A new PTR build hit the test realms today, and just in time for the second stress test that'll be getting underway later tonight. A few of the big highlights:
The Druid Cyclone spell has had the range reduced to 20 yards, from 30 yards.

The newly purchasable epic gem crafting patterns have had their prices dramatically increased. For example, the epic gem patterns used to cost 1.5g each to buy, now they're 50g each. This will make them harder for casual players to acquire.

A few BoP crafted items have had a profession requirement of 350 placed on them.

All in all, it looks like Blizzard is winding down the changes. They seem to be targeting some very specific areas right now, and the list of changes each week is getting shorter and shorter. This might mean the patch will be going live soon. And remember, as soon as it goes live, we'll select a winner from the Patch 2.4 release date contest we held.

Any thoughts on the cyclone change? I for one am happy, considering how I hate being cycloned in arena battles.

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The fun that is Chinese New Year cannot be properly described in words. It's gotta be felt up close and personal. You gotta have bits of red firecracker paper in your hair, gunpowder in your lungs and Chinese pastries in your stomach. I had a great time this Sunday with a fun group of fellow photogs up in Chinatown. I met up with Tony, Andi, Laura, Kev, Addie and Jill for a few hours taking in the festivities. Laura was the only smart one who brought along ear plugs.
Nikon D200 @ ISO100; Tokina 12-24mm: @12mm, f/4, 1/350sec; SB-800 flash

After an hour or so of fireworks, we had some grub at Penang. I had a plate of the Chow Kueh Teow which resembles Pad Thai, but without peanuts or lemon/lime. I asked for an additional side of hot sauce to spice it up a bit more. Over lunch, we talked a little shop about camera gear and caught up on each other's personal lives which is always fun to do since we normally interact through email. We topped off our appetites with a visit to KC Pastries for some delicious under $1 treats.
Nikon D200 @ ISO100; Tokina 12-24mm: @13mm, f/8, 1/125sec; SB-800 flash

I took a whole bunch of photos and they're up a flickr set of 30 here. Now whether to go back out again for the final Sunday of the festivities on the 24th! For those who want to see the craziness, it's from Noon to 4p and it all starts around 10/Vine, down to Arch and then circles to the left all around Chinatown.
Nikon D200 @ ISO100; Nikkor 17-55mm: @17mm, f/4, 1/160sec

Who else went? Did you take photos? What did you think?

I've seen the photos from the past few years of Chinese New Year celebrations here in Philly and I finally got around to heading up to Chinatown to see it in person yesterday. It was cold out and starting to flurry, but there was a sizable crowd out to watch shit get blown up an dragon dancers prance and drummers bang away. I took a few shots, nothing outstanding. I got stuck behind the drummers after staking out a spot to get a clear line of sight for one set of firecrackers. Arg.

I can assure anyone who didn't make it out or hasn't experienced it in person, it's smoky as hell and noisy as you can possibly imagine. If I stayed to watch for the entire day, I would've definitely done some serious damage to my ear drums. Every person there who was working had earplugs; I wish I had a pair for the hour or so I was there. And the smoke from the thousands and thousands of jumping jack rope of firecrackers was nuts as you can see in the shot below.

It was interesting to see the teams of dragon dancers switch off during different parts of their dances. I'm sure it served a dual purpose of simple proximity of the smoke and them getting tired after a bit; they're really moving and jumping around.

There were a few politicians making their rounds too. Andy Toy, running for City Council At-Large was there - I was just at a house party for his campaign before heading up to Chinatown. Councilman Frank DiCicco (District 1) was there. As were mayoral hopefuls US Congressman Bob Brady (PA-01) and PA Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-203). There were tons of people handing out Toy's campaign literature. I picked up a button at the house party. I plan on rocking it on my jacket for the next few months.

A Jawdropping, Shock-Your-Socks-Off Fundraiser Cabaret
at the Trocadero Theater
hosted by
Pig Iron Theatre Company

On Friday, January 12, 2007, Pig Iron Theatre Company will throw a cabaret fundraiser that bends both genre and gender until they break. For one night only the Trocadero Theater will become a Philly Circus of the Stars, a veritable “That’s Incredible!” for the 21st century. The lineup of professional astounders, amazers, and astonishers will include:

The Acro-physicists of Green Chair Dance
The Flying Blintzes – aka Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble
The Stilts Twins and The One-Armed Waiter
The Curly Musical Stylings of Amy Pickard
Gravity-Defiance by Brian Osborne (of De La Guarda!) and Friends
Urban Strip Tease from Brooklyn’s very own Typhoon Sugarpants
Math for Girls with the Nichole Canuso Dance Company
The rockin’ indies & undies of Buried Beds
With our featured performerette Dito van Reigersberg as Miss Martha Graham Cracker (CITYPAPER’s READER’S CHOICE for BEST DRAG ACT 2006)
and
Your host Quinn “Burlesque” Bauriedel
Backed by The Pig Feat Orchestra, with Andrew Nelson, Ned Sonstein, and Troy Herion

The entire Pig Iron company will be on-hand to perform C-A-T-S spells CATS! – a bizarro homage to Broadway and competitive cheerleading that will definitely freak you out.

