The Jerky Boys

It seems that fighting games can reach saturation point, and when you've been going as long as Mortal Kombat has, you fast realise that you have left some of your characters behind in favour of new ones. And fans end up thinking, "I wonder what happened to Stryker?" and "Do you remember Sheeva? She was a good character, wasn't she?". Seems someone from Midway had a similar thought, but probably more along the lines of, "Hey! let's do another game like Trilogy, and get every character we've ever made together in one game! The fans will go nuts for it!"

So, cue a very thinly veiled story that claims that the realms are on the brink of destruction, because of the restless souls that are endlessly fighting in Mortal Kombat. All have been tempted to a huge pyramid, where the promise of godlike power lays in wait.

For a number of years I have been reading the obituaries more regularly as part of my review of the morning newspaper. I couldn't explain why I was initially drawn to reading the obits, because I then viewed myself as being in the prime of life, and didn't really want to read about people who had died. However, over time, the obituaries became to me not so much death notices as capsule summaries of people's lives, giving a small window through which to view their lives.This week, I read an obituary for a man named Donald Dollarhide who lived and died in my old hometown. Donald had been a classmate of mine throughout junior and senior high school, and although we had not been close friends, he was a person that one couldn't easily forget. Throughout his life, Donald had suffered from a disease - muscular dystrophy, I believe - that affected his ability to move, so that walking for him was a jerky, laborious task.

The turkey has been eaten and Christmas will soon be here, and it is time to make those plans for sending packages to loved ones serving their country overseas.

Sending packages to the those serving overseas in the military can be an ordeal, but proper planning and organization can help aid in making sure the gifts arrive on time.

White County Post Office window clerk Terry Speck said because many parcels sent to the military are stacked and housed in an outward post until the load is large enough to fill a truck, it is wise not to send perishable or breakable items. Regulations prohibit sending pork and pork products. Do not send beef jerky, fruit, animals, living plants and alcoholic beverages.

According to Speck, 70 pounds is the maximum parcel allowed, and it cannot exceed 108 inches - length plus circumference.