text:
Immortality Gene in Embryonic Stem Cells Is Identified
Quick Links
Embryonic stem (ES) cells have the ability to divide ad infinitum. In today's Cell, two independent research groups report that a key to this "eternal youth" is the protein Nanog, which appears essential not only for cellular self-renewal, but also for maintenance of pluripotency, or the ability of ES cells to generate any specialized cell type.
Because of the source of the material, research on human embryonic stem cells has proven controversial globally, and more difficult in the U.S. since federal restrictions on studying new cell lines were introduced. One way around such obstacles is to generate pluripotent cell lines from nonembryonic stem cells or partially differentiated cells. Knowing what factors are essential for immortality and pluripotency is the first step toward this goal.
Previously, it had been shown that the protein leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) can bestow immortality on certain mouse ES cells (and LIF also plays a key role in adult neurogenesis-see ARF related news story); however, this protein is not required for self-renewal of human ES cells, indicating that other, heretofore uncharacterized factors are involved. It was in search of these other factors that both groups discovered Nanog.
Shinya Yamanaka and colleagues at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Japan, began their search by comparing RNA expression profiles of ES cells and somatic tissue. First author Kaoru Mitsui and colleagues identified nine ES cell-associated transcripts (ecats), which had not yet been characterized. The authors found that, when expressed in ES cells, one of these-ecat4-could maintain division of the cells even in the absence of LIF.
Mitsui and colleagues used genetic recombination to ablate ecat4. This slowed ES cell growth and altered morphology such that the cells took on characteristics of endodermal cells. When the authors made transgenic mice containing only one copy of ecat4, the animals appeared normal, but when they tried to cross these mice they found that homozygous null animals had severe developmental problems and died in utero. The authors, in consultation with the second research group, christened ecat4 Nanog, after the Celtic land of eternal youth, Tir na nÓg.
It was in Celtic Scotland at the University of Edinburgh where Ian Chambers and colleagues screened for self-renewal factors by transfecting LIF-null ES cells with cDNA libraries. Like Mitsui and colleagues, Chambers found that expression of Nanog kept these cells undifferentiated and dividing.
As revealed by both groups, Nanog is a homeodomain protein that is expressed exclusively in pluripotent cells and is absent from differentiated tissues. Nanog has a putative human ortholog which, Chambers and colleagues show, can also drive self-renewal in mouse ES cells, though admittedly not as effectively as the mouse gene.
Chambers and colleagues also explored in depth the relation between Nanog and the LIF pathway. The latter is known to be activated when LIF/LIF receptor binds to another cell surface protein gp130. The formation of this heterodimer leads to activation of the tyrosine kinase Jak, and the Src homology protein Stat3. The authors show that an inhibitor of the Jak/Stat3 pathway, D6665, leads to differentiation of LIF-treated ES cells, while those overexpressing Nanog remained undifferentiated. In addition, while downstream genes like SOCS3 are induced by LIF, Chambers and colleagues found that Nanog levels do not change in response to LIF.
Overall, the results from both groups suggest that Nanog and LIF act independently, but in concert, to keep ES cells perpetually undifferentiated. While Nanog is expressed normally in ES cells, levels are insufficient to drive self-renewal in the absence of LIF. Nevertheless, as suggested by Chambers and colleagues, "The regulation and interactions of Nanog and the nature of its target genes now emerge as central issues in pluripotent stem cell biology."—Tom Fagan
Two papers published in the June issue of Cell describe the identification and characterization of a new transcription factor specifically expressed in embryonic stem (ES) cells.
ES cells are derived in vitro from the inner cell mass (ICM) of the early embryo at the blastocyst stage. ES cells have been first obtained from the mouse embryo in the early 80's (Evans and Kaufman, 1981; Martin, 1981), and have been more recently isolated from human embryos (Thomson et al., 1998). These cells can be propagated indefinitely in vitro, that is, they self-renew. Most importantly, they are pluripotent; they retain the capacity to differentiate into virtually any cell type under appropriate conditions. These exceptional properties make ES cells very powerful tools for basic research. They are studied to gain precious information about various biological processes such as embryonic development, cell differentiation, and more specifically, molecular events involved in the maintenance of the stem cell properties. ES cells also offer tremendous potential for the development of cell therapy strategies that could allow us to treat many human diseases.
Major molecular characteristics of mouse ES cells are 1) they express Oct 3/4, a POU domain transcription factor whose expression is downregulated upon ES cell differentiation, and 2) they require cytokines of the LIF (Leukemia Inhibitory Factor) family for the maintenance of their properties, through stimulation of the LIF-R/gp130 receptor complex and activation of STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription)-3 (see Burdon et al., 2002 for a recent review). Although Oct 3/4 is of critical importance for the maintenance of the mouse ES cell phenotype, it is not sufficient: ES cells constitutively expressing Oct 3/4 from an exogenous promoter still differentiate and require LIF for their propagation in vitro (Niwa et al., 2000). Thus, LIF was the only known factor able to sustain the in vitro maintenance of mouse ES cells, although evidence has suggested that the LIF-R/gp130 pathway is not fundamental for self-renewal and pluripotency in vivo in knockout mice (Li et al., 1995; Stewart et al., 1992; Ware et al. 1995; Yoshida et al. 1996).
Now, Mitsui et al. (2003) and Chambers et al. (2003) describe the identification and characterization of a new transcription factor, named Nanog after the Celtic legend "Tir na nÓg" or "land of the ever young," which is able to overcome the ES cell requirement for LIF (see also Cavaleri and Scholer, 2003). These two groups utilized very different means to identify Nanog. Mitsui et al. (2003) analyzed the UniGen database, which allows the performing of a differential display digitally, i.e., a way of finding genes specifically expressed in ES cells by comparing their genomic signatures with those of other somatic tissues or cells. Although this type of method has proven to be successful in identifying new genes in cancer (Scheurle et al., 2000; De Young et al., 2002), it is important to set the analysis with the right entries to avoid as many false positives as possible. Unfortunately, there is no information on the way Mitsui et al. performed their analysis (unlike another paper from the same group using the same approach Tokuzawa et al., 2003); that makes it hard to reproduce. They report a list of 20 genes differentially expressed in ES cells, including Oct 3/4 and others already identified as ES cell-specific markers. After confirming the ES cell-specific expression of nine previously uncharacterized genes, the authors experimentally overexpressed them individually in ES cells, and screened for undifferentiated colonies that could develop in the absence of LIF. Among the nine genes, only overexpression of Nanog was able to prevent the differentiation of ES cell colonies grown without LIF.
In contrast, the analysis by Chambers et al. (2003) was truly experimental. They first generated a clone of ES cells devoid of the LIF-R gene, i.e., unable to maintain the ES cell phenotype even in the presence of LIF. They then transfected these modified ES cells with a cDNA library obtained from self-renewing and undifferentiated ES cells, and screened for colonies that were able to maintain the ES cell phenotype in the absence of LIF. In this way, they found two sets of colonies with morphological characteristics of undifferentiated ES cells, which were both transfected by two versions of the same cDNA, Nanog.
Nanog is a homeodomain protein that shows little amino-acid identity (up to 50 percent) with other homeodomain proteins. Interestingly, mouse Nanog harbors a very particular motif: Tryptophan residues are repeated every fifth position for a total of 10 times. The function of this motif is unknown.
Mitsui et al. showed that targeted disruption of Nanog in normal ES cells induces their differentiation into extra-embryonic endoderm, but interestingly, these cells continue to proliferate. The authors were also able to generate Nanog knockout animals, and showed that Nanog is necessary for normal mouse embryonic development, and that no ES cells could be derived from knockout embryos.
Chambers et al. first analyzed the expression of Nanog mRNA during mouse embryonic development. Nanog is expressed in a temporal wave, being first detected in the compact morula (an early embryonic stage in which the blastomeres compact) and is downregulated at the time of implantation. Furthermore, Nanog expression is restricted to the ICM and later in the epiblast; i.e., the cells from which ES cells can be derived. The authors then performed a thorough in-vitro analysis, trying to build up a hierarchical model of interactions among Nanog, LIF/Stat-3, and Oct 3/4 in ES cells. They report that LIF/Stat-3 pathway does not induce Nanog expression, nor does Nanog influence the level of Stat-3 phosphorylation. However, while Nanog-overexpressing ES cells overcome LIF requirement for their phenotype maintenance, they grow slower than normal ES cells in the presence of LIF. Moreover, addition of LIF to Nanog-overexpressing ES cells leads to the generation of even more undifferentiated ES cell colonies, showing that LIF and Nanog have additional effects. These results suggest that, while there is no direct interaction between Stat-3 and Nanog, LIF/Stat-3 and Nanog pathways are somehow interrelated and might converge at a specific subset of genes. Chambers et al. also point out that Nanog overexpression is not able to overcome the loss of Oct 3/4, showing that Nanog, like LIF, requires the normal expression of Oct 3/4 to exert its effects on ES cells. Finally, the authors utilized a very elegant system allowing removal of extra copies of Nanog in transfected ES cells. They showed that the phenotype of Nanog-overexpressing ES cells can be fully reverted to normal, LIF-dependent, ES cells that do not appear affected by the period of clonal expansion driven by Nanog overexpression. They also showed that such reverted ES cells can be used to generate transgenic animals.
The discovery of Nanog is important for ES cell research. Nanog overexpression is sufficient to maintain ES cell phenotypes, given that they express normal levels of Oct 3/4. Thus, the identification of Nanog target genes is a new avenue for ES cell biology which will certainly bring new fundamental clues about what controls the ES cell phenotype. It will also be of particular interest to find out what factors govern the very specific spatial and temporal expression pattern of Nanog in the developing embryo.
Could Nanog be used in ES cell-based technology? One application of Nanog's discovery could be to grow mouse ES cell colonies in laboratories interested in making transgenic and/or knockout animals. Indeed, having ES cell lines overexpressing Nanog with an excision capability system as described in Chambers et al. would prevent the use of purified LIF protein (patented and manufactured only by Chemicon International), or the growth of ES cells as co-cultures with embryonic fibroblasts.
One question that is not assessed yet is what would be the result of using directly Nanog overexpressing ES cells (not reverted) in transgenic/knockout technology. Would Nanog still be downregulated at the time of implantation? If not, since Nanog overexpression in vitro maintains the ES cell phenotype, it would suggest that such an experiment would probably lead to malformed embryos composed of proliferating and undifferentiated cells resembling teratomas. Indeed, Nanog is associated with pluripotency rather than proliferation, so Nanog overexpression could perturb the normal cell type specification that occurs in the embryo.
One major drawback of ES cells currently being used is that they first need to be efficiently differentiated into the specific cell type of interest before the are transplanted; otherwise they will form teratomas. Could it be that deletion of Nanog in transplanted ES cells would prevent tumor formation while retaining the cells' ability to differentiate into the appropriate cell type? While considering this question of a therapeutic use of stem cells in humans, it might be more feasible to use adult stem cells derived from the patients themselves. However, adult stem cells are somewhat differentiated; they can give rise to different cell types of one particular lineage. Could Nanog overexpression (or reexpression) convert these adult stem cells into stem cells with broader differentiative capabilities, so that a minor surgical procedure could be used to isolate one type of adult stem cell that could be reverted to pluripotency and give rise to any cell type for transplantation? The future will teach us.
Burdon T, Smith A, Savatier P. Signalling, cell cycle and pluripotency in embryonic stem cells. Trends Cell Biol. 2002 Sep;12(9):432-8. PubMed.
Cavaleri F, Schöler HR. Nanog: a new recruit to the embryonic stem cell orchestra. Cell. 2003 May 30;113(5):551-2. PubMed.
Chambers I, Colby D, Robertson M, Nichols J, Lee S, Tweedie S, Smith A. Functional expression cloning of Nanog, a pluripotency sustaining factor in embryonic stem cells. Cell. 2003 May 30;113(5):643-55. PubMed.
De Young MP, Damania H, Scheurle D, Zylberberg C, Narayanan R. Bioinformatics-based discovery of a novel factor with apparent specificity to colon cancer. In Vivo. 2002 Jul-Aug;16(4):239-48. PubMed.
Evans MJ, Kaufman MH. Establishment in culture of pluripotential cells from mouse embryos. Nature. 1981 Jul 9;292(5819):154-6. PubMed.
Li M, Sendtner M, Smith A. Essential function of LIF receptor in motor neurons. Nature. 1995 Dec 14;378(6558):724-7. PubMed.
Martin GR. Isolation of a pluripotent cell line from early mouse embryos cultured in medium conditioned by teratocarcinoma stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Dec;78(12):7634-8. PubMed.
Mitsui K, Tokuzawa Y, Itoh H, Segawa K, Murakami M, Takahashi K, Maruyama M, Maeda M, Yamanaka S. The homeoprotein Nanog is required for maintenance of pluripotency in mouse epiblast and ES cells. Cell. 2003 May 30;113(5):631-42. PubMed.
Niwa H, Miyazaki J, Smith AG. Quantitative expression of Oct-3/4 defines differentiation, dedifferentiation or self-renewal of ES cells. Nat Genet. 2000 Apr;24(4):372-6. PubMed.
Reubinoff BE, Pera MF, Fong CY, Trounson A, Bongso A. Embryonic stem cell lines from human blastocysts: somatic differentiation in vitro. Nat Biotechnol. 2000 Apr;18(4):399-404. PubMed.
Scheurle D, DeYoung MP, Binninger DM, Page H, Jahanzeb M, Narayanan R. Cancer gene discovery using digital differential display. Cancer Res. 2000 Aug 1;60(15):4037-43. PubMed.
Stewart CL, Kaspar P, Brunet LJ, Bhatt H, Gadi I, Köntgen F, Abbondanzo SJ. Blastocyst implantation depends on maternal expression of leukaemia inhibitory factor. Nature. 1992 Sep 3;359(6390):76-9. PubMed.
Thomson JA, Itskovitz-Eldor J, Shapiro SS, Waknitz MA, Swiergiel JJ, Marshall VS, Jones JM. Embryonic stem cell lines derived from human blastocysts. Science. 1998 Nov 6;282(5391):1145-7. PubMed.
Tokuzawa Y, Kaiho E, Maruyama M, Takahashi K, Mitsui K, Maeda M, Niwa H, Yamanaka S. Fbx15 is a novel target of Oct3/4 but is dispensable for embryonic stem cell self-renewal and mouse development. Mol Cell Biol. 2003 Apr;23(8):2699-708. PubMed.
Ware CB, Horowitz MC, Renshaw BR, Hunt JS, Liggitt D, Koblar SA, Gliniak BC, McKenna HJ, Papayannopoulou T, Thoma B. Targeted disruption of the low-affinity leukemia inhibitory factor receptor gene causes placental, skeletal, neural and metabolic defects and results in perinatal death. Development. 1995 May;121(5):1283-99. PubMed.
Yoshida K, Taga T, Saito M, Suematsu S, Kumanogoh A, Tanaka T, Fujiwara H, Hirata M, Yamagami T, Nakahata T, Hirabayashi T, Yoneda Y, Tanaka K, Wang WZ, Mori C, Shiota K, Yoshida N, Kishimoto T. Targeted disruption of gp130, a common signal transducer for the interleukin 6 family of cytokines, leads to myocardial and hematological disorders. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 Jan 9;93(1):407-11. PubMed.
Make a Comment
News Citations
Further Reading
- Smells Like Neuronal Proliferation!
- Small Molecules Turn Stem Cells into Neurons, Targeting GSK3β
- Adult Neurogenesis in the "Black Substance"
- Adult Stem Cells Target Inflammation, Replace Cells in MS Model
- Stem Cell Fusion Is for Real
- Breaking Away: Human Glial Stem Cells Generate Neurons
- Playing Sonic Hedgehog in the Hippocampus
- Cholinergic Neurons from Stem Cells—Another Step Toward a Distant Goal
Primary Papers
- Mitsui K, Tokuzawa Y, Itoh H, Segawa K, Murakami M, Takahashi K, Maruyama M, Maeda M, Yamanaka S. The homeoprotein Nanog is required for maintenance of pluripotency in mouse epiblast and ES cells. Cell. 2003 May 30;113(5):631-42. PubMed.
- Chambers I, Colby D, Robertson M, Nichols J, Lee S, Tweedie S, Smith A. Functional expression cloning of Nanog, a pluripotency sustaining factor in embryonic stem cells. Cell. 2003 May 30;113(5):643-55. PubMed.
To make an annotation you must Login or Register.