That’s not all! Who can forget the post-show dance party, DJ’ed by the Ecuadoran surgeon of sound DJ Kik. Our silent auction will go all night with three big prizes that will be live-auctioned during the show by our host Quinn Bauriedel. And the Trocadero will provide a special drink for the occasion, “The Flying Pig.” It’s so potent, it will make you imagine you’re wrestling a greased pig that’s not even there.

All proceeds go to the non-profit Pig Iron Theatre Company, Philadelphia’s rascally & world-renowned theatre troupe, last seen all over West Philadelphia during their Tenth Anniversary Season and most recently in LOVE UNPUNISHED during the Live Arts Festival. Pig Iron combines the experimental, the whimsical, and the very good-looking for theatre that pushes your buttons and tickles your fancies. Hey, there’s a reason The New York Times called us “one of the few groups successfully taking theater in new directions” and Philly Weekly named us Best Theatre Company of 2006!

NOTE: Get your tickets early; last year For the Love of Pig Iron: Bay of Pigs! was a sold-out bonanza that broke attendance records and blew the collective minds of the assembled. This year’s cabaret promises to be no different.

For the Love of Pig Iron: Pig Feat! will be held at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch Street, on Friday, January 12th, 2006. Doors open at 7:00pm, show starts at 8:00pm. Tickets are a measly $20 in advance, $25 at the door. To purchase tickets or for additional information, please call 215-627-1883 or visit www.pigiron.org. 18 and over; children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
###

Poor Zhen Xing Jiang. She is a victim of the imigration mess this country find itself in. And by most accounts, she has been so victimized that she lost her babies over the stress and mistreatment.

The immigration issue is a heated debate. And politicians seem to be hopping on it to further their own personal agendas, as opposed to actually fixing a broken system. Just see the stunt pulled by Rick Santorum last night - after his other Philly area stops to fill the political war chest, he did a publicity stop at Geno's to "support Joey".

Yeah right. Next he'll be calling me up and saying "hey HAE, I really like your blogging efforts. How about I offer you a job as a lobbyist?"

I think Joey has the right to his opinion, but I also think poor Mr. and Mrs. Jiang should be allowed to stay in this country in peace. They left their country to escape oppression and fear - they probably didn't have much choice on how they got here. They have proved to be viable, contributing members of their community. If they get deported, the USA might as well have executed them because if they are shipped back to China they will be at even more risk than they are for having lived here illegally.

How about DC steps in and offers them amnesty to Mr. and Mrs. Jiang like they talk about in the realms of all this "immigration reform"?

Read the Inquirer article:

Tomorrow night at the PA Convention Center will be a public forum on the casino designs put together by the Daily News [now under new ownership] and Penn Praxis. The Daily News wrote about it two weeks ago here describing the event as:

...a chance to see, up close, the design visions for all five casino developers vying for a license. The developers also will address how well the designs will be integrated into our landscape and contribute to the city's beauty.

A panel of design experts will offer reactions, and you'll have a chance to ask questions about the designs.

At the same time, the event will give the gaming companies a unique chance to hear early and constructive reaction from important members of the design community - not to mention the public.

I'll be heading over for the event which starts at 6.30p. I really don't know much about the plans, but I am familiar with the resistance. As it stands right now, with my limited knowledge of everything, I stand with the resistance to keep the casinos out. I hope to learn much tomorrow night. I may bring my laptop along to take notes [unlikely], but I should definitely be bringing along my camera gear.

More info on the casinos via Philly IMC and Hallwatch.

May 24, 6:30p - 9 p — Pennsylvania Convention Center. The event is free, but space is limited. I have no idea if the seats are filled up yet. Email here to see if you can still get a seat.

Rehabilitating Philadelphia's "fourth corner" - It looks like the long-overdue face-lift for Franklin Square (tragically nestled next to the highway entrance and police headquarters), NE of four symmetric parks in Center City, is about to get rolling. Plans call for repairing and renovating the central circular fountain, installed in the 1830s and nonfunctional for decades. New walkways, lighting and plantings will be installed, along with a [A Smoke-filled Room]