di daerah hutan. Ukurannya sekitar 25 cm. Tubuhnya berwarna kuning, sayapnya berwarna hitam dengan garis kuning di bagian tengah. Di antara mata dan paruhnya terdapat garis putih. Paruhnya kecil dan berwarna kuning. Betina dari Oriolus oriolus berwarna hijau keabuan pada bagian dadanya. Oriolus oriolus hidup secara berdampingan, sarangnya berbentuk cupped nest dan biasanya terdapat di atas pohon. Makanannya berupa buah-buahan, beri, dan hewan-hewan kecil (Anonim4, 2008).

Berdasarkan hasil pengamatan di museum, Oriolus oriolus mempunyai bulu berwarna kuning. Warna kakinya kehitaman, warna paruhnya kuning dengan bentuk paruh tipe pemakan serangga. Posisi tubuhnya ketika bertengger adalah vertikal.

3. Halcyon cyanoventris Vieill.

Klasifikasi

Kingdom   : Animalia

Phylum      : Chordata

Class          : Aves

Ordo          : Coraciiformes

Famili        : Alcedinidae

Genus        : Halcyon

Spesies      : Halcyon cyanoventris Vieill.

Sumber: Anonim5, 2008

Halcyon cyanoventris terdistribusi di Indonesia. Habitatnya adalah di daerah hutan (Anonim6, 2008).  Makananannya terdapat di sawah, berupa serangga (Anonim5, 2008). Hewan ini merupakan hewan endemik, habitat aslinya adalah hutan bakau subtropis dan tropis (Anonim7, 2008).

Berdasarkan hasil pengamatan di museum, Oriolus oriolus mempunyai bulu berwarna biru, biru kehijauan dan coklat. Bulu pada bagian perut dan ujung atas sayap serta sebagian dorsal berwarna biru, bulu pada ujung sayap dan ekor berwarna biru kehijauan, bulu pada bagian kepala, dan sayap berwarna coklat. Warna dan paruhnya jingga. Bentuk paruh tipe pemakan serangga. Posisi tubuhnya ketika bertengger adalah vertikal.
Daftar Pustaka

Anonim1. 2008. http://orientalbirdimages.org/birdimages.php?action=birdspecies&

Bird_ID=1600 Diakses pada tanggal 24 November 2008

Anonim2. 2008. http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTM

Details.asp&sid=7872&m=0 Diakses pada tanggal 24 November 2008

Anonim3. 2008. http://www.haryana-online.com/fauna/Birds/eurasian_golden_oriole.

htm Diakses pada tanggal 24 November 2008

Anonim4. 2008. http://www.wildanimalsonline.com/birds/eurasiangoldenoriole.php Diakses pada tanggal 24 November 2008

Anonim5. 2008. http://hidden-worlds.com/text/java_kingfisher.htm Diakses pada tanggal 24 November 2008

Anonim6. 2008. http://biodiversity.mongabay.com/animals/h/Halcyon_cyanoventris.

html Diakses pada tanggal 24 November 2008

Anonim7. 2008. http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/view.php?tid=3&did=26802 Diakses pada tanggal 24 November 2008

Yey!! Sebentar lagi anak-anak Biologi angkatan 2007 pada mau pergi kulapbesar Proyek Ekologi. Kemana? Insya Allah sih ke Taman Nasional Bali Barat. Berangkatnya tanggal 25 Oktober 2009 terus baru balik lagi ke Bandung tanggal 31 Oktober 2009. Tujuan kita kesana bukan buat senang-senang, tapi mengidentifikasi status ekologis dan status trofik di tempat-tempat yang bakal kita kunjungin, yaitu Taman Nasional Bali Barat, Danau Batur, dan Denpasar (katanya sih disini numpang shalat Jum’at doank, tapi mudah-mudahan bisa sambil refreshing juga:P). Ekosistem yang ada disana berupa hutan musim, danau, mangrove, terumbu karang, dan gunung api.

Taman Nasional Bali Barat

Rencananya, hal yang akan kita lakukan di Taman Nasional Bali Barat berupa kunjungan ke pengangkaran burung Jalak Bali dan pengamatan burung sore (hari kedua/26 Oktober 2009), serta diskusi dan pengamatan malam.