text:
In our recent Learning Futures Festival 2011: Follow the Sun presentation (click here for Adobe Connect recording), one of my colleagues, Alison Ewing, raised "healthy question" about technologies (starting at 32 minutes into the recording). One comment, tied directly to my section, included Twitter. She spoke of the potential of Twitter and other technologies to "lead me [her] down avenues which are interesting but distracting, and take me away from actually what I want to be doing, what I should be doing…." Well, Ali, that makes a lot of sense.
The hours in a day are finite, and there are competing demands. Ali finds that Twitter and other technologies can be helpful, as I wholeheartedly agree, but we concur we must be careful to avoid the drain on time. It is easy to follow a link and delve into a new direction. Also, I'm not sure how many times I have seen a question asked that has caused me to do a little searching to provide an answer, be it education, community, or work related. It is good to do, and others respond to our questions or discussions. But, there are times to turn off and focus.
Working on my master's degree a number of years ago (late 90s), the very early hours of the morning were best for uninterrupted study. With family sleeping and the telephone silent, I was assured that the only thing coming between me and the readings was the desire to nap. True, I had a computer and online communications, but the level of social media that we have today was not happening.
Now, while I still love the early morning studies, I can be sure that emails or other messages await me, and there is someone online with whom to connect. An outstanding question may await an answer or comment. Of course, this continues throughout the day and distractions are magnified when others are up, the telephone rings, and family asks for attention because I am working and studying from home. Some seem to do well with constant switching between activities, but that is not me.
I often crave more time to read, and I know I must make concerted efforts to have uninterrupted hours. Perhaps this means letting a call or two go to voice mail or posting a sign indicating I am busy. I have removed the data from my mobile telephone, so I no longer see constant emails.
Getting away from email, sometimes for hours, I have discovered something. There is never a message needing a response that could not wait. If something is really urgent, I have my telephone with call display. If I am away from my home office for any length of time, I likely have my computer and mobile Internet for when I do need/want to 'check in.' My (slightly) adult son says I shouldn't spend so much time at home if I want to reduce his calls for attention, so more mobile I will be if it will allow more focus!
If you are studying, what do you do to manage your reading or time for other assignments? Are you finding enough hours to do the amount of reading you plan?
A.E. (Tony) Ratcliffe
PhD Research Student, BDRA

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Beginner Lessons get you playing right away – not just hours and hours of hitting buckets of balls – it's all about having fun. Getting out on the course, getting comfortable with your equipment, and building your skills as you go along makes learning the game fun.
Our Intermediate and Advanced Lessons focus on developing parts of your game most in need of improvement. Whether on the range, on the course, or both, building the skills to improve your game will make playing golf that much more fun.
Our Group Lessons are taught in unique learning environments by gender and age, while our Clinics allow you to focus on improving a specific area, or to get a quick refresher in Pitching, Sand, Full Swing, Putting, or Chipping.


text:
The bourgeoisie, wherever it has got the upper hand, has put an end to all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound man to his 'natural superiors. . . . The bourgeoisie has stripped of its halo every occupation hitherto looked up to with reverent awe. . . . The bourgeoisie has torn away from the family its sentimental veil. . . . All fixed, fast-frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned. . . . --Karl Marx, "The Communist Manifesto"
In the age of depletion and contraction there will be a revolution in expectations. The obvious candidates are our expectations for comfort and convenience, our entitled view that we in the industrialized world should never be too hot or too cold, that we can eat whatever we want whenever we want, travel on a whim, be entertained at all times and, when things go wrong, be taken care of by a government that we don't have much interest in funding.
But this post-peak oil revolution will not begin with any of our mainstream political parties, nor even according to familiar political values. With only minor differences about how the spoils of the oil age might be dispersed, cutting across political lines is the master-belief that if we have the right to anything we can afford. Whether liberal or conservative, progressive or reactionary, nearly all inhabitants of North Atlantic democracies lavish themselves with as much of the looted splendor of the age of cheap energy as they can seize. There is so little room outside of this hegemony of entitlement that this marginal space, until now perhaps, has been reserved only for an impractical fringe unaware of the democratic needs of a mass-society in the industrialized world.
Progressives have in fact been the advanced guard in this campaign for general and indiscriminant opulence. Whether the endorsement of rural electrification, the promotion of the Model-T, the fight for the 40 hr. work week and workers' compensation, the production of cheap household conveniences so that even the most downtrodden might dream of never needing to hang clothes on the line again, or the more recent mass liberal conversion to what Thomas Frank refers to as Market Populism, progressives have, with as good intentions as humans can have, fought to spread to the unfortunate all the privileges and comforts of modern life. An indiscriminate distribution of wealth is far better than a discriminating one. However, it is easy for us to recognize, now, that progressives were also universalizing unsustainability.
Prior to the Clinton years there was, perhaps, the semblance of a leftist or blue-collar alternative. But in a consumer culture, how can the progress of equality be measured except as access to consumption, whether in the form of possessions or experiences (travel and edification have been important to the liberal elite's program of imagining itself apart from consumerism)? But during the 90s, progressives decided in droves to join the party, becoming increasingly enamored with economic growth and the stock-marketization of everyday life.
Who can forget Clinton, himself, thumping the lectern with his characteristic thumb-point, filling our hopeful souls with the Democratic Party's new mantra, "grow the economy." I remember my election-day exuberance: if guided by a President free from anti-communist belligerence and moved by the plights of the marginalized, the advancement of a market ideology seemed not only tolerable but full of promise. We imagined the barriers that our national opulence, now put in the service of equality and justice, could destroy, the boats that the rising tide would lift. Perhaps the old focus on workers' rights and on too much regulation would, in fact, lead to a stagnating economy that would do no good for anyone. Even the British Labour Party was moving in this direction.
Something similar was at the same time occurring within leftist academic culture. There was a feeling, if not a belief, that the problems of scarcity had been solved and that the road to political equality was being paved. During the 60s, Sociology departments had been the seat of progressive thinking in the university. By 1990, English and Comparative Literature (which I was at the time studying) had become the vanguard of a new kind of radicalism, concerned with identity and representation. Using the critical tools honed by French and German post-Marxists, the task now was to deconstruct the hegemonic narratives that had been used to oppress and marginalize.
There was, in our in-your-face excoriation and rejection of the social norms that brought shame to gays, violence to women, and invisibility to the stories and language of the world's brown-skinned people--in this moment of multi-cultural awakening--a legitimate rebellion against conservative forces that had used a specific notion of unfettered freedom as tool to keep the competition for resources and capital (especially cultural capital) tilted decidedly in their own favor.
Despite the fact that we were the heirs to the basic model of Marxist critique, one could find in the "cultural studies" of the time, not only a tendency to give consumerism and "the market" a free pass, but to elevate the creative marketer almost to the level of hero of the multi-cultural left, rubbing elbows, at the very least, with "Bill Gates and his legion of tattooed-causal disciples," that Thomas Franks so nicely characterizes. Uncritical of the culture of stuff, equating markets with democracy, artsy social criticism became a matter of choosing which stuff would represent your newly fashioned identity, as Kitschy detritus was reconfigured into a statement of resistance, and popular culture icons were celebrated as democratic levelers.
It is easy to look back and scoff. It almost always is. But like Marx's bourgeoisie, the market and all the riches it brought--especially the opportunities for reflection, non-utilitarian expression, increasingly safe and sheltered quests for oneself, its model of unlimited freedom of choice—all this did, in fact, play a great role in demolishing "ancient and venerable prejudices." Post-colonial ideological hierarchies were overturned by the cool and cynical disregard for "patriarchal, idyllic relations" and any notion of a "natural superior," all of which had, in fact, been intertwined with and supported by not only our political institutions, but by the literary cannon and its hierarchical systems of valuation.
All this was done without any regard for ecology. Indeed the very notion of "nature" or "the natural" was shown to be a construct, used to idolize but disempower, to scorn and exclude. In the vast urban electric simulacrum, such confusions were unlikely. Limits, for their part, were artificial--manufactured for the purpose of dominating or colonizing "the other."
For better and for worse, the age of limitless choice and fluid identity, of ironic post-consumerist hoarding, of reconstructing language and reality to suit our inner needs as we elevated ourselves to God-like creator—this age is winding down. As with Sue Lowden's bartered chickens we are on the cusp of a broad revaluation of values, as well as ethics, morality, and familiar political categories and the language and stories that have supported them.
Consider in this light the chart, below, which Pat Murphy presents in his indispensable book, Plan C. Here we can see in sharp detail the reversal that is underway. The content of the chart is the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Virtues, compared according to tradition and religion versus modern advertising and thus the market-based culture I have been describing.
Armed with the tools of the multi-cultural left, it is easy to show how each of the values as represented in modern advertising had worked to liberate someone, and how the traditional wisdom had been previously employed as a tool of oppression. Take, for instance, chastity. Chastity, as a virtue, has a rich history of working to limit the sexual freedom of women. Failure, here, still means death by stoning in places around the world ungraced by the progressive critique of patriarchy. Likewise, it is hard to imagine something easier to harness to a system of oppression than the faith in unseen things. Belief in yourself, in your own powers of thought and the truths of your specific identity have been necessary instruments of liberation for many. Behaviors and attitudes once seen as prideful have likewise been a necessary tool in the assertion of the rights of those who have, in fact, been told that they are unworthy, that their proper role is one of subservience, that they are worthless.
From the standpoint of the cultural progressive, then, the right side of the chart represents freedom and self-expression, while the left side catalogues various tools of oppression. The traditional and religious view, with its moderating limits represents the conservative limitation of legitimate social progress that nearly all of us privileged members of the bourgeoisie enjoy.
This, of course, is not what Murphy had in mind when he presented this chart. Rather it comes as a part of his critique of mass media, especially the marketing and advertising industries and the way they have dismantled the "reverent awe" that we perhaps need to reinstitute. The traditional interpretations of the sins and virtues support a sense of ecological limits that have been torn asunder by our 100 year frenzy of consumption. Two years into the Transition Movement, my initial response to this chart was the same; it did not occur to me that I was returning to a system of valuation that, only a few years earlier, I would have seen as an obstacle to freedom and equality. The only thing that would have surprised me more would be if I had become a Republican.
Which raises an interesting point and some questions that I will wrestle with as I go foreword. The turn towards this sort of language of limits does mark a significant change of perspective for this (former?) progressive, and I imagine, for many others soon to follow. But as an ethical transition, even spiritual (did I actually use that word?) transformation, the obstacles are relatively small. Adopting an idiom of traditional wisdom, I still can imagine myself as a self-stylized radical, even as I take an undeniably conservative turn in my thinking. Not that dismantling strongly held beliefs can't be challenging, but the gratification I get from being more radical than the radicals also can't be denied.
I don't believe that Transition's primary challenge will be one of electoral politics, but politics at this level will always be a force and a factor. So the question, what sort of political term, principles, and values will accompany an ethics (and a physical necessity) of limits? We in America have very little experience with self-limitation and have largely defined our national culture in reaction to them, whether with those imposed by the British on the Colonies, or the ones we feared the Communists would force upon us if the dominoes began to fall.
The American Civil-War, provides even more illumination: the Union imposed limits on the Confederacy and the enduring resentment from Dixie plays an enormous role in American political culture today. The freedom to consume often is sold to us with a Southern or Country flair. But the only way this sort of imposition was possible in America, it seems to me, is that at the same time it was also the greatest lifting of limits to freedom; it was a battle between conflicting visions of freedom and liberty. We still have no practice in the act of rolling back individual liberties or imposing restrictions on liberty and the pursuit of property.