Jalak Bali

Esoknya, dilakukan pengamatan burung pagi jam 4 subuh, dilanjutkan dengan analisis vegetasi (belt transect) di hutan mangrove Teluk Gilimanuk. Selanjutnya kita pergi ke Pulau Menjangan untuk pengamatan terumbu karang (line intercept transect) dengan cara snorkling! Waw, sayang saya gak bisa berenang. Tapi nanti pengen jebur-jeburan juga, haha. Dilanjutkan dengan kompil data. Jangan lupa, masih ada diskusi/pengamatan malam.

Terumbu Karang di Pulau Menjangan

Hari keempat, kita akan meninggalkan Taman Nasional Bali Barat dan menuju Kintamani. Di Kintamani akan dilaksanakan reconnaissance bentang alam dan ekosistem danau, masih dilanjutkan dengan diskusi/pengamatan malam. Hari kelima, akan diadakan pengamatan burung pagi di Danau Batur (tetep jam 4 subuh), lanjut dengan pembuatan diagram profil di hutan Gunung Batur dan reconnaissance ekosistem Gunung Batur (suksesi primer). Setelah istirahat siang, akan dilakukan analisis vegetasi (metode kuarter) di hutan campuran, pengamatan burung sore, dan diskusi, kompilasi data, serta pengembalian alat.

Danau Batur dan Gunung Batur di Kintamani

Hari keenam, persiapan pulang. Kita akan berangkat dari Kintamani menuju Denpasar dan dilanjutkan ke Surabaya. Tanggal 31 Oktober 2009, Insya Allah akan sampai dengan selamat di stasiun Kiaracondong, Bandung.

Waw, padet banget ya kegiatannya. Tapi harus tetap semangat dan dibuat FUN! (Walaupun dananya gak kecil:[). Katanya sih biasanya banyak yang cinlok pas lagi kulap besar kaya gini, haha..kita liat aja nanti faktanya. Buat yang gak ngerti istilah-istilah atau kegiatan-kegiatan yang akan kita lakuin, tunggu aja postingan selanjutnya setelah pelaksanaan kulapnya;D

My records have become sadly lacking, especially considering all that’s happened.  I will spend the next few days rectifying that.  For now, let me summarize:

I was made a Jedi Knight in the New Order of Jedi

I have explored Yavin IV at length, discovering secrets in their ruins

I have explored Byss at length, even to the extent of singing my hair.  (That hurt)

I’ve explored Blood Moon and found terrible secrets there that need further exploration and looking into.  *note to self, contact Master Valen with regards to travel there. *

I’ve explored Korriban, and made some strange friends (a Sith guide is not an average friend for a Jedi Knight) and discovered that yes, indeed, the Dark Side does have cookies.

Somehow made Sith… not friends perhaps, but … allies? It’s strange to explain or try to figure out.  There’s a single Darth that I have not felt menace from in the slightest.  I met him one night when he was standing atop the temple, and I was there meditating.  I didn’t notice him at first, to be honest.  No Force ripples of someting Dark that close, nothing…  I can only blame my preoccupation.  But we spoke, and it was interesting, and I believe a mutual respect was born that night.  I came across him again at Korriban, where I felt his presence following me as I explored, with his voice acting as a small warning device in my head.    Once again, on blood moon,  and then on Byss, he appeared, sometimes as simply a voice in my head, during other times the guide through the um.. darkness.

  Perhaps he is wanting to change, I don’t know.  He doesn’t ask me to change, doesn’t preach to me, explain, lecture.. he doesn’t seem to care that I’m a Jedi in the least. During Darth Rowe’s illness that was passed around I saw him while I was infected and to my (current) mortification, I climbed up him and claimed him as my sith pet.  Ana argued with me over him, but he actually sort of accepted my… delusions, and humored me.  He found me later on Endor and I tried to apologize, but he smirked at me in his way and said it was quite alright.  We spoke on many things that night, listening to the Ewoks up in their treehouses and the various things down on the ground with us.  He’s not bad, I don’t believe that.  Strangely, I don’t think he’d hurt me.  He’s had plenty of chances, and each time he’s shown nothing but … well, kindness, really. 

I’ll try to put each of these experiences into a post as soon as I can within this next week.. that’s my goal.  Looks like I’m going to be busy.