text:
Danny Hoch returns to a Center Theatre Group stage with his latest solo work Taking Over, which opened January 23 at 8 p.m. at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Performances continue through February 22, 2009. The production is directed by Tony Taccone, artistic director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
Taking Over is a riveting study of the effects of gentrification and how this is changing the face of many American cities. Hoch seamlessly transforms himself into the vividly diverse characters from his hometown, the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, and into the real estate agents and developers who are shepherding radical changes into the district's character and nature. Filling the stage with compelling, impeccably drawn, multicultural portraits, Hoch captures the complexities of the transition of a poorer urban community, once vibrant and colorful - albeit crime and cocaine-ridden - into a culture that is wealthier, less diverse, and the cause of higher rents and property values, and the subsequent displacement of long-term residents.
The production features scenic and costume design by Annie Smart, lighting design and projections by Alexander V. Nichols, original music by Asa Taccone and sound design by Adam Phalen.
Danny Hoch is a passionate and witty performer who can hold an audience in the palm of his hand for an hour and a half. Taking Over is a one man show that is filled with social commentary and personal questioning. His characters are vivacious and their dialogue is punchy and fresh. He even puts his own self in the mix with his characters, which serves to deepen the underlying themes.
Hoch becomes eight different people who are either native to or who have moved into his homeland, south-side Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Virtually all of Hoch's native-born Williamsburgian characters are threatened by the yuppie gentrification changes they are living through. Even though those changes include better services, better restaurants, cleaner streets, and less crime, they feel excluded as their homes are threatened with new developments, they can't afford to eat in the fancy cafes, and they don't recognize their old neighbors. It seems they would prefer their old drug-filled streets. They feel nostalgic for the old macho Brooklyn they grew up in.
First we meet Robert, thick NY street accent, the half Puerto Rican, half Polish emcee of Community Day who wends his way up onstage with a bottle of beer and a winning cackle. First he welcomes all the Puerto Ricans, Polish, Jews, Dominicans, blacks and other locals. Then he acknowledges all the "foreigners" from outside Brooklyn who are there, and quickly turns on them, telling them to "get the f*** out"- but in a shocking-charming Brooklyn sort of way which makes us feel like part of the joke.
Next up is Frank, the French condo salesman who introduces prospective owners to a new unit with all its amenities. He explains that the low-middle income housing next door serves as a buffer between them and the street. A two bedroom goes for a mere $1.7 million.
A stoop-sitting, coffee-drinking, neighborhood watching black female character who has lived in the hood for over 50 years explains that the tourists come and then they stay. She calls them "resident tourists." After finding that brunch at the French café cost her $36, she says they can "quiche my ass." She can't help herself, because the four-dollar almond croissants are sooo delicious that she goes back. But she soon realizes how she is so invisible to the yuppie patrons that she can flat out walk out of there with three croissants and no one even notices her.
The most sidesplitting character is the Dominican car service dispatcher. Hoch must be bilingual, as he seemed to nail Spanish in flavors of Dominican, Puerto Rican, Ecuadorian and Mexican with raunchy jokes for each of his drivers of different flavors. There are subtitles for all the Spanish bantering. And there is a hilarious contrast when he is answering the phone for a white customer or talking to his wife or daughter.
Another very memorable creation is the multitasking Stuart Gottbery. He is the big real estate developer who does his yoga-tai-chi exercise session while being interviewed. While doing the Cobra he's telling us he should be getting a Nobel prize for real estate, since he builds habitats. In 20 years, the city will be filled with nice people, and the ghettos will be in suburbs, where "they're supposed to be." He believes in ethnic restaurants "toned down for the American palate" because "people don't want to live in a safari, they just want to be there sometime."
When Hoch comes out onstage as himself, he explores his passion, anger and the play's message with the audience. He brings "letters" from audience members who criticize the play for not having a positive message, and for making them feel abandoned and excluded. Hoch explains his real life dilemma of realizing the good things about gentrification and at the same time, being upset at the destruction of the old ways and killing off of these old character types. It is symbolized by his attraction to women from outside of Brooklyn who move in, learn their life lessons, and then leave him behind when they leave. He can't seem to get into a relationship with another Brooklynite because there's just too much fighting and arguing from the very first. He is the first in his four-generation Brooklyn family to buy his own house, but he can't afford to stay and live in it because his performing success only comes to him on the road.
The issues in the play are real and immediate to the artist; and the audience gets to benefit from his creativity and humor in getting to the root of his angst. On opening night, an appreciative audience leapt to its feet in an enthusiastic standing ovation - reward for Danny Hoch for all his talent, discipline and hard work that made the show so entertaining.
Georja Umano is an actress/comedienne and animal advocate.
Photos by Joan Marcus except where noted
9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
Ticket Prices: $25-$65
Tickets may be purchased by calling CTG Audience Services at (213) 628-2772, in person at the Center Theatre Group box office (at the Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles), on-line at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org or at the Kirk Douglas Theatre box office two hours prior to performances. Hot Tix: $20 each may be purchased in advance or, subject to availability, on the day of performance at the box office (no checks). Groups: (213) 972-7231. Deaf community: information & charge, TDD (213) 680-4017.
Performances continue: Tues. through Fri. 8pm. Sat. 2pm and 8pm. Sun 6:30pm through Feb. 21. Sun. Matinee at 1pm Jan. 25 and Feb. 22.


text:
|Outside the Cube
Auto (1)
Computer Hardware (4)
Dating Scams (6327)
Finances (12658)
Household (25339)
Male Dating Scammers (53052)
Matchmaker (106106)
Microsoft Scammers (212213)
Other Scams (424447)
Spammer Businesses (848899)
Travel (1697801)
New related comments
Number of comments in the last 48 hours
Dating scammer Esther Ansomaa from Accra, Ghana
Dating scammer Sandra Da_Rocha from Accra/Ghana
Dating scammer Osai Williams from Ghana
2938 comments. Current rating: (357 votes). Leave comments and/ or rate it.
This one goes by the name Osai Williams of Accra Ghana, falls in love in 1-2 emails likes Instant Messaging, wants money for visa, passport, travel. Also has numerous medical situations for her and mom that needs money for, also asks for $ for foodstuff and wants gifts, cell phones, Ipods Perfumes ect....Does she sound like a scammer??
Content-type: text/html


text:
Bowling Green takes care of Central Michigan 67-57
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (AP) — Richaun Holmes scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had four blocks to lead Bowling Green to a 67-57 victory over Central Michigan on Wednesday.
Spencer Parker also had 20 points and Anthony Henderson added 13 for Bowling Green (7-9, 1-2 MAC). Holmes and Parker combined to make 14 of 19 shots from the field. Jehvon Clarke was just 3 of 12 for nine points but handed out seven assists.
Chris Fowler made 7 of 16 shots and finished with 19 points for Central Michigan (7-8, 0-3). Blake Hibbitts added 14 and freshman Braylon Rayson made his first career start for the Chippewas.
Central Michigan pulled within five points with 9:15 remaining, but Parker and Holmes scored Bowling Green's next six points for a 54-43 lead. The Chippewas only made three field goals in the final seven minutes — all 3-pointers by Fowler and Hibbitts.


text:
FREE APPRAISAL. To auction, buy or sell a Lady Gaga costume or Lady Gaga outfit, please call NateDSanders.com at (310) 440-2982 or email email@example.com.
Lady Gaga costume
We at NateDSanders.com have been fortunate enough to have sold three different Lady Gaga costumes. Each sold for just under $10,000. Lady Gaga costumes are very much in demand. See below:
Lady Gaga Worn Emilio Pucci Coat, Pucci Bodysuit & Pucci Python Leather Bag From Her Harper's Bazaar Cover…


text:
Jewish Anti - Missionaries Take on Messianic Believers
Source: Israel Today, Thursday May 23rd 2013
The ultra-Orthodox organization Yad L'Achim has long been a thorn in the side of Israel's Messianic Jewish community. Sometimes more than a thorn - Jack Teitel, the Jewish terrorist who almost killed Messianic youth Ami Ortiz, is believed to have strong ties to the group.
Now Yad L'Achim is targeting a blossoming Messianic community in the coastal city of Bat Yam. The local edition of the Hebrew daily Yediot Ahronot reported earlier this month that Yad L'Achim had received many complaints from residents upset about receiving "missionary material."
According to the article, local Messianic believers had visited homes in the area to share their faith. Yad L'Achim backers quoted in the piece also took offense at the reported recent founding of a new Messianic congregation, which they tried to paint as a "cult-ish" and "secretive" enterprise.
"We have a problem dealing with this issue, because the meetings take place in a private residential home in one of the apartment buildings so that naturally the activity there is very hidden and secretive," said one rabbi.
Oded Raban, a local Messianic Jew, refuted such nonsense, telling the paper that "there is nothing inappropriate in the [Messianic community's] activities ... [there is] no truth in the claims that we behave in an underhand manner. And if it comes across that way, the only reason is that we face such extreme antagonism, that it doesn't leave us with many options."
Raban reiterated what many other Messianic Israelis have stressed before:
"We have tens of thousands of believers in this country, and we are all citizens of this state. We are loyal to it, serve in the army, give to it, but our worldview is slightly different from other Jews', and for that reason, other Jews see us as an anomaly. We, as our Jewish brothers, believe in God and see Him as the center of everything in this world."


text:
Animal De-Liberation
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
He who understands baboons would do more toward metaphysics than Locke.
—Charles Darwin
In The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872), Charles Darwin tacitly diminishes the difference between "man" and "animals" by matter-of-factly conflating, in passages fascinating and rich in detail, close examinations of human beings and "lower animals" (by which Darwin meant not relatively primitive animals but all "non-human" animals). Writing thirteen years after On the Origin of Species and one year after The Descent of Man, he takes as the object of his inquiry "the principle of the direct action of the excited nervous system on the body, independently of the will and in part of habit." Not what might be self-described by people possessing language but rather what is displayed—"behavior."
While most of Darwin's text deals with emotions in man, in a number of chapters in The Expression of the Emotions the author takes pains to commingle species under such headings as "Serviceable Associated Habits," "The Principle of Antithesis," and "Action of the Nervous System." Darwin's implicit assumption is the likeness of man and "lower animals," not their unlikeness. As man has a "voice," so do animals have "voices": "Cats use their voices much as a means of expression, and they utter, under various emotions and desires, at least six or seven different sounds." The cat's "purr of satisfaction…is one of the most curious." A dog will make sounds resembling laughter, and "a bark of joy often follows a grin." A consideration of man in agony or pain is naturally extended to other species in kindred situations:
There is said to be "gnashing of teeth" in hell; and I have plainly heard the grinding of the molar teeth of a cow which was suffering acutely from inflammation of the bowels. The female hippopotamus in the Zoological Gardens, when she produced her young, suffered greatly; she incessantly walked about, or rolled on her sides, opening and closing her jaws, and clattering her teeth together.
And so back to man again, whose eyes "stare wildly as in horrified astonishment" and whose body is covered in perspiration: "Hence the nostrils are generally dilated and often quiver; or the breath may be held until the blood stagnates in the purple face."
Cattle, horses, dogs, cats, monkeys, birds—and man: all are subject to emotions, thus the "expression" of emotions of an involuntary, visceral nature. "With all or almost all animals, even with birds, Terror causes the body to tremble." Wrinkling the face, furrowing the forehead, mating and fighting cries, cries of fury, erection of the hair, dilation of nostrils and of pupils of the eye, muscular contortions of the body—all cross the boundaries of species. Darwin presents a good deal of firsthand observation on the infants in his household of whom there were,…
This is exclusive content for subscribers only.
Get unlimited access to The New York Review for just $1 an issue!
Continue reading this article, and thousands more from our archive, for the low introductory rate of just $1 an issue. Choose a Print, Digital, or All Access subscription.
If you are already a subscriber, please be sure you are logged in to your nybooks.com account.


text:
Ubisoft Learns Hitting Customers Over The Head And Calling Them Thieves Is Not Good Policy
from the better-late-than-never deptFor many years, Ubisoft has been the go-to company for stories about DRM gone horribly wrong. They really seemed to believe that always-on DRM actually does something to stop piracy. That was followed with story after story after story of Ubisoft doing things that harm only paying customers and generally shoot themselves in the foot. You can go back over our posts about the company to see just how badly they have handled piracy for years. It really looked like the company was never going to learn the simple fact that it is more important to maximize sales than to fight piracy. So imagine our surprise when the following story came to light.
Ubisoft began making the rounds early this week, contacting a number of video game sites including Gamasutra and Rock, Paper, Shotgun and providing interviews. The purpose of these interviews? To tell the world that Ubisoft has changed its DRM ways. Much like the end of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' in which Scrooge takes to the streets to spread peace and goodwill, Ubisoft wants the world to know that it believes that providing its customers with the best gaming experience is the most important part of its new strategy.
In the interview with Gamasutra, Ubisoft's VP of digital publishing Chris Early speaks about its past use of always-on DRM.
If you look back to early 2011 and before, we did at one point in time go with an always-on activation, for any game. We realized that while it was probably one of the strictest forms of DRM, it wasn't the most convenient for our customers. We listened to the feedback, and have removed that requirement from those games, and stopped doing that going forward.This is interesting because we had been complaining about always-online DRM since at least 2010 and other forms of Ubisoft DRM since 2006. However, the fact that they are actually listening to the feedback of consumers is a huge plus for them. This is a bold move for the company that decided that paying customers wouldn't miss playing their games at all for a few days while it moved its servers.
What we're trying to do is make [playing a game] easy for players who have legitimately bought our software, and at the same time put a registration requirement, or one-time activation requirement in, that includes some element of [software] protection.This is exactly what many customers have been asking for and many other successful companies have been giving. This idea that providing value to paying customers is a better way for success has been one that companies like Valve, Stardock and CD Projekt Red have known for years. But this lesson on DRM is not the only one that Ubisoft has learned.
The reality is, given enough time and effort, any game can be pirated, and many are. But what we're looking to do is validate the customer, then provide value to that customer for registering their software.
Ubisoft also seems to have learned some very important lessons about piracy in general. Specifically, that not all people pirating a game are doing so just to get free stuff and that not all pirated copies are a lost sale.
I don't believe that every single pirated copy is a lost sale. In some cases I'm sure it's just someone trying out a game. At some level, you can almost look at it as a demo program. So as far as many of those could've been sales? I'm not sure.This is another idea that other companies have known for a while, that piracy is the result of under-served customers. By focusing efforts on making the paid option more attractive than the free options, you can capture more sales than if you spent your time trying to stop piracy.
In general, when people talk about piracy, there are all kinds of reasons cited, whether it's because of an economic imbalance, where people can't afford to buy a game in that particular [geographical territory], or it's a challenge, or it's someone who doesn't believe in supporting publishers by giving them money. There's a whole variety of reasons. That's why we want to focus on the rewards and benefits of owning the software.
Over at RPS, They didn't go quite so easy on Ubisoft's representatives. RPS asked many times for a statement on just how bad its DRM was for paying customers and whether Ubisoft had any regrets, but all RPS ever got were whitewashed PR statements.
RPS: Do you acknowledge that always-on DRM has been extremely damaging to Ubisoft's reputation?This attitude of not wanting to admit to any mistakes while still making this sweeping change in policy has the potential to leave a lot of people with a bad taste in their mouths. While the company is no longer hitting their customers over the proverbial head, they have not yet apologized for those actions, at least not out right. A good apology could go a long way in smoothing things over with their past and future customers -- though perhaps just the act of changing and admitting to the change is a form of an apology for many.
Burk: I think that, as Stephanie said, I think this is where that feedback comes in. We've obviously heard from PC customers that they were unhappy with some of the policies that we had in place, and that's why we're looking to make these changes – why we have been implementing these changes, as Stephanie says.
RPS: Would you be willing to say that it was a mistake?
Burk: No, I wouldn't say that. I'll let Stephanie say what she thinks, but I wouldn't use those words. This is a process, and we listened to feedback.
Perotti: I would say the same.
Over all, this is a great move by one of the last hold outs in regards to video game DRM. While many other companies still require some form of DRM, none were quite so bad as Ubisoft in that regard. Hopefully, this change of heart will echo throughout the gaming industry and all developers will abandon efforts in the futile fight against piracy and instead focus on maximizing sales through added value for their customers. Ubisoft has a bright future ahead of itself on this path and I wish them all the best of luck.
Filed Under: drm, video games
Companies: ubisoft


text:
Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer to appear at UH HiloUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Director Media Relations
The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo hosts a public reading by young people's writer Sarona Aiono-Iosefa on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. in UCB 127. The event is free and open to the public.
Aiono-Iosefa, who lives and works in Christchurch, New Zealand, was selected as the 2007 Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer with the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa Center for Pacific Islands Studies as a tribute to her contributions to the literary life of Aotearoa, New Zealand. She has written extensively on Sāmoa's pre-Christian beliefs, aided in part by the University of Hawaiʻi's rare Pacific collection. The publications, considered to be among the finest in the world, have given her a rich window into Sāmoa's past. Much of Aiono-Iosefa's research is being woven into a novel for young adults, O Se Mea e Tatau: Something Right.
Aiono-Iosefa will read from her published and unpublished works on issues that young people struggle with. The readings will include excerpts from her draft of O Se Mea e Tatau: Something Right.
The reading is co-sponsored by the UH Manoa Center for Pacific Islands Studies, the UH Hilo Minority Access & Achievement Program, and Tupulaga o Samoa mo a Taeao Samoan Club.
For more information, call (808) 974-7451.


text:
These luxury designer handbags by Chasse Wells prove you don't have to break the bank to be chic! They're available in 9 bold colors in the softest high quality vegan leather with gorgeous gold toned hardware. They come with an adjustable removable shoulder strap; have a roomy beautiful interior and plenty of pockets to stay stylish all season long. It's the perfect size and style for women of all ages!
Chasse Wells Handbag (Chocolate)
- Dimensions: 15" x 11" x 5"
- 100% polyurethane
- Handle drop: 6"
- Metallic details
- 52" shoulder strap, adjustable and detachable
- 1 main zipper top closure compartment
- Fully lined
- Pockets:
- 1 back outer zipper pocket
- 2 front open inner pockets
- 1 back inner zipper pocket
- 1 zipper inner top pocket
- 1 inner open compartment
- Imported
Condition: New
Warranty: 30 Day Chasse Wells
Shipping Method: FedEx Smart Post
Most orders arrive in 10-15 business days
Included in the Box
1x Chasse Wells Handbag
Estimated Delivery Date
Monday, July 13th - Friday, July 17th. Due to a high volume of orders, delivery times are longer than usual.


text:
Remember Eve 6? Those were the days. No, I'm not talking about "Here's To the Night" playing at some high school dance. I'm talking about "Inside Out," or the under appreciated never-a-single "How Much Longer." Turns out those guys are still kicking, and the relatively new single "Curtain" ain't half bad.
Off the 2012 album Speak in Code, Curtain is the first single from the band in what feels like years, and is (in my mind) a triumphant return of (in my mind) everybody's favorite singing, bass-playing ginger. The song itself has all the right ingredients: a peppy baseline, some clever-ish lyrics, and a hooky chorus. And admittedly, the whole talking part is god-awful, but it's a catchy tune. The one-shot reverse music video is neat, if not the best example of the form, and all in all, it's nice to have a little Eve 6 again. I missed those guys. [Spotify, Amazon, iTunes]


text:
Excludes items with extra freight & shipping outside the contiguous US. Expedited shipping additional. Expires 12/2/16 at 11:59 PM EST.
Estimated ship date for this customized product will be calculated in the shopping cart. We need time to customize this product just for you, but will quickly send it on its way.
Copyright © 2016 Sports Endeavors, Inc.All Rights Reserved.


text:
|This page lists all reputations in Fallout: New Vegas.
Reputation in Fallout: New Vegas is a measurement of how the different factions in the Mojave Wasteland perceive your character. It is affected by positive and negative deeds that affect the faction in question, such as completing quests or killing members, respectively.
Reputation is separated into two categories: Fame and Infamy. Fame is positive and infamy is negative. Both types of reputation are tracked separately, the combination of which determines your reputation with any given faction. The benefits and drawbacks of any given reputation depend on the group itself. You may receive discounts with merchants, provoke attacks from hired thugs, or simply be treated differently.
Certain types of clothing or armor carry a faction affiliation (e.g. NCR armor), allowing you to impersonate a member of the faction the clothing belongs to.
While the armor is equipped, the player's reputation with certain factions is masked to "none" and hostility is set to whatever hostility (or non-hostility) exists between various factions. You become an anonymous member of that faction with no reputation history (neither fame nor infamy) even if you previously acted in that disguise and gained a reputation.
- For example, if you put on NCR armor, any accumulated reputation with the Legion and the NCR will be masked and both the Legion and NCR will disappear from the faction list, as if you had never acquired any reputation with them at all (not even Neutral), as if you had never met. However, since the Legion is normally hostile to the NCR, that hostility is not set and Legion units become hostile as if you were an NCR member. If she is in your party, Veronica Santangelo will probably immediately speak with you and warn you against continued hostility against the Brotherhood of Steel.
Scripted Fame and Infamy are still applied to your true reputation scores. The temporary mask from disguise typically reduces any penalty until the disguise is reset (by taking it off and then putting it back on).
- For example, if you are Idolized by the NCR and would normally become a Good Natured Rascal after test-firing ARCHIMEDES I and II at HELIOS One.
- If you wore NCR armor before test-firing, your NCR reputation disappears from the list, as normal.
- After test-firing, the scripted infamy gain drops your reputation to Shunned.
- When you take off the NCR armor, your true reputation is revealed as Good Natured Rascal (as if you had test-fired ARCHIMEDES without the disguise).
- If you then put on the armor again, your reputation is again masked and disappears from the list, as if you hadn't test-fired ARCHIMEDES.
Some characters in a faction (including officers, security guards, and dogs) can see through disguises and react to your true reputation.
- They may be non-hostile prior, but if they spot you they will turn hostile if they would normally be hostile to you without your armor.
- Units that couldn't see through your disguise also become hostile.
- Depending on your disguise, the reverse could happen. For example, if a Courier has a Neutral reputation with the Legion and sneaks about a Legion camp with NCR armor, common Legion soldiers who cannot see through the disguise will be hostile and show as red on the compass. However, Legion Mongrels can see through the disguise and will not be initially set to hostile because they would not normally be hostile to the un-disguised Courier.
Fame and Infamy (denoted 1 and 0 in the console) are earned by doing helpful or harmful deeds, respectively, to the faction. The combined effects of the two scales result in an overall reputation that is either positive, neutral, or negative. In the table below, these are colored green, black, and red respectively.
|Helpful Reputation ("Fame")
|Range 1
|Range 2
|Range 3
|Range 4
|Harmful Reputation
|Range 1
|Range 2
|Smiling Troublemaker[7]
|Good-Natured Rascal[8]
|Range 3
|Sneering Punk[10]
|Dark Hero[12]
|Range 4
|Merciful Thug[14]
|Soft-Hearted Devil[15]
|Wild Child[16]
- ↑ People don't know enough about you to form an opinion.
- ↑ Folks have come to accept you for your helpful nature.
- ↑ Enough news of your good works has been passed around that people like you.
- ↑ Renowned for your extensive support and goodwill, you are idolized by the community.
- ↑ You've left a poor impression on the community and may be shunned as a result.
- ↑ A little bit good mixed with a little bit bad, people haven't figured you out yet.
- ↑ People know you're good at heart even though you're occasionally a troublemaker.
- ↑ Your reputation as a good-natured friend of the community manages to outshine your dark side.
- ↑ Now that folks know you're bad, most people outright hate you.
- ↑ Even though you've done some good for the community, people still think you're a punk.
- ↑ No one's sure what to make of your unpredictable nature, but you've left a strong impression.
- ↑ Folks still think you're some kind of hero, but you sure can be nasty sometimes.
- ↑ For your overwhelmingly monstrous behavior, you have become vilified by the community.
- ↑ Despite your reputation as a thug, you are known to occasionally show a charitable side.
- ↑ Most people say you're the devil himself, but most admit you've also done a world of good.
- ↑ Your wild, seemingly capricious behavior leaves people scratching their heads in confusion and avoiding close contact.
The ranges of reputation vary by faction. The minimum reputation required for each range are:-
|Range 1
|Range 2
|Range 3
|Range 4
|Brotherhood of Steel
|Caesar's Legion
|Followers of the Apocalypse
|Great Khans
|Powder Gangers
|White Glove Society
|The Strip
With a few exceptions, Fame and Infamy will only increase, meaning any positive or negative reputation with a given faction cannot be removed, only offset by a larger Fame or Infamy value. In other words, while it's possible to move from 'Hated' to 'Sneering Punk', then 'Unpredictable', then 'Dark Hero' by doing more and more good deeds while avoiding bad ones, there is no permanent way to move from 'Hated' back to 'Neutral' or from 'Hated' to 'Idolized.' And, if you are 'Idolized' you move down the chart to 'Wild Child'. Also, once a reputation of 'Wild Child' is earned, there's no ability to change it at all.
Only three exceptions exist. The NCR and Caesar's Legion, two of the game's primary factions, will grant a one-time offer of amnesty for past misdeeds, resetting Infamy to zero while leaving Fame at its current level. Once this offer is given, any Infamy gained after that point is permanent. James Garret can be paid to start rumors in Freeside that affect your reputation with the town. There is a limit to how much this can be done.
Using faction armor, it is possible to gain a higher reputation than would be possible. Equip the armor of the faction you are trying to work with to reset your reputation to neutral. Then complete quests and earn fame which will increase from neutral and go up, but only so long as you wear that faction's armor.
For specific low-level range values for various factions, see the Talk Page.
Faction reputation
Each faction has a disguise which alters your reputation among other factions.
With the exception of the White Glove Society, Great Khans and Powder Gangers in Vault 19, all factions will attack you with a negative reputation. Additionally, Powder Gangers outside of the NCR Correctional Facility and the Powder Ganger camp south would originally attack you even with a neutral reputation if you got too close to one, but this has been corrected in the latest patch to the game.
Factions provide the following benefits/consequences with adequate reputation:
|Follower of the Apocalypse
|Julie Farkas will give you the Followers lab coat and a key to the Followers Safehouse, providing you have completed High Times and donated enough chems to fill one supply need.
|Arcade Gannon can become your companion
|Arcade Gannon will refuse to be your companion
|Brotherhood of Steel
|The Brotherhood of Steel will give you a key to the Brotherhood of Steel safehouse.
|They will replenish an ammunition crate next to Ramos' room with random energy weapons ammunition every three days if you have a positive reputation. This coincides with the completion of Still in the Dark (for either side).
|Veronica will refuse to be your companion.
|Required to receive the Howitzer firing mechanism without stealing it in I Hear You Knocking.
|Allows progress in the quest Volare!
|Caesar's Legion
|Lucius will give you a key to the Caesar's Legion Safehouse.
|Lucius will teach you the special Legion Assault Unarmed move with an Unarmed skill of 50 or higher.
|Neutral or Positive
|The Legion will also provide various items within boxes outside of Cottonwood Cove; for more information, see the quests Caesar's Hire and Caesar's Favor.
|Required to complete the quest I Put a Spell on You in favor of the Legion.
|Required to help Silus escape from Camp McCarran.
|Boone and Arcade Gannon will refuse to be your companion.
|Legionary assassins will be sent after you throughout the wasteland.
|Great Khans
|Required to complete Diane's tasks in Aba Daba Honeymoon, unless you are wearing Khan faction armor when you speak to her.
|Required to be named Papa Khan's heir after completion of We Are Legion.
|New California Republic
|Allows you access to Silus during Silus Treatment.
|James Hsu will give you a key to the NCR Ranger safehouse.
|Allows you to ride the monorail without the NCR becoming hostile if you do not wear NCR faction armor.
|Allows you to convince each camp in No, Not Much to send reinforcements to Bitter Springs without completing their quests.
|Allows you to convince the mercenaries in Unfriendly Persuasion to leave without fighting if you do not pay them off or have high Speech.
|An NCR Ranger will give you the NCR emergency radio.
|Allows access into HELIOS One without high Speech, Science or Sneak.
|Required along with a Speech of 50 to trade with Bardon in Hoover Dam if you do not follow the NCR main quest line up to Colonel Moore.
|NCR hit squads will warn you to change your reputation with NCR within 3 days or they will come after you, trying to kill you.
|The quests Don't Poke at the Bear! and Don't Tread on the Bear! will become available.
|Cass and Boone will refuse to be your companion.
|Powder Gangers
|Eddie will give the player one stick of dynamite, four pistol powders and four rifle powders every three days.
|Powder gang merchants will sell to you with 1-to-1 exchange rate.
In addition, one's reputation with the major factions affects the kind of Courier duster that is received at the end of Lonesome Road.
Quest scripts themselves rarely grant infamy towards factions, but there are a few which do:
- Failing Beware the Wrath of Caesar! gains infamy with the Legion and turns them hostile (even if your overall reputation is neutral (Wild Child). Reporting to Colonel Moore or Mr. House that the Omertas have been dealt with in For the Republic, Part 2 or in The House Always Wins, respectively, or by completing both Wild Card: Change in Management and Wild Card: Side Bets, will cause the quest to fail, as will killing enough Legion troops (though this is a moot point since they will be hostile anyway).
- Failing Don't Tread on the Bear! will gain NCR infamy, the amount and exact consequences depending on how it is failed. Reporting to Caesar that the White Gloves will or will not ally with him in Render Unto Caesar will cause infamy with the NCR and turn them hostile (even if your overall reputation is neutral (Wild Child)). Working with Yes Man or House will fail the quest, but the Infamy gain will be trivial and the NCR will remain friendly. However, all active NCR quests will be immediately failed, and it will be impossible to accept further quests from them.
- Completing Back in Your Own Backyard in any way will result in Legion infamy, although this infamy is not enough to lower your reputation by one level on its own.
- After completing How Little We Know by siding with Cachino and speaking to Caesar, you will be warned that further crimes against the Legion warrant death. Completing Restoring Hope, Oh My Papa by breaking up the Legion alliance, or I Put a Spell on You by siding with the NCR and speaking to Caesar after this warning OR speaking to Caesar again after failing to confess all crimes will result in Legion infamy and the Legion permanently going hostile. Note that certain scripts, such as Caesar's dialogue on House's death, will override his 'warning' dialogues.
- Activating the self-destruct sequence in Hidden Valley gives you 100 infamy points with the Brotherhood.
- Activating Archimedes I and use it against the NCR troopers in That Lucky Old Sun quest will result in a large amount of NCR infamy.
- Completing Ghost Town Gunfight will always grant enough Powder Ganger infamy to lower your reputation by one level. Killing any Powder Gangers during the quest will further increase your infamy.
- Completing Beyond the Beef by snitching on the White Glove Society to Heck Gunderson results in White Glove infamy.
- Telling Marjorie that you "eat people, too" will result in the White Glove Society infamy.
- Completing Cass's side quest Heartache by the Number by killing Alice McLafferty at the Crimson Caravan Camp site will drastically raise Infamy with the NCR (killing Gloria Van Graff of the Silver Rush weapons shop is required for completing the quest, but will not affect your reputation with the NCR. It will, however, cause Van Graff guards to act hostile towards you).
Towns reputation
A town's reputation determines your treatment by the townsfolk. Unlike factions, you cannot alter a town's reputation with faction armor. Towns will never be permanently hostile to the player; leaving the town for three days and returning should remove any hostility. (Note: Script for Primm reputation exists within the game, but is not used. A mod exists for PC users to activate Primm reputation.)
A positive reputation may yield positive dialogue, discounts from vendors, and even free gifts from wandering citizens. A negative reputation may result in negative attitudes by the citizens and higher prices when trading.
Specific consequences of reputation within towns include:
|Trudy will give you a discount at her saloon.
|Mixed (both positive and negative)
|Chet will give you a discount at his shop.
|A random King will regularly approach you and give you ammunition, aid or caps.
|Mixed (both positive and negative)
|A local will approach you and give you discounts at Mick and Ralph's.
|Freeside thugs won't attack you. James Garret and Francine Garret will refuse to barter with the player.
|Jeannie May Crawford (or Cliff Briscoe if Jeannie is dead) will give you the key to a motel room at the Dino Dee-lite motel.
|The Strip
|Marjorie will induct you as an honorary member of the White Glove Society during the quest Beyond the Beef.
|Mister Holdout will not sell weapons to you.
|Mister Holdout will sell weapons to you at an inflated price.
|Mister Holdout will sell weapons to you at a discount price.
Scripted instances of town infamy include:
- Lying to Lindsay about Mr. Cuddles results in Boomers infamy, regardless of whether you pass the Speech check.
- Walking off during Pete's story in the Nellis Boomer Museum or condescendingly responding to his answers to your questions will result in Boomers infamy.
- Completing Run Goodsprings Run will always lower your Goodsprings Reputation by one level; killing townsfolk yourself results in further infamy.
- Completing Ghost Town Gunfight will always lower your Powder Gangers Reputation by one level; killing powder gangers yourself results in further infamy.
- Completing Beyond the Beef in a way which results in Heck Gunderson blockading food to the Strip will result in Strip infamy. Generally, this infamy would be garnered by tattling on the White Gloves and failing to pass the following Speech check.
- Completing How Little We Know by siding with Big Sal will lower your Strip reputation by one level.
- Even if the player reputation is neutral, if the player has sided with the NCR, then Caesar's Legion will be hostile and send hit men after the player, and vice versa.
- If Boone or Arcade Gannon refuses to join the player as a companion due to positive reputation with Caesar's Legion, using the NCR armor as a disguise will change that reputation to neutral. This will open a new dialogue option that allows the player to recruit Boone or Arcade with a promise not to aid the Legion again.
- Killing members of any faction from a [HIDDEN] state will not cause the player to gain infamy, though only if the weapon is silent and a one hit kill is achieved. However, the only way to kill a member of the Brotherhood of Steel without gaining infamy or negative Karma is to use the Mister Sandman perk while hidden, as the Brotherhood will always notice if you kill another member even when a silenced weapon is used while [HIDDEN] and is a one hit kill. Another way to kill the Brotherhood of Steel and avoid infamy (though Karma is lost, but can later be recovered) is to successfully reverse-pickpocket C-4 onto all the members and detonate while hidden. You will not gain infamy but the BoS will be hostile. You can avoid hostility from any surviving members by switching to faction armor. This will additionally allow you to remain in good graces with Veronica as a companion.
- Wearing faction armor can be used to kill members of an opposing faction without gaining infamy with that faction. For example, if the player wears Legion armor and kills an NCR soldier, infamy will be gained, but will be reset to your prior reputation upon the removal of the disguise.
- If you fast-travel away from a location where/when you're normally expected to receive scripted fame or infamy before the notification pops up (e.g. fast-traveling away from HELIOS One after activating ARCHIMEDES I before the notification of NCR infamy has time to pop up), you won't receive the boost/penalty until the next time you travel to that location.
- Testacles the Debug Centurion which is a "cut" content NPC that can alter the players reputation. He can only be spawned via console commands or mods. He can not be found otherwise.


text:
Find the word or phrase
Full text search on articles in this channel containing specific keywords
Afghanistan Algeria Argentina Australia Austria Bangladesh Belgium Bhutan Bulgaria Canada Chile China Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kenya Latvia Lebanon Libya Lithuania Malaysia Mauritius Mexico Morocco Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Norway Pakistan Palestinian Territory Papua New Guinea Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Russia Rwanda Saudi Arabia Singapore Somalia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sweden Switzerland Syria Tanzania Thailand Tunisia Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Venezuela Vietnam Yemen
- Filteby:
- Country: Kenya
News 1 - 3 of 3 in total
United States: Renewable energy sees record $257 billion investment in 2011, solar drives much spendingPublished at Jun 11, 2012
source: The Washington Post
Global investments in the renewable energy sector have increased in the past years. As the market slowly but surely matures, it has surely also become...
United States: Investment in Africa's renewable energy hits $3.6bPublished at Dec 22, 2011
source: The Nation
Over $3.6 billion has been invested in renewable energy in Africa, including Nigeria, with Egypt and Kenya taking centre stage.
Egypt: Ethiopia plans power exports to EgyptPublished at Jun 29, 2011
Ethiopia plans to produce 20,000 Megawatts of electricity in the next ten years. This will enable the country to sell power to Sudan, Yemen, Kenya...


text: offroad clayton Archive Coil conversion kits clayton By mhadamik technologie Maj 19, 2016 In recent years, they're gaining quality cars with simple machine drive, which can be attributed to cross-country vehicles. These cars are a really fascinating various for those who occasionally wish to revel a bit in the field. Moreover, cars equipped with this kind of drive system utterly excel in everyday driving, utterly ...Read More 0 Comment Tweet


text:
The man is just unbelievable:
"I believe that FEMA plays a key role in working with states and localities to prepare for and respond to natural disasters," Romney said in the statement. "As president, I will ensure FEMA has the funding it needs to fulfill its mission, while directing maximum resources to the first responders who work tirelessly to help those in need, because states and localities are in the best position to get aid to the individuals and communities affected by natural disasters."
What a hypocritical piece of nothing this guy is. Honestly. I understand how people can want to vote against Obama, because you dislike or abhor his politics, and Romney is the only other meaningful alternative, so I understand by definition how people can vote for him.
But I can't at all understand respecting him. He's a joke. Beastie John Avlon put it well: He's "a deeply moral man who happens to be amoral when it comes to politics." Not enough people understand that a person can be moral in his private life but utterly promiscuous as a public figure. It's not so hard, maybe, if you think of the opposite: That is, there are millions of men who screw around like rabbits but who, when it comes to their careers, i.e. their public selves, they are models of probity.
So just flip it. Romney is faithful to his wife and never takes a drink and doesn't say fuck, but he has no public morals at all.


text:
The right size for many drivers.
Sport Utility Vehicles
Editor: Mitch McCullough
$34,750 Base Price MSRP
$48,175 As Tested MSRP
Model Lineup: Chevrolet Tahoe 2WD ($34,750); 4WD ($37,550)
Standard Engine: 5.3-liter ohv V8
Engine Options: 285-hp 4.8 liter ohv V8; 295-hp 5.3 liter ohv V8
Standard Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Transmission Options: 4-speed automatic
Basic Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles
Assembled In: Janesville, Wisconsin; Arlington, Texas
Model Tested MSRP: Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD ($37,550)
Standard Equipment: tri-zone manual conditioning with auxiliary rear heat; programmable power door locks; AM/FM/CD/cassette; Gen 6 OnStar; keyless entry system; cruise control; leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel; power windows; electric rear window defroster; liftgate with separate lifting window and wiper/washer; roof-mounted carrier rails; heated power mirrors; fog lamps; automatic headlamps; assist steps; underbody-mounted full-size spare tire; Autotrac 4WD transfer case; automatic transmission with Tow/Haul mode; load-leveling shock absorbers; 265/70R16-inch all-season tires and aluminum wheels
Options As Tested: LT Preferred Equipment Group 1SM ($6,770) includes leather seating surfaces, electronic climate control, nine-speaker AM/FM/CD Bose audio with rear controls and headphone jacks, XM Satellite Radio, steering-wheel mounted audio and driver-information controls, Homelink transmitter, power folding outside mirrors with turn signals and ground illumination, six-way power heated bucket seats with driver memory, power adjustable pedals, third-row seating, cargo shade, cargo net, cargo mat, center rails for luggage rack, 3.73:1 axle ratio, trailering package with transmission cooler, P265/70 white-outline tires on 17-inch aluminum wheels; Rear Seat Entertainment ($1,295); Safe and Secure Package ($1,220) includes front side-impact airbags, StabiliTrak electronic stability control, Autoride suspension; second-row bucket seats ($490)
Standard Safety Equipment: dual front air bags, four-wheel ABS with Dynamic Brake Proportioning, tire-pressure monitor, LATCH child-seat anchors
Optional Safety Equipment: front side-impact air bags, traction control, stability controlDestination Charge: $850
Tahoe can carry five passengers and their gear at the same time. Third-row seats are available to increase its capacity to seven passengers, or up to nine if you order bench seats throughout. Pulling a trailer is no problem when equipped with the optional 5.3-liter V8.
On the road, Tahoe is smooth and stable. It really is like a rock. It has plenty of power and its brakes work well.The cabin is comfortable and familiar, friendly and functional.Turn off the highway and the Tahoe handles gravel, rugged two-tracks, mud, and snow. In any kind of driving, it's a good choice for someone who needs real carrying capacity.
Audio systems with touch-screen navigation are now available. XM Satellite Radio delivers music, radio, sports, and other programming coast to coast. A rear-seat DVD entertainment system with wireless headphones keeps the kids busy.
Safety features include Hydroboost brakes, which maintain power assist even if the engine stalls or is turned off. A tire-pressure monitor comes standard and has been improved for 2005. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Dynamic Brake Proportioning come standard. StabiliTrak electronic stability control and traction control are available as options. Dual frontal air bags are standard; front side-impact air bags are optional. LATCH child safety-seat anchors are provided.
Improvements for 2005 include a quieter, higher-capacity electric cooling fan; a higher-capacity alternator; and aerodynamic enhancements that promise slightly improved fuel economy on some models. Generation 6 OnStar with better hands-free capability is now standard on all Tahoes. And the tire monitor now tells you not only that a tire is low on air, it tells you which tire.
Chevy Tahoe comes in LS and LT trim with a choice of two V8 engines with rear-wheel-drive (2WD) or four-wheel drive (4WD). A Z71 off-road package is available with 2WD or 4WD. All Tahoes come with a four-speed automatic transmission.
The standard engine is a 4.8-liter V8 called the Vortec 4800. The larger, 5.3-liter Vortec 5300 is optional on LS, standard with LT and Z71. The Vortec 5300 is rated 295 horsepower, 10 more than the Vortec 4800. More important is the difference in torque: The 4800 develops 295 pound-feet of torque vs. 330 pound-feet for the 5300, both at 4000 rpm. Torque is the force that propels you away from intersections and it is especially important for towing or hauling weighty stuff, like people.
Tahoe LS ($34,750) comes standard with a 40/20/40 split bench front seat with six-way power for the driver, a 60/40 split folding middle bench seat, fog lamps, assist steps, heated power outside mirrors, tri-zone manual climate control, OnStar, and a rear window defogger. Aluminum wheels come standard, with P265/70R16 all-season tires. Tahoe LS is available with 4WD ($37,550). The 5.3-liter V8 is optional ($800).
A Preferred Equipment Group ($1,835) adds bucket seats with upgraded cloth upholstery, a floor console, a Bose nine-speaker audio system with rear controls and headphone jacks and, on 4WD models, a 3.73:1 axle ratio (which improves acceleration and towing at the expense of fuel economy, relative to the standard 3.23:1 ratio).
The LT Group ($6,770) adds the 5.3-liter Vortec 5300 V8; 17-inch aluminum wheels; leather seating surfaces; six-way power front bucket seats with heat and memory; floor console; power adjustable pedals; a third-row, 50/50 split bench seat; tri-zone automatic climate control; the Bose sound system plus XM satellite radio: steering-wheel-mounted audio and driver-information controls; power heated outside mirrors with turn signals and ground illumination: a Homelink universal transmitter for opening your garage door; a trailer hitch platform and seven-lead wiring connector; external transmission oil cooler; various cargo-compartment accessories.
Z71 ($5,315) is a premium off-road package available this year on 2WD as well as 4WD models that also includes the 5.3-liter V8. Z71 includes an off-road suspension with gas shocks and off-road jounce bumpers; heavy-duty locking rear differential; 3.73 rear axle ratio; skid plates for the oil pan, differentials, and transfer case; high-capacity air cleaner; removable front air dam; tubular assist steps; painted front bumper; panted rear step bumper with pad; color-keyed grille and door handles; round fog lamps; roof rack with cross rails; dark gray lower rocker moldings; wheel flares; trailer package; and P265/70R17 on/off-road tires on 17-inch cast and machined aluminum wheels. Z71 also includes many of the same comfort and convenience items as the LT: the Driver Information Center; Bose nine-speaker stereo with rear audio controls, dual headphone jacks, and steering-wheel controls; power heated mirrors with turn signals and ground illumination; leather seating surfaces; power adjustable pedals; and six-way power front bucket seats.
Walk Around
Chevy Tahoe is an attractive truck, though it doesn't stand out with its conservative and familiar styling. It is essentially a shortened version of the Chevy Suburban and shares much in common with it.
The Tahoe is the same width as the Suburban, but it is more than 22 inches shorter than the Suburban and nearly 9 inches shorter than the Ford Expedition. The Tahoe is also nearly 11 inches shorter than the stretched, midsize Chevy TrailBlazer EXT (and only about 5 inches longer than the standard TrailBlazer). But the Tahoe is more than 4 inches wider than the TrailBlazer EXT, an important benefit.
Tahoe comes with big outside mirrors that afford an excellent view rearward. The mirrors on LT and Z71 models feature puddle lamps that light up the perimeter. These are nice at night in the woods, or when stepping out on nasty nights in your city best, and they provide some security in underground garages and other spooky places. The mirrors also tilt down when you shift into reverse. Press a button and they fold in for parking in narrow places. Heating elements keep off frost and ice. Turn signals are integrated into the mirrors to warn drivers alongside of your intentions. The left mirror automatically dims to reduce headlamp glare. If that isn't enough, these wonder-mirrors remember his and hers adjustments, just like the seats.
The Tahoe's door handles are well-designed and easy to use; you do not need to flip your hand over to pull on them.
For 2005, all Tahoes come with a lift-up rear hatch (the split-panel barn doors are no longer available). The hatch is made of aluminum for light weight. The hatch features a flip-up window, and being able to open just the glass is often more convenient when loading groceries or outdoor gear, especially since it can be operated with the keyless remote. The rear hatch offers a good view out back.
There's plenty of headroom and legroom in the Tahoe. The front seats are big, wide, and fully adjustable in the LT. Optional seat heaters are easy to turn on and adjust. Switchgear is nicely designed and easy to operate. The map lights can be aimed. Rubber-lined cubbies on the center console offer places to organize odds and ends. The ashtray can be removed to reveal another nice cubby for sunglasses and stuff. Cup holders are well designed. Double visors with extenders keep the sun out of your eyes. Three power outlets in front and one in back deliver electricity for accessories.
Visibility is very good through big windows, but we'd like the option of an electronic park-assist feature to help maneuver this big rig in tight quarters. We appreciated the available power-adjustable pedals. Pressing a button moves the brake and accelerator pedals for an optimum driving position. This allows a shorter driver to move farther from the steering wheel (where the airbag is located). The tilt steering could use finer adjustments, but by adjusting the height and tilt of the seat it's possible for drivers of all sizes to find a comfortable position. Steering wheel-mounted controls add convenience and enable the driver to personalize functions.
We love the LT's electronically controlled, automatic three-zone HVAC system for its sophistication and ease of use. Change the driver's temperature, for example, and a panel displays the new temperature for a few moments, then display's the passenger's temperature, then displays the driver's temperature again. It's easy to operate the controls with the big knobs and a clear LED display that's easy to understand. Separate electronic controls for the rear seating area improve comfort for second- and third-row passengers and pets.
The standard LS setup is a manually controlled HVAC system with three zones that allows temperature differentials of 30 degrees between driver and passenger. It works quite well. The third zone allows manual control of the rear air conditioning. The optional Driver Information Center warns you when ice may be on the road.
Second-row seating in the Tahoe is very comfortable. Second-row bucket seats ($490), an option on the LT, are less versatile than a bench seat, but more comfortable, more luxurious. We prefer the buckets. A pair of map lights flanks each dome light in the second and third row, a great feature when traveling or accessing gear.
The Tahoe provides slightly more cargo space behind the second row than the Ford Expedition does (63.6 cubic feet vs. 60.9 cubic feet). Folding the second-row seats down provides enormous cargo capacity, 104.6 cubic feet of cargo space, a bit less than the Expedition's 110.5 cubic feet. Folding the second row down is easy. The headrests stay in place, which is convenient and safer because you can't forget to put them back on.
The Tahoe is comfortable with four or five passengers, but it can seat seven (and up to nine) with its optional third-row seat. However, getting in and out of the third row isn't easy, and once back there, it's uncomfortable for an adult. The seat height is low relative to your feet, sort of like sitting on the floor. So if you think you'll be using that third row on a daily basis, then step over to the other side of the showroom and take a look at the Suburban. The Suburban is more practical than the Tahoe for carrying six to nine people regularly. The Tahoe offers just 16.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. That's about the size of the trunk of a mid-size sedan, but it's less than even the Expedition's 20.7 cubic feet and far less than the Suburban's 45.7 cubic feet.
However, for occasional use, the optional third-row seats are well-designed for flexibility. They can be quickly folded and flipped out of the way, and they are easy to remove: Just fold down, flip up, grab the release handle, and roll the
Driving Impressions
The Chevrolet Tahoe rides smoothly on the open road, and it's stable and comfortable at high speeds. Although big and ponderous, the Tahoe handles well for a full-size truck.
Tahoe is built on GM's full-size truck platform (GMT 800, if you must know), which forms the basis for the Silverado and Sierra pickups as well as the Suburban, Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs, and the Cadillac Escalade. It's a superb truck platform, notable for the rigidity of its hydroformed frame. Chassis rigidity is the key to achieving good handling and a smooth ride, and the Tahoe delivers on both of those scores. It handles bumpy roads well, a good test of chassis rigidity.
Tahoe's front suspension is conventional in design, except for the springs. To save space, the Tahoe uses torsion bars instead of coil springs. Tahoe now comes standard with the Premium Smooth Ride suspension, which uses self-leveling rear shocks to maintain trim height for better handling when hauling heavy cargo or pulling a trailer.
Our Tahoe LT had the optional Autoride suspension ($1,120), which electronically controls rear air shocks to provide real-time adjustments in suspension damping. It provided a comfortable ride on I-405, a bumpy, busy freeway in Los Angeles. Autoride also kept the Tahoe from bounding around after pulling a trailer over railroad tracks.
The available Z71 package, with its off-road suspension, provides a good ride quality on gravel and washboard surfaces. We prefer it when driving on gravel roads and two-tracks.
We were impressed with the Tahoe's braking ability while towing a horse trailer. Tahoe's braking system uses four-wheel discs with dual-piston calipers for good stopping performance. A dynamic proportioning system continuously balances the front and rear brakes for maximum effectiveness without activating the ABS. Once activated, the ABS allows the driver to maintain control of the steering in an emergency maneuver. Additionally, Tahoe's Hydroboost system uses pressurized oil (power steering fluid, actually) rather than the usual engine vacuum to reduce braking effort. That means more reserve power for braking under specific conditions. Hydroboost will even provide sufficient power assist to stop the vehicle if the engine stalls or is turned off.
The Tahoe is relatively easy to park, and much easier than the Suburban. It's 22 inches shorter than a Suburban, and its 38.3-foot turning diameter is 4 feet tighter than the Suburban's. With its shorter wheelbase, shorter rear overhang and equal ground clearance, the Tahoe traverses gullies and other rugged terrain where the Suburban scrapes bottom. Likewise, the Tahoe is shorter and more maneuverable than the Ford Expedition. Even though the Tahoe is a fraction of an inch wider than the Expedition, I find it easier to judge the distance between the Tahoe's right front corner and a tree, making Tahoe easier to manage off-road. The Tahoe's recirculating-ball steering provides good control and feedback, even if it falls short of the rack-and-pinion steering found on the Ford Expedition and Explorer. Tahoe's power steering system is designed for durability by operating at a lower temperature range.
Chevy's small-block, overhead-valve V8s are excellent. They rival Ford's overhead-cam engines for smoothness and efficiency, and deliver strong torque for towing. The standard 4.8-liter V8 cranks out 285 horsepower, while delivering decent fuel economy; a Tahoe 2WD with the Vortec 4800 earns 18 mpg on the EPA's highway mileage test.
A better choice, and the one most people choose, is the 5.3-liter engine rated at 295 horsepower. It delivers strong acceleration performance and burns regular unleaded fuel. A 2005 Tahoe 4WD with the Vortec 5300 earns an EPA-estimated 13/17 mpg city/highway.
If serious off-road driving is your aim, you should know that the Tahoe does not offer the capability of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Land Cruis
Chevrolet Tahoe is perfect for drivers who want a full-size sport-utility, but don't want to herd a Suburban every day. New features introduced in the last three model years make living with the Tahoe more convenient. Numerous engineering changes make it safer and more reliable. For many people, it's the ideal SUV.
Top Cars


text:
Can someone please help to translate what this Sign means!
Its on a small craft in Kowloon Harbour!
I have tried to get it as plain as I can!
Also attached is a pic of the craft!
Any ideas as to what this is!
Thank You
Help with this please
Discuss the Chinese language.
1 post • Page 1 of 1
1 post • Page 1 of 